Every year on March 26, people are encouraged to wear purple in support of epilepsy education and awareness.
According to Dr. Imad Najm, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center:
Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally, according to the World Health Organization. The condition is characterized by periodic and involuntary seizures, and if these are diagnosed and controlled in a timely manner through medication or surgery, epilepsy patients can lead a full, healthy life.
It is important to eradicate fears and misconceptions about epilepsy. Unchecked, they can cause individuals to face stigma in school, work and social environments, and they can also prevent or delay individuals from seeking the care that they need.
Diagnosing epilepsy can be fairly quick and easy. There are several epilepsy treatments available, and in many cases, the earlier they are implemented, the more effective they will be.
Watch more in the player above.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.