Wear Purple for Epilepsy Day 2023

Purple Day, 26 March 2023, is the biggest international fundraising and awareness day in the epilepsy calendar and is celebrated by the epilepsy community from all over the world.

Purple Day is intended to help raise awareness for people with epilepsy and to help them realise they are not alone. It pushes for positive change and overcomes the barriers faced by the epilepsy community in all aspects of life by raising awareness and understanding.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain, which causes repeated seizures and can start at any age.

A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of intense electrical activity in the brain, causing a temporary disruption to the way the brain works, resulting in an epileptic seizure.

There are many types of seizures and what happens when someone has a seizure depends on which part of the brain is affected.

Some types of seizures present themselves in a way that causes loss of awareness, odd behaviour, the body to go stiff, fall to the floor and/or jerk. During other types of seizure, the person may have some unusual sensations, movements or feelings and also remain alert and aware during the seizure.

After a seizure, it may take a while for the brain to fully recover, and they may be a bit confused.

The NHS provides a detailed description of all types of seizures.

How common is epilepsy?

Epilepsy affects around 600,000 people in the UK. This means that one in 100 people have epilepsy, making it one of the most common serious neurological conditions in the world.

What causes epilepsy?

Possible causes of epilepsy include:

• brain tumours
• the way the brain developed in the womb
• brain damage, for example, damaged caused by a head injury, stroke or infection.

How is epilepsy diagnosed and treated?

Epilepsy should be diagnosed by a specialist consultant. For adults, this is usually a neurologist (a doctor specialising in conditions that affect the brain or nerves). For children, epilepsy is usually diagnosed by a paediatrician (a doctor specialising in treating children) or, in more complex cases, a children’s neurologist.

After taking a full description of the person’s symptoms, the consultant may also arrange some tests to help give more information about the type and cause of epilepsy and also rule out any other potential conditions that may be causing the seizures. Such tests could include blood tests, an EEG (recording of the brain waves) and a brain scan.

The main treatment for epilepsy is anti-seizure medication. This medication does not cure the epilepsy but helps to stop or reduce the number of seizures, or reduce the severity of the seizures.

For advice on how to help someone who is having a seizure, please visit First aid – Epilepsy Action.

For more information about epilepsy and the support that is available, please visit the following websites:

• Epilepsy – NHS
• Purple day – 26 March 2022 | Epilepsy Society.

Contact our medical negligence solicitors today

If you suspect that your epilepsy has been caused by an injury resulting from medical negligence, or you consider that you have suffered an injury as a result of inappropriate treatment for epilepsy, please get in contact with us on 0330 191 4835 or fill out our online enquiry form.

Our experienced team of lawyers will be able to offer advice and guide you through every step of the claims process and our in-house rehabilitation coordinators can help to support you through your recovery.