ON THE DANISH
EPILEPSY ASSOCIATION
The
Danish Epilepsy Association is a national,
non-profit membership association founded in 1962
and numbering today approximately 7000 members. The
Association is extremely dependent on the voluntary
activities of its members who are organised in 14
regional associations. The main objective of the
Association broadly speaking is to work in a variety
of ways to improve the quality of life of people
suffering from epilepsy.
Its'
aims can be summarized as follows:
- To raise public and professional awareness of
epilepsy, its’ treatment, its’ causes and both social,
psychological and health-related consequences
- To encourage and implement initiatives designed to
improve methods of treatment, social and labour market
conditions for sufferers, and care and support for
sufferers and their families
- To encourage and support research aimed at improving
the quality of life of sufferers and their families
Membership benefits
As
membership benefits the Association offers a central,
free-phone counselling service open to sufferers of
epilepsy and their families and other interested
callers. The Association also produces pamphlets and
educational materials available to relevant and
interested parties. Four times a year, the Association
publishes its magazine ‘Epilepsy’ with a circulation
of 10,000. Members receive the magazine free of
charge.
National office
Dansk
Epilepsiforening
Kongensgade 68
5000 Odense C
Denmark
Tlf.:
+45 6611 9091
Fax: +45 66 117 177
E-mail: epilepsi@epilepsiforeningen.dk
President
Lone Nørager Kristensen,
president
Tlf.: +45 9821 7591
Fax +45 9821 7441
Director
Jutta Houmøller, director
Tlf.: +45 6611 90 91
E-mail. jutta@epilepsiforeningen.dk
Top
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that makes people susceptible to seizures. A seizure is a change in sensation, awareness, or behavior brought about by a brief electrical disturbance in the brain.
Seizures vary from a momentary disruption of the senses, to short periods of unconsciousness or staring spells, to convulsions. Some people have just one type of seizure. Others have more than one type.
Although they look different, all seizures are caused by the same thing: a sudden change in how the cells of the brain send electrical signals to each other.
Epilepsy is generally not the kind of condition that gets worse with time. Most adults who have it can expect to live a normal life span.
Doctors treat epilepsy primarily with seizure-preventing medicines. Although seizure medications are not a cure, they control seizures in the majority of people with epilepsy.
Surgery, diet (primarily in children), or electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve, a large nerve leading into the brain, may be options if medications fail to control seizures. Several drugs (called antiepileptic or anticonvulsant drugs) are prescribed to prevent seizures. Many factors are involved in choosing the right seizure drug. The goal of treatment is to stop seizures without side effects from the
medicines.
(Kilde:
Epilepsy Foundation)
Top
Slideshow-presentation of the Dansih
Epilepsy Association
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