History of Epilepsy

Spirits.  That’s what people associate with seizures.  Carried off by ghosts.  Epileptics!  Not people with epilepsy.  What’s the difference?  “Epileptics” are creatures that are enveloped by seizures, fits of shaking and unconsciousness.  All that’s scary

A Little Bit About Me

As I mentioned, there are more than 20 kinds of seizures.  Seizures come in all shapes and sizes.  That is why they are so hard to control. 

You can get epilepsy at any time, and the kind of seizures you have can change over the course of your lifetime, or if you are lucky, they may stop altogether.  Some children “grow out of” their seizures, never to be bothered by them again.  However, others

What is Epilepsy?

First, what is epilepsy and what is a seizure?  This is a basic question, yet many people don’t seem to know the answer.  Even the experts are always refining their technical definitions of this condition. 

In his book A Guide to Understanding and Living with Epilepsy, Orrin Devinsky defines epilepsy and seizures clearly.  A seizure is “a brief, excessive surge of electrical activity in the brain that causes a change in how a person feels, senses things, or behaves.”  Epilepsy is “a disorder in which a person has two or more seizures

Welcome!

Welcome to Soo's Epilepsy Corner! My name is Soo Ihm. I am from Southern California. 

 In my blog I'm going to be sharing information about epilepsy, in an effort to educate and advocate. I will tackle issues such as the history of epilepsy, new medications, traditional surgery, Vagus nerve stimulator, other new devices under development, diets, alternative treatments (herbs, acupuncture, marijuana, etc.), stigma, first aid, side effects, SUDEP (Sudden Death by Epilepsy).  

This is only the beginning, since epilepsy remains a mystery to scientists as well as they continue to search for a cure.  Every bit of awareness we can spread to the community about what epilepsy is the better, since it is still very misunderstood and feared by many. 

I hope you find this blog useful and engaging.

Soo