Epileptic Conditions - How To Deal With Them?

Epilepsy is a condition that starts in the brain and causes seizures in which the patient loses consciousness and has convulsions. He also jerks his arms and legs along with trembling and frothing from the mouth.
The lesser known fact about epilepsy is that there are many types of epileptic conditions-over 40 - and similarly, there are numerous drugs available to treat your epileptic disorder and prevent seizures. Your doctor will diagnose your type of epileptic disorder and prepare a treatment plan for it.

Types of epileptic seizures
Epileptic seizures are generally categorized as either partial or primary, generalized depending on where they originate in the brain. Partial seizures are less intense and they start in one section rather than the entire brain. If you have this type of seizure, you will be aware of what’s happening to you. The other type of seizure affects a larger part of the brain. Here you may have difficulty understanding what's happening to you. Since these spread to the entire brain, you lose consciousness and start convulsing.

Having a seizure can put you at risk for serious injuries including head injuries.
So, if you close to you suffers from epilepsy, it's critical to your health and well being to educate yourself about your condition and have an action plan in place to tackle the seizures which can happen anywhere, and sometimes with no one to assist you or him actively.

Here is what you can do to manage epilepsy-

1. Educate yourself: You must know as much as possible about your condition. Know your symptoms and learn to recognize the symptoms preceding a seizure. Also, educate your friends and family about epilepsy so that they can support you during a seizure. Educate your family to do the right things when you have a seizure.
2. Make a seizure response plan: This plan should list the names and numbers of your doctors and two emergency contacts.
3. Other things you can do as an epileptic:
   • Antiepileptic drugs are quite successful in preventing seizures but they should be taken as prescribed. Don’t change your dosage before talking to your doctor.
   • Sleep properly as lack of sleep can trigger seizures.
   • Exercising regularly can help keep you physically healthy and reduce depression and also help in managing seizures.
   • Manage your stress levels, limit alcohol and cigarettes.

On the other hand, if your family member or friend has epilepsy, this is what you can do:

1. Roll the person onto one side during a seizure.
2. Place something soft under the person’s head.
3. Loosen tie and top buttons.
4. Don’t put an object in an epileptic’s mouth. It can hurt his/her teeth.
5. Don't try to restrain him during a seizure.
6. Clear away stones and other dangerous objects if the patient is thrashing around.
7. Time the seizures and be calm during them.
8. Don’t leave the patient alone.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!