How Many People Does Epilepsy Affect In The U.S.?

Epilepsy is surprisingly common, with about 1 in 26 Americans who will develop a form at some point in their lifetime. Currently, about 3 million Americans have epilepsy.

According to the CDC:

• Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that causes seizures. These seizures are not caused by a temporary underlying medical condition such as a high fever.
• Epilepsy can affect people in very different ways. This is because there are many causes and many different kinds of seizures. Some people may have multiple types of seizures or other medical conditions in addition to epilepsy. These factors play a major role in determining both the severity of the person’s condition and the impact it has on his or her life.
• The way a seizure looks depends on the type of seizure a person is experiencing.  Some seizures can look like staring spells. Other seizures can cause a person to collapse, shake, and become unaware of what’s going on around them.
• Epilepsy can be caused by different conditions that affect a person’s brain. Many times the cause is unknown.

However, Real Progress Is Happening, Right Now

2015 has been the year for medical marijuana awareness all across the country. We now know that the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol, may actually reduce tumor growth, and we’re continuously seeing development of new cannabis medicines and strains. In other words, real progress is happening right now. Dispensaries and research centers have been behind the latest medical breakthroughs and are conducting ongoing studies to prove the therapeutic benefits of cannabis. New reform and states one-by-one issuing dispensary licenses, will absolutely be to the benefit of suffering patients everywhere.

How Does Medicinal Cannabis Affect Epilepsy Patients?

The quick answer: liquid cannabis oil, when administered in low doses, can help prevent seizures.

In one clinical trial, an average of 54% of seizures decreased in 137 people who completed 12 weeks. Even now, a new strain of oil, Charlette’s Web, aims to assist epilepsy symptoms in children because the promise is so incredible.

Today’s Issue: Educating The Public & Pushing For More Trials

As one member of the American Epilepsy Society states:

“The recent anecdotal reports of positive effects of the marijuana derivative cannabidiol for some individuals with treatment-resistant epilepsy give reason for hope. However, we must remember that these are only anecdotal reports, and robust scientific evidence for the use of marijuana is lacking. The lack of information does not mean that marijuana is ineffective for epilepsy. It merely means that we do not know if marijuana is a safe and effective treatment for epilepsy, which is why it should be studied using the well-founded research methods that all other effective treatments for epilepsy have undergone…”

Even with the promise of cannabanoid medication for epilepsy patients, more clinical trials and research are needed to make the alternative approach more mainstream.

Read More: American Academy of Neurology – Medical Marijuana Liquid Extract May Bring Hope for Children with Severe Epilepsy

Join THC & the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago For A Seminar

The Healing Clinic is partnering with the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago on a special mission to educate epilepsy patients, their families and the Illinois community about the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids for seizure disorders.

Please join us for our next THC Community Seminar, Medical Cannabis and Epilepsy The Future of Treating Severe Seizure Disorders in a Safe and Natural Way. Attendees can register using Eventbrite below or by checking out our Facebook event on the THC page.

This event has already taken place, but feel free to check out our medical marijuana community education page to see upcoming events and seminars!

~Feliza & the THC Team