First Glance

Fact : False.The prevalence of epilepsy is nearly 4-10 per 1000.

Myth 2 : Epilepsy is contagious.

Fact : Epilepsy is not capable of transmitting infection.

Myth 3 : Epilepsy is a psychological condition.

Fact : Epilepsy is not a psychological condition. Seizures are caused by a transient, excessive and abnormal discharge of nerve cells.

Myth 4 : An object should be put in the mouth of a person having a seizure to keep him/her from biting his/her tongue.

Fact : Nothing should be placed in the person's mouth. The person should be placed on his side so the tongue falls away and to the side.

Myth 5 : A person having a seizure should be held down.

Fact : Do not try to restrain the person; this may cause injury. Anything hard or sharp should be moved out of the way, and something soft should be placed under the person's head.

Myth 6 : The person suffering from epileptic seizures has to be born with epilepsy.

Fact : Although epilepsy often first appears in children and young adults, anyone can develop epilepsy at any time.

Myth 7 : Epilepsy is curable.

Fact : There is no known cure for epilepsy. However, modern treatment methods can achieve full or partial control of seizures in a majority of cases.

Myth 8 : Persons with epilepsy are "epileptics."

Fact : Persons with epilepsy are individuals who experience chronic, recurrent seizures.

Myth 9 : Epilepsy is a sign of low intelligence.

Fact : Epilepsy is a physical condition, not a mental illness or handicap.

Myth 10 : You cannot tell what a person might do during a seizure.

Fact : Seizures commonly take a characteristic form and the individual will do much the same thing during each seizure episode.