Epilepsy

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is caused by abnormal electrical impulses in the brain, which result in recurring seizures. These seizures can vary from person to person and for most, epilepsy will only affect them for a short period in their lives. For others, however, the consequences can be more lasting.

Seizures occur when a person’s brain cells malfunction – messages can become disorganised and a seizure may result.

What are the characteristics of Epilepsy?

There are many different kinds of seizures, but they are usually divided into two categories - generalised or partial.

A generalised seizure means that the whole brain is affected and the person invariably loses consciousness. Some types of generalised seizures can include an overall stiffening of muscles and abrupt jerking of the limbs.

A partial seizure means that only part of the brain is affected and the person may remain conscious throughout the seizure.

Is there a treatment to arrest the progression of Epilepsy?

In most cases epilepsy is treated with medication. However, surgery is sometimes considered when seizures do not respond to medication.

Some people find that they can help to control the frequency of their seizures by using stress reduction techniques to alleviate anxiety as the latter can provoke seizures. Sleep deprivation is another common trigger of seizures so getting sufficient and regular sleep can help.

How do I carry out First Aid on someone who has an epileptic attack?

‘Brainwave’, the Irish Epilepsy Association, has produced a detailed checklist entitled ‘First Aid for Seizures’. The following information is taken directly from it.

Major Seizure:

At the start of the attack the person may cry out, usually stiffens and then falls. Their arms and legs may jerk or twitch. You will not be able to rouse them (and do not try). Seizures mostly last a few minutes, but can sometimes go on for much longer. During the seizure the person will often go blue in the face. There is nothing you can do about this until the attack is over.

During the Convulsive Seizure DO NOTHING except:

1. Make the person comfortable (lying down) and put something soft under their head if you can. Only move the person if they are in a dangerous place, such as, on the road or by a fire.

2. Keep other people away

DO NOT put anything into their mouth

DO NOT attempt to rouse the person

At the end of an attack:

Twitching will stop. The person usually takes a deep breath, the blue colour goes and they slowly wake up. The person is often muddled and will not know where they are for a short while afterwards. They may well be wet and soiled.

DO stay with the person. Talk to them quietly until you are certain that they can find their way home.

DO NOT try to wake the person up. Let them come to in their own time.

DO NOT give them anything to drink until you are sure that they are fully awake.

DO NOT send for an ambulance except in the following cases: one seizure runs into another; the person does not wake up after 5 minutes (they may be carrying a card which tells you how long they take to wake up); they are having trouble breathing; they are injured.

If, at the end of the seizure they remain blue or are struggling for a breath:

1. Put your fingers under the angles of their jaw and lift it forward.

2. Put your fingers gently into their mouth and check that their dentures or tongue are not blocking the back of their throat. DO NOT attempt this during a seizure.

3. Roll the person onto their side with their chin raised.

4. Perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if the above steps have not worked. This will not be necessary very often.


Other Types of Seizures (Non-Convulsive Seizures):

During the attack the person may just seem blank and will not be able to speak or answer questions normally. They may act in an odd way such as, chewing or smacking their lips, saying odd, unexpected things or, for example, fiddling with their clothes or buttons. A person having a minor seizure may appear drunk or drugged or disturbed, but minor seizures may come on suddenly and last only a short time (a few minutes).

During an attack, refrain from intervention except in the following ways:

1. Gently protect the person from obvious dangers such as, wandering in a busy road.

2. Keep other people away

3. Talk to them quietly

4. Remember that they may be dazed when they come around

5. Very rarely, they may become agitated. If so, do not obstruct the person – they are better left alone. Instead, wait nearby and observe closely, intervening only if necessary.

DO NOT try to stop the attack as you will not succeed.

DO NOT send for an ambulance unless the attack lasts is prolonged, for example, in excess of 5 minutes where that is unusual for that particular person or that pattern is unknown

6. Stay with the person until you are sure they can get home.

At the end of a minor attack it is not unusual for a person to have a major seizure. However, there is no need to call an Ambulance if…

• Medical I.D. jewellery or cards state "epilepsy" and…
• The seizure ends in under 5 minutes and…
• Consciousness returns without further incident and…
• There are no signs of injury, physical distress or pregnancy.

Are there any useful teaching and learning strategies for people with this medical condition?

For information on teaching and learning strategies, click here


Brainwave
The Irish Epilepsy Association
249 Crumlin Road
Dublin 12
Tel: 01 - 4557500
Fax: 01 - 4557013
http://www.epilepsy.ie/∞


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