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A conversational guide to understanding and living with epilepsy Millions of people around the world have epilepsy, but the condition is widely misunderstood.
Epilepsy For Dummies breaks through outdated stigmas surrounding this complex neurological disease. The book offers a 360-degree view by incorporating medical, social, and other perspectives to help you cope with epilepsy or support someone who has been diagnosed. You'll learn about triggers and risk factors, different types of seizures, and getting a diagnosis. You'll also explore various treatment options, including medications, surgery, therapy, and neuromodulation. Beyond the basics, this guide addresses staying safe and managing associated conditions, empowering you to live well.
- Get up-to-date facts about epilepsy, written in terms anyone can understand
- Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments for different seizure types
- Discover how family and friends can support their loved ones with epilepsy
- Find advice for feeling in control and living a fulfilling life
Epilepsy For Dummies is invaluable for anyone with epilepsy, as well as their caretakers, family, and friends. It's also a great resource for educators and medical professionals.
List of contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: Seeing the Big Picture of Epilepsy 5 Chapter 1: Making Sense of Epilepsy 7
Chapter 2: Seeing the What and Who 17
Chapter 3: Considering Causes and Risk Factors 25
Chapter 4: Society and Epilepsy 43
Part 2: Diagnosing Epilepsy 53 Chapter 5: Taking a Look at the Brain 55
Chapter 6: Following the Path to Diagnosis 69
Chapter 7: Sizing Up Seizure Types and Syndromes 85
Chapter 8: Confirming a Diagnosis with Follow-Up Tests 105
Chapter 9: Coming to Grips with the Diagnosis 119
Part 3: Treating Epilepsy 129 Chapter 10: Controlling Seizures by Using Medication 131
Chapter 11: Exploring Surgical Treatments and Neuromodulation 147
Chapter 12: Treating with Dietary Therapy 169
Chapter 13: Examining New Treatments on the Horizon 179
Part 4: Learning Well with Epilepsy 191 Chapter 14: Seeing How Epilepsy Affects Learning 193
Chapter 15: Executive Function and Resiliency 205
Chapter 16: Optimizing Learning 217
Part 5: Living Well with Epilepsy 237 Chapter 17: Learning Seizure First Aid and Developing Rescue Plans 239
Chapter 18: Living Safe and Healthy at Every Age 249
Chapter 19: Managing Associated Conditions 271
Chapter 20: Finding Community and Support 285
Part 6: The Part of Tens 305 Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Help the Epilepsy Community 307
Chapter 22: Ten People Who Made a Difference 313
Glossary 321
Appendix 331
Index 339
About the author
Elizabeth A. Thiele, MD, PhD, is an epileptologist who treats children and young adults who have complex cases of epilepsy. She's the Director of Pediatric Epilepsy at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.
Lauren Seeley Aguirre is an award-winning science journalist and former producer for the PBS series
NOVA. She is the author of
The Memory Thief and the Secrets Behind How We Remember: A Medical Mystery.
