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Notice to Readers: National Epilepsy Awareness Month ---- November 2005
November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month. Epilepsy affects approximately 2.7 million persons in the United
States and is characterized by unprovoked seizures. Delayed recognition of seizures and inadequate treatment greatly increase the
risk for subsequent seizures, brain damage, disability,
decreased health-related quality of life, and death from injuries
incurred during a seizure. Epilepsy most often affects young children and older adults, although persons can have epilepsy at any
age. The effects of epilepsy on children can be especially burdensome as they transition into adulthood (e.g., driving and
working). The number of cases among older adults is increasing as the U.S. population ages. Outside the medical community, epilepsy
is a poorly understood condition, even among families and friends of affected persons.
To improve social acceptance and understanding of epilepsy and to increase support for persons living with it, the
Epilepsy Foundation, in partnership with CDC, is expanding its campaign to focus on providing information about epilepsy to
the Hispanic community through national and local partnerships, including Hispanic Radio Network, local affiliates of
the National Council of La Raza, and local groups of the Community Health Workers (Promotoras) National
Network. Information about epilepsy and the campaign is available from the Epilepsy Foundation, telephone 800-332-1000, or at
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org and in Spanish at telephone 866-748-8008 or at
http://www.fundacionparalaepilepsia.org.
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Health and Human Services.References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
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endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of
the date of publication.
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