03/26/2026
March 26 is Purple Day - an international day dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy. Approximately 150,000 to 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with epilepsy each year. Globally, it is estimated that 5 million people are diagnosed with epilepsy annually, according to the World Health Organization.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder where abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes seizures, which can range from brief lapses in attention to severe convulsions.
The four main types of epilepsy, classified by seizure origin:
1. Generalized Epilepsy:
Where seizures start in both sides of the brain
Examples include absence seizures (staring), myoclonic (jerks), tonic-clonic (stiffening/jerking), and atonic (loss of muscle tone/drop) seizures.
2. Focal Epilepsy:
Where seizures start in one side of the brain
Can be focal aware (person is conscious) or focal impaired awareness (consciousness affected).
3. Combined Generalized and Focal Epilepsy:
It involves both focal-onset (localized to one brain area) and generalized-onset (affecting the whole brain) electrical activity, sometimes requiring specialized treatment due to its complex, often treatment-resistant nature
4. Unknown Onset Epilepsy:
Occurs when the beginning of a seizure cannot be determined, often because it was unwitnessed, occurred during sleep, or lacked sufficient diagnostic data
⬇️ Check out the images below to see how you can help someone during an episode
CURE Epilepsy Epilepsy Foundation Eastern PA - EFEPA
