Everything You Need To Know About Epilepsy:

Epilepsy is a condition that affects all of us in some way or another, perhaps not directly, but we all know of someone who has it, owns a pet with it, or a friend of a friend who suffers with it. There is also lots of false information out there regarding Epilepsy, so it's important to quash those too.

Epilepsy After A Brain Injury

Epilepsy is a disorder that affects the nervous system, causing the sufferer to have seizures seemingly without reason, often again and again either multiple times a week, or even multiple times a day depending on the severity. Seizures are caused by a sudden overactivity inside the brain, causing the whole body to reset itself. What some people don't know is that there are two main types of Epileptic seizures. The most well-known are Generalised seizures, or Complex Partial seizures, which affect the entirety of the brain or specific parts of the brain respectively. They can cause sufferers to fall suddenly and shake violently whilst being semi-conscious. What makes these seizures so dangerous, is that the effects vary from person to person, from slight muscle twitches, to falling unconscious and causing some real damage to themselves from the fall. Simple Partial seizures are less directly dangerous to the affected person as symptoms mainly include loss of senses (like smell and hearing), and dizziness.

Epilepsy is more common than people think (notably more common than Autism, Parkinson's and MS) and because of this, first aid is relatively easy to give. If you're ever in a position where someone is having a seizure, make sure the person is safe. Remove any items from their hands, make sure their head is secure by using pillows, coats, or anything to hand to soften the surface the are on. Remember to never hold down or suppress a person from fitting as it does more harm than good! If someone is having a Simple Partial seizure, let them sit down just in case they do fall at some point, especially if you don't know the details of the person's seizure habits.

Luckily for those who are unsure whether they have the condition, after their first seizure (in which the person should be admitted to hospital), the tests are accurate in deciding whether Epilepsy is the cause or not. A simple scan can detect activity in the brain. The unique thing about Epilepsy in particular that over half of sufferers who went to a doctor for a diagnosis couldn't find a definite cause for the condition, leading many people asking why this does happen.

It may seem like a scary condition to have, and at times it can be, but Epileptics can still live normal lives with the right medication and support. There are plenty of support networks to support sufferers whilst they're coming to terms with the condition and throughout their life if needed.


Here are some videos on Epilepsy in more detail:

★ Seizure Video: What Happens In Your Brain? - WebMD

★ All About Epilepsy - The Facts About Epilepsy (English) - Epilepsy Society