While many people with epilepsy have control of their seizures as a result of medication use or surgery, thousands continue to have uncontrolled epilepsy, which can have a major impact on the quality of their lives, Epilepsy Ireland has said.

Around 37,000 Irish people, including 10,000 children, have this condition, which is characterised by recurring seizures. These are caused by excess electrical activity in the brain.

According to Dr Aidan Neligan, a neurologist at the National Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square London, achieving a seizure-free life ‘is the most important goal for people diagnosed with epilepsy'.

"Uncontrolled seizures have a huge impact on people's quality of life and carry a number of associated health risks including accidents and injuries sustained during seizures. The risks are varied and depend on the individual's seizures," he noted.

Dr Neligan will be one of the guest speakers at Epilepsy Ireland's National Epilepsy Conference next month. The theme of this year's conference is ‘Being Safe, Reducing Risk'.

The event is aimed at people with epilepsy, their families and carers, and healthcare professionals working in this field.

A number of national and international guest speakers will discuss a range of topics related to seizure freedom and safety precautions. Interactive workshops will also be held, as will one-to-one sessions with epilepsy specialist nurses.

The conference will also include a series of debates on issues such as stigma and the language used to describe epilepsy.

According to Prof Henry Smithson of University College Cork, who will also be speaking at the conference, there are an estimated 130 epilepsy-related deaths in Ireland every year.

"Some of these deaths are caused by complications during or after a seizure, and others may be due to accidents, suicide or the underlying medical reason for someone's epilepsy," he explained.

He noted that around half of all epilepsy deaths are due to a phenomenon called Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), something that ‘is not well understood even today'.

"We do know that those most at risk are people whose seizures are not well controlled. This is one of the main reasons why both doctors and people with epilepsy need to work together in getting the best possible control of seizures," Prof Smithson insisted.

The conference will take place on Saturday, October 11, at the Alexander Hotel in Dublin from 10.30am to 4pm.

To find out more about it or to reserve a place, call Epilepsy Ireland on (01) 455 7500 or click here

For more information on epilepsy, see our Epilepsy Clinic, in association with Epilepsy Ireland, here