Understanding Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological (nur-oh-LOJ’-eh-cull) condition that affects how electrical signals in the brain work. Epilepsy causes seizures and also can impact memory, thinking and mood. Although all epilepsy causes at least one seizure, not all seizures mean you have epilepsy.

It is important to find a comprehensive epilepsy center with the experience, tools and techniques to build a custom treatment plan for you. Living with epilepsy means understanding your condition, including how severe and how frequent your seizures are and what your seizure triggers may be. Many aspects of epilepsy can affect your day-to-day life, including driving ability, job status and financial status. While epilepsy does change your life, living a full life is a realistic goal for most people.

The Importance of Epilepsy Support

Epilepsy, seizures and medication side effects can affect people in different ways. Support can mean learning more about your condition, finding understanding form people going through the same thing, developing ways to cope or feeling more in control about living with epilepsy.

It can feel overwhelming when you get an epilepsy diagnosis. Norton Neuroscience Institute Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Centers are dedicated to patient support, including classes, support group meetings and other ways to help you navigate your world with epilepsy.

Patient navigators also can help you through your epilepsy care journey at Norton Healthcare. Patient navigators consult with you and your caregivers about medical and personal matters. Their services are offered at no cost and available as often as you need them.

We also have on-demand epilepsy education.

The Epilepsy Foundation is national nonprofit group dedicated to promoting epilepsy awareness and understanding, advocating for laws that matter to people with epilepsy and funding epilepsy research. It offers local programs and services both in-person and online for patients and their caregivers.

How to Support Someone With Epilepsy

If you have epilepsy, it is key to share with your friends and family what to do if you have a seizure. If you have a loved one with this condition, learn how to support that person — it could be a matter of life and death. Learn more about epilepsy through books, media, classes or whatever method you prefer.

The Epilepsy Foundation offers a wide variety of classes including:

• Seizure First Aid
• Epilepsy 101
• Take Charge of the Facts: Seizures and You

Some other practical tips for caring for someone with epilepsy include:

• Keeping them safe during a seizure
• Calling for medical help, or giving first aid or emergency medication
• Staying with them or seeing them home safely after a seizure
• Noting any pattern or trigger to their seizures, which may help if they can’t remember their seizures
• Helping with their routine of taking anti-seizure medication
• Going with them to appointments, helping to take notes or providing descriptions of seizures to the person with epilepsy and/or their doctor
• Acting as a representative or advocate for the person, with their doctors or others involved in their care
• Joining in with leisure activities that might pose a safety risk if they were to have a seizure, such as swimming
• Providing transport if they can’t drive
• Helping them adapt their home or lifestyle to provide a safe living environment

Though there is no cure for epilepsy, advances in medication and treatment continue to move forward. In the meantime, look for ways to support your loved one, starting with Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Centers.

Leading the Region in Neurological Care

• Breakthrough essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease treatment: We are the first health care system in Kentucky  to offer high-frequency focused ultrasound to treat these conditions without any incisions.
• Slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease: We are the first health care system in Kentucky to offer lecanemab and a leader nationally in the application of this cutting-edge drug.
• Highest level of stroke care
  • Four Norton Healthcare adult-service hospitals are DNV-certified for stroke care, reflecting the highest standards in rapid treatment and outcomes.
  • Four adult-service hospitals have earned American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines awards for exceptional stroke care, including multiple Gold Plus and Honor Roll designations.
• More than 75 medical, surgical and research specialists collaborate to provide innovative treatment of brain, spine and nervous system conditions.
• Norton Neuroscience Institute’s multiple sclerosis (MS) program has met the high standards to achieve Center for Comprehensive MS Care designation by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
• The National Association of Epilepsy Centers has recognized Norton Neuroscience Institute Comprehensive Epilepsy Center as a Level 4 center, providing the highest level of medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.
• Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center navigators help educate patients and their families about new diagnoses, available treatments and ways to manage their disease.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance accepted; families with income equal to or less than 350% of the federal poverty level may be eligible for financial assistance.
• Communicate with your provider, refill prescriptions, make appointments and more with the free Norton MyChart account.