No, epilepsy is never contagious. You cannot catch epilepsy from someone else and nobody can catch it from you.

A: Ichthyosis is definitely not contagious. It is not caused by a bacteria, virus, or germs, and thus it cannot be passed from one person to another.

Epilepsy is a chronic medical condition produced by temporary changes in the electrical function of the brain, causing recurrent seizures which affect awareness, movement, or sensation. "Recurrent" is a key word because a dog who has an isolated seizure does not have epilepsy. Also note that epilepsy is not a disease but rather a neurological disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in the form of seizures.

In many respects, yes. If you have one on your feet, it would be unwise to pick at it and it can spread to someone else if that person has the potential towards getting that virus in the same way certain people have the potential for catching a certain cold. The wart virus likes to linger around moist environments such as pools, spas, locker rooms, public showers (such as those at the gym). Wearing flip flops or crocs in these areas is always a good idea.

Yes. About 1% of the population carries MRSA on the skin – they are considered to be ‘colonized’ with MRSA and are generally asymptomatic. People who are exposed to the organism from a carrier generally do not get sick from it, or develop only mild illnesses (similar to normal staph infections). However, if a minor infection is not cared for, or if there are other factors (e.g., compromised immunity), then the infection may become more serious.

EMS is not a contagious disease. There should not be fears about that. Naturally, chronic diseases such as EMS may have profound effects upon close family members of the sick person and might contribute to feelings of depression, anxiety, problems with children accepting the illness, or other physical and emotional conditions in loved ones. But this occurs with any chronic illness that goes on for many years - which is what a chronic illness is, an ongoing one.

Vitiligo is NOT contagious. If it were, many more people in the world, including doctors who treat vitiligo and family members of those with vitiligo, would have the condition. There are many theories about what causes vitiligo, but many experts believe, and data supports the theory, that one must be genetically susceptible, in order to develop vitiligo.

While the exact cause of the disease is not known, what is known indicates that Parkinson's is not contagious. Parkinson's is a neurological, not a mental, disorder. In the majority of cases, it slows the body, not the mind. However, when brain cells are affected by medication, some emotional changes can be expected. Anxiety and depression are very common among people with Parkinson's and may occur due to seratonin imbalance, a side effect of certain medications.

No, it's important to note that BSE is not a contagious disease; spread occur through the ingestion of infected material, generally brain or spinal cord tissue.

Smallpox is less contagious than chickenpox or measles. The great majority of people in a large room will become infected if even only one person has measles, whereas the highest risk for smallpox is face-to face contact, i.e. within 2 meters (6.5 feet). If there is personal protective equipment (fit-tested N-95 masks, gloves, etc.) on you and the patient, the risk of airborne spread becomes very low.

Yes, definitely. But they can't jump from head to head and they can't fly. The only way they can be transmitted is by direct contact (heads touching) or indirect contact (a hat passed around which has been worn by a person with headlice).

In about seven out of ten people with epilepsy, no cause can be found. Among the rest, the cause may be any one of a number of things that can make a difference in the way the brain works. For example, head injuries or lack of oxygen during birth may damage the delicate electrical system in the brain.

The doctor's main tool in diagnosing epilepsy is a careful medical history with as much information as possible about what the seizures looked like and what happened just before they began. A second major tool is an electroencephalograph (EEG). This is a machine that records brain waves picked up by tiny wires taped to the head. Electrical signals from brain cells are recorded as wavy lines by the machine.

Epilepsy may be treated with drugs, surgery, a special diet, or an implanted device programmed to stimulate the vagus nerve (VNS therapy). Of these treatments, drug therapy is by far the most common, and is usually the first to be tried. A number of medications are currently used in the treatment of epilepsy. These medications control different types of seizures.

Epilepsy monitoring is the use of simultaneous video-electroencephalography (EEG). Performed on an inpatient basis, video-EEG provides brainwave recordings simultaneous with videotaping of the patient. This technique has been called long-term monitoring. Epilepsy monitoring takes many forms including: prolonged standard EEG, ambulatory EEG monitoring and simultaneous video-EEG monitoring.

Witnessing a seizure, the primary manifestation of epilepsy, can be a frightening experience for someone who is unfamiliar with the disorder and can be perceived far worse than it actually is. This "fear" dates back to ancient times, when people thought that anyone who experienced a seizure was "possessed by demons". Even today misperceptions continue to influence public attitudes and behavior toward people with the disorder.