another athlete with epilepsy

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Why are they calling it a rare disease? Its actually a fairly common disorder. Argh that is one thing that in dislike about being epileptic. I have a disorder, not a disease. Disease implies its contagious.
 
I just sent off an e-mail to Mr. Boynton too. Let's hope reads, understands, and corrects the article.
 
Like it or not Rae it is a 'rare disease' and by definition a disease is a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment. Sure he chose the less appealing word that in most cases invokes fear but that guy he wrote about allowed him to call it that. In Canada the estimate is no more than 2% which does qualify as rare. Not a great article but maybe even being a poorly written as it is that some good may come of it.
 
well disease implies that it is contagious. Thats why people think they can get Epilepsy through the most outrageous circumstances.

Also, more people have epilepsy than people with Autism, or cerebal palsy. that over 3 million canadians, because the ratio I have seen is 3-5% of the population suffers from seizures. including people with autism and cerebal palsy. so its alot more people than you think if you factor in alzheimers or joubert's syndrome, some cancers, etc.

and disorder is a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning. So i think that it would require a disturbance in chemical imbalace to qualify as a disorder. Its not called Bi-Polar disease, or Down Syndrome disease, or schzoprenia Disease, etc

In medicine, a disorder is a functional abnormality or disturbance. Medical disorders can be categorized into mental disorders, physical disorders, genetic disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, and functional disorders.

The term disorder is often considered more value-neutral and less stigmatizing than the terms disease or illness, and therefore is preferred terminology in some circumstances. In mental health, the term mental disorder is used as a way of acknowledging the complex interaction of biological, social, and psychological factors in psychiatric conditions. However, the term disorder is also used in many other areas of medicine, primarily to identify physical disorders that are not caused by infectious organisms, such as organic brain syndrome.
 
I agree Rae. In the e-mail I sent to the author, I told him to think about epilepsy as if it were asthma (i.e., very common, sometimes chronic, sometimes acute, non-contagious, with potentially serious consequences if undignosed or untreated.)
 
I've never known the word "disease" to imply contagious. I looked it up & contagious was not part of the definition. I think associating the word with something contagious is an assumption we make.

dis·ease (d-zz)
n.
1. A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.
2. A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.
3. Obsolete Lack of ease; trouble.
Click to expand...
http://www.tfd.com/disease

disease /dis·ease/ (dĭ-zēz´) any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown. See also entries under syndrome.
Click to expand...
http://medical-dictionary.tfd.com/disease
 
Well if it's an assumption we tend to make, then it DOES imply contagious, right? Even if that's not the technical definition.
 
Well, that's because you're an enlightened guy (and the the ultimate Spaminator to boot.)
 
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