
Epilepsy: What To Know & How To Support
- Health Hub 101, Taboo Topic
- 04 Jan, 2023
Epilepsy, a neurological illness, causes seizures. Individuals are affected. The type and frequency of a person's seizures are often what define the overall impact on their life.
Strokes, brain tumors, infections, and traumatic brain injuries are a few typical causes of epilepsy, although roughly 70% of cases have no known cause.
Since epilepsy's causes are typically unknown, treating it can be extremely difficult. Therefore, having epilepsy may be challenging for certain patients.
You can give epilepsy patients hope by doing your part to raise awareness. Additionally, it aids in raising awareness of the critical ailment, which may ultimately help with diagnosis and treatment. Research funding for other brain illnesses is 10 times more than that for epilepsy.
Quick Information on Epilepsy:
A diagnosis of epilepsy is often obtained when a person has experienced two or more seizures. Seizures can look extremely diverse, ranging from staring spells to collapse. A seizure may last for a few seconds or for several minutes.
Epilepsy is accompanied by other medical disorders in some persons. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlighted a research in which it was shown that approximately 42% of children with cerebral palsy also had epilepsy.
Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy
Since epilepsy causes brain damage, it is frequently linked to cerebral palsy. Birth traumas might worsen aberrant brain activity, increasing the likelihood of seizures.
The probability of cerebral palsy co-occurring is highest in children with hemiplegia and quadriplegia. Medication, surgery, specialized diets, aids, and electrical gadgets are all used as therapies for epilepsy to control its symptoms.
The Value of Seizure Preparation
You can learn first aid techniques to help with an epileptic seizure emergency whether you or a loved one has epilepsy or if you just want to be ready for a seizure in general.
When someone is having a seizure, it's crucial to follow these guidelines:
DOs:
- Remain calm. Seizures are common and typically only last a few minutes. Till the seizure is gone, stay by the person.
- Put something soft under their head to keep the airways open, turn the person onto their side.
- Make sure bystanders remain calm and stay off to the side.
- See if the person is wearing any emergency identification, such as a medical bracelet.
- If the seizure lasts five minutes or more, if the person is pregnant, or if they experience multiple seizures, call 999.
DON’Ts:
- Don't attempt mouth-to-mouth breathing; the person will typically regain consciousness on their own.
- Don't try to give the person food or water until they are fully alert.
- Don't try to restrain the person.
- Don't try to stop their movements.
- Don't put anything in their mouth because they cannot swallow their tongue.
The best approach to assist in what are frightening situations for everyone involved is to understand the significance of seizure preparedness and discover what you can do.
How to Show Your Support
Sharing your own experience can make a huge difference in people's lives. Strong strategies for promoting awareness and a cure include supporting others. We can give those suffering from the sickness hope if we raise more voices. Find out more about additional ways to support the epilepsy community right away.
Reference:
https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/blog/epilepsy-awareness-month-2021/