The health department in Tuensang observed National Epilepsy Day with youths of Khiamniungan Baptist Church on 17th November 2023. An awareness program was organised on the theme “Seizing the Moment: Breaking the Stigma” to dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding epilepsy.

Dr Senilo Magh, Psychiatrist, District Hospital Tuensang, was the theme speaker at the event. In his address to the youth, he highlighted that seizure is usually defined as a sudden alteration of behaviour due to a temporary change in the electrical functioning of the brain. Normally, the brain continuously generates tiny electrical impulses in an orderly pattern. These impulses travel along neurons (the network of nerve cells in the brain) and throughout the whole body via chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, he said.

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Dr Magh explained that epilepsy occurs due to imbalance in the electrical rhythms of brain, which eventually lead to repetitive seizures. Seizures may be primary generalized or partial depending upon the area of brain affected.

He elaborated that ‘Absence Seizure’, commonly seen in children, is often overlooked as day dreaming. A person having an absence seizure may stare blankly into space for a few seconds.

Further, he pointed out that misunderstanding and misinformation about seizures contribute to continued feelings of stigmatization and negative outcomes for people with epilepsy

Seizures are a symptom of epilepsy and not all seizures are the same, Dr Magh informed, adding that many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure.

1 in 10 people will have a seizure and 1 in 26 will develop epilepsy during their lifetime, he mentioned. Many people with epilepsy face discrimination and social exclusion due to misunderstandings about the condition while adding that National Epilepsy Day provides an opportunity to foster understanding, compassion, and acceptance within communities.

Dr Magh also shared on first aid management of a person having seizure.