Selfadvocatenet.com in support of Epilepsy Day
Hi all understanding respect what Epilepsy is those that have struggle self Advocates with disabilities also have Epilepsy
Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26th annually, people in countries around the world are invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness. Last year, people in more than 85 countries on all continents participated in Purple Day! Canada is the only country in the world who officially recognizes March 26th as Purple Day through the Purple Day Act implemented on June 28, 2012.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder of the central nervous system, specifically of the brain . It is characterized by the tendency to have recurrent seizures.
A person would be diagnosed with epilepsy if they have at least two unprovoked (or reflex) seizures, or one unprovoked (or reflex) seizure and are very likely to have another, or diagnosed with an epilepsy syndrome.
The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) recently classified epilepsy as a disease, instead of a disorder, to better convey that epilepsy is a serious medical condition.
The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells or neurons that communicate through electrical and chemical signals. When there is a sudden excessive electrical discharge that disrupts the normal activity of the nerve cells, a seizure may result.
Seizures cause a change in function or behavior. A seizure may take many different forms including a blank stare, muscle spasms, uncontrolled movements, altered awareness, odd sensations, or a convulsion. The location in the brain of the abnormally discharging nerve cells determines the form the seizure will take. Seizures may occur rarely or as often as numerous times a day. If the condition is successfully controlled by medication, a person may be seizure free.
Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders. An estimated 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. That means approximately one percent of the general population has epilepsy.
Epilepsy can be present at any age although its onset is most often in childhood or in the later years of life. Sometimes those who develop seizures during childhood outgrow their seizures. In the elderly, there is an increased incidence due to strokes and aging of the brain. In more than half of those with epilepsy, seizures can be well controlled with seizure medication.
EPILEPSY IS HIGHLY TREATABLE
70% of people with epilepsy can gain seizure freedom with medication alone.
30% of people have drug-resistant epilepsy. There are additional treatments for people with drug-resistant epilepsy that can improve seizure control or stop seizures altogether.
A person has drug-resistant epilepsy if they have not achieved seizure freedom with adequate trials of two antiseizure medications[3]. There are a variety of treatment options for drug-resistant seizures including surgery[4], medically-managed diet therapy, and nerve stimulation. Treatment options for drug-resistant epilepsy should be evaluated at a comprehensive epilepsy program.
[3] Kwan P et al. (2010) Definition of drug resistant epilepsy: consensus proposal by the ad hoc Task Force of the ILAE Commission on Therapeutic Strategies.Epilepsia51:1069-1077.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02397.x/full
[4] Wiebe S et al. (2001) A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Surgery for Temporal-Lobe Epilepsy.N Engl J Med345:311-381.http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200108023450501#t=article
Quick Facts
There are approximately 50 million people around the world living with epilepsy making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.
The risk of premature death in people with epilepsy is up to three times higher than for the general population.
In many parts of the world, people with epilepsy and their families suffer from stigma and discrimination.
It’s estimated that 1 in 100 people have epilepsy
There are more than 300,000 Canadians living with epilepsy.
There are approximately 2.2 million Americans living with epilepsy.
Epilepsy is NOT contagious. Epilepsy is NOT a psychological disorder.
There is currently no “cure” for epilepsy. However, for 10-15% of people with epilepsy, the surgical removal of the seizure focus – the part of brain where the person’s seizures start – can eliminate all seizure activity. For more than half of people with epilepsy, medication will control their seizures. Additionally, some children will outgrow their epilepsy and some adults may have a spontaneous remission.
Not everyone can identify specific events or circumstances that affect seizures, but some are able to recognize definite seizure triggers. Some common triggers include:
- Forgetting to take prescribed seizure medication
- Lack of sleep
- Missing meals
- Stress, excitement, emotional upset
- Menstrual cycle / hormonal changes
- Illness or fever
- Low seizure medication levels
- Medications other than prescribed seizure medication
- Flickering lights of computers, television, videos, etc., and sometimes even bright sunlight
- Street drugs
What should I do when someone has a seizure?
STAY with the person and start timing the seizure.
- Remain calm – it will help others stay calm too. Talk calmly and reassuringly to the person during and after the seizure – it will help as they recover from the seizure.
- Check for medical ID – Rescue medicines can be given if prescribed by a healthcare professional.
- Look at your watch and time the seizure from beginning to the end of the active seizure.
- Timing the seizure will help you determine if emergency help is needed.
- While most seizures only last a few minutes, seizures can be unpredictable. Some may start with minor symptoms but lead to loss of consciousness or a fall that could cause injury. Other seizures may end in seconds.
Keep the person SAFE.
- Move or guide away from harmful or sharp objects.
- If a person is wandering or confused, help steer them clear of dangerous situations. For example, gently guide them away from traffic, train or subway platforms, heights, or sharp objects.
- Encourage people to step back and give the person some room. Waking up to a crowd can be embarrassing and confusing for a person after a seizure.
- Ask someone to stay nearby in case further help is needed.
Turn the person onto their SIDE if they are not awake and aware.
- Make the person as comfortable as possible.
- Loosen tight clothes around neck.
- If they are aware, help them sit down in a safe place.
- If they are at risk of falling or having a convulsive seizure or tonic-clonic seizure:
- Lay them down on the floor.
- Put something small and soft under the head.
- Turn them on their side with their mouth pointing toward the ground. This prevents saliva from blocking their airway and helps the person breathe more easily.
- During a convulsion, it may look like the person has stopped breathing. This happens when the chest muscles tighten during the tonic phase of a seizure. As this part of a seizure ends, the muscles will relax and breathing will resume normally.
- Rescue breathing is generally not needed during these seizure-induced changes in a person’s breathing.
Do NOT put any objects in their mouth.
- Don’t put any objects like a spoon, stick or wallet into a person’s mouth.
- Don’t worry – a person can’t swallow their tongue during a seizure.
- Jaw and face muscles may tighten during a seizure, causing the person to bite down. If this happens when something is in the mouth, the person may break and swallow the object or break their teeth!
- Don’t give water, pills or food to swallow until the person is awake. Food, liquid or pills could go into the lungs instead of the stomach if they try to drink or eat when not fully aware.
Do NOT restrain.
- Trying to stop movements or forcibly hold person down doesn’t stop a seizure.
- Restraining a person can lead to injuries and make the person more confused, agitated, or aggressive. People don’t fight on purpose during a seizure. Yet if they are restrained when they are confused, they may respond aggressively.
- If a person tries to walk around, let them walk in a safe, enclosed area if possible.
STAY with them until they are awake and alert after the seizure.
- Most seizures end in a few minutes.
- Injury can occur during or after a seizure, requiring help from other people.
- If a person appears to be choking, turn them on their side and call for help. If they are not able to cough and clear their air passages on their own or are having breathing difficulties, call 911 immediately.
- Be sensitive and supportive. Ask others to do the same.
- Seizures can be frightening for the person having one, as well as for others. People may feel embarrassed or confused about what happened. Keep this in mind as the person wakes up.
- Reassure the person that they are safe.
- Once they are alert and able to communicate, tell them what happened in very simple terms.
- Offer to stay with the person until they are ready to go back to normal activity or call someone to stay with them.
When to Call for Emergency Help
- Seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
- Repeated seizures
- Difficulty breathing
- Seizure occurs in water
- Person is injured, pregnant, or sick
- Person does not return to their usual state
- First time seizure
- The person asks for medical help
