Epilepsy in Luxembourg: a condition known to all, but understood by few

Although almost all residents of Luxembourg have heard of epilepsy, this disease remains poorly understood and largely "invisible" in everyday life. This is the conclusion reached by the authors of a survey conducted by the ILRES institute on behalf of the Association for People with Epilepsy. The results were presented on Monday, International Epilepsy Day, at a conference at the Centre hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL).

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder, affecting more than 5,000 people in the country. However, as Maryse Arendt, a representative of the association, noted, public knowledge about how to respond correctly during an epileptic seizure remains extremely limited. About half of those surveyed admitted that they did not know what to do in such a situation. Moreover, even among those who considered themselves knowledgeable, only about a quarter would be able to act correctly in practice.

The association's president, Jos Voss, emphasised that simply raising awareness of the condition is already very important. When people with epilepsy know that their condition is understood and accepted, their stress levels decrease, which in some cases can even reduce the frequency of seizures. However, he clarified that once a seizure has started, it cannot be stopped.

According to Voss, the main task of those around is to stay close and ensure the person's safety: support or protect their head, place something soft underneath them to avoid injury, especially if the seizure occurs on the street or near a road. The seizure should pass on its own, and someone should stay nearby until the person fully regains consciousness, is able to move and orient themselves. It is also important to note the duration of the seizure.

If the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, if one seizure follows another, or if the victim is unknown and there is no information about their condition, call the emergency services on 112.