So, what exactly is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that affects about 1 person in every 200. Seizures are the result of a brief, temporary disruption to the usual activity of the brain. Reasons can include brain damage, scarring, chemical or hormonal imbalance, or tumors. There are many types of seizures – what happens before, during and after a seizure depends on which part of the brain is affected and how far the disruption spreads. Most seizures are over in a few minutes or less and the person recovers quickly. Epilepsy can affect anyone, of any age or race, either sex and from any walk of life. However, the majority of people with epilepsy respond well to treatment and can get on with their lives.
Living with epilepsy
Experiences of epilepsy and of having seizures vary from person to person.
Some people's seizures only happen at night.
Some people have seizures that are so subtle they may go unnoticed by others.
Some seizures may be mistaken for other conditions, e.g. alcohol or drug related behavior.
Some people's seizures follow a particular pattern; others have seizures that occur at random.
Sometimes seizures can be triggered by a range of factors, e.g. lack of sleep, missed meals, response to stress or anxiety, fever, flashing lights.
Most seizures are over in a few minutes or less and the person recovers quickly, but it's not unusual to feel sleepy or have a headache afterwards and sometimes it can take up to a few days to feel back to normal.
What can you do when someone has a seizure?
It's important to know whether the person having a seizure requires urgent medical attention. This all depends on the patterns of the seizure, how long it lasts and if the person has any injures due to the seizure.
The first and most important thing to do with any seizure is to get the person into the recovery position as shown below:
It is very important they are on their side because if they vomit, the person would choke.
After putting them into the recovery position, make sure to do the following:
Support the person's head (use cushions, a coat or even your hands)
Check airways and their breathing
Talk to and reassure the person having the seizure.
However, do not:
Put anything into their mouth, they will not swallow their tounge
Restrain them. Even though it can look very scary, it is important to let the seizure take it's course. Restraining could end in injury.
Epilepsy and Photo sensitivity
Epileptic seizures can sometimes be triggered by flashing or flickering lights or certain geometric patterns. This condition is known as photosensitive epilepsy. Such seizures can only be provoked in a person who is already sensitive or susceptible to such triggers, or who already has epilepsy. Both natural and artificial light sources can trigger parts of the brain into acting abnormally, which can lead to a seizure.
Common seizure triggers for people with photosensitive epilepsy include:
Television, video games and computer graphics. Sunlight shining through a row of trees or reflecting off water. Strongly striped or geometric patterns. Faulty TV sets, poorly tuned TV channels.
Lights flashing at a rate of 5-30 flashes per second, including strobe lights and faulty fluorescent lights.
Simple precautions to take:
In discos, pubs or clubs, be aware of and avoid long exposure to flashing lights
Take regular breaks from heat and noise.
Do not become dehydrated – drink plenty of water
Make sure the room is well lit and place a subdued light on top of the TV to balance the brightness of the screen.
Take frequent regular breaks away from the screen: 5 minutes every 30 minutes if you're watching TV, and 5 minutes every 15 minutes if you're playing computer games.
If you didn't know, there are add-ons for every browser to stop animated images on the web! This can help those with photosensitive epilepsy from being triggered without warning. [Thanks to DamienMuerte
!] More information on this can be found here: fav.me/d5ch2nn
I do not have epilepsy, however, someone very close in my family has it. I'm her registered carer and have been helping her with her epilepsy even since I was old enough to understand what was going on. It really is a horrible disability and can set you back a lot sometimes. She can't get a job and even if she did, she couldn't drive there. It's a shame such a common illness is so misunderstood. Luckily, she attended a epilepsy support group which really helped with her confidence - and also made some good friends too!
To end off, I hope I helped someone understand epilepsy and how you can help someone who has it. It's very good knowledge to know. I wish anyone with epilepsy the best of luck in life and want you to know that you are very strong. Thank you for reading, it has been a pleasure.