October is SUDEP Action Month and October 23rd is SUDEP Action Day

The month of October is known as SUDEP Action Month, which is a month-long awareness event that culminates in SUDEP Action Day on October 23rd. The goal of both SUDEP Action Month and SUDEP Action Day is to bring much-needed attention to the dire medical issue of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

SUDEP refers to the premature death of a person with epilepsy that is not associated with any known cause of death. SUDEP is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures and has been found to occur in approximately 1 to 2 people in every 1,000 people with epilepsy annually.

Epilepsy is associated with risks, which, if left unchecked, can have serious consequences, including increased rates of SUDEP.

The above shows the importance of the theme of this year’s SUDEP Action Month and SUDEP Action Day, which is #SpeakUp2SaveLives. In order to help reduce the rates of SUDEP and save lives, we must learn more about SUDEP and ensure that people who are not aware of what SUDEP is are being told about it. Educate the people in your lives about SUDEP and tell them to discuss SUDEP with their health care providers and with their families, friends, loved ones.

We hope that everyone gets involved with SUDEP Action Month and SUDEP Action Day this year! Find out more about SUDEP Action here and about SUDEP Action Day here.