Epilepsy and Sport

Abstract

Epilepsy is a commonly encountered disorder in Turkey and throughout the world. It is widely believed that exercise enhances seizures, and that traumas and accidents occur more frequently in epileptic patients. This belief has created a stigma, restricting the daily lives of patients with epilepsy. Epileptic children and adolescents are socially isolated and prevented from engaging in sports and similar activities in developing countries. The aim of the present article is to demonstrate that exercise, including sports, is not a precipitating factor for seizures, and that this type of activity may be used to control and prevent epilepsy.