Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects the brain and causes seizures. It’s also known as a seizure disorder or Dravet syndrome.
According to the Epilepsy Society, around one in 50 people in the United Kingdom will develop epilepsy at some point during their life. There are over 40 distinct sorts of seizures, therefore the signs of epilepsy might vary from person to person and even with each seizure.
Being diagnosed with epilepsy can be isolating, especially if you don’t know what to expect. We’ll look at some of the difficulties that people with epilepsy face and how you may assist them in this post.
Common challenges faced by people with epilepsy
Individuals who have epilepsy may experience a seizure at any time, but it is not the only symptom they experience. Epilepsy has both physical and emotional effects. The way in which the illness affects one person’s life might be completely different from how it affects another person’s life.
Physical challenges
People who have epilepsy experience most of their symptoms prior to, during, and after a seizure. Depending on the sort of seizure and its severity, seizures may produce a variety of varied symptoms. People with epilepsy face significant difficulties due to the unpredictability of seizures.
Physical symptoms of seizures include Loss of consciousness, jerking movements of the limbs, falling over, Falls down, “Out-of-body” experiences, Periods of amnesia, headaches, Periods of mental cloudiness and tiredness. Epilepsy has a wide range of physical symptoms, as well as an emotional toll, and can affect many parts of the body.
Emotional challenges
Being diagnosed with epilepsy can bring about a variety of changes to one’s life that they are powerless over, which many people find frightening. Many individuals with epilepsy are unable to drive due to the risk of having a seizure while driving.
People with epilepsy should avoid flashing lights, open water, heights, and sharp objects in case they have a seizure. In certain cases, this might imply that they must give up activities that they like until their epilepsy is under control.
If they work in a job that involves driving or is classified as high risk for someone with epilepsy, the condition might have an impact on their employment. Epilepsy can cause people to feel out of control of their bodies and to be concerned about when a seizure will occur.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, people with epilepsy frequently experience anxiety and depression. All of these adjustments can leave those with epilepsy frustrated, dejected, bewildered, stressed, and enraged. It’s also understandable how epilepsy may have an impact on a person’s mental health when you consider that some individuals suffer from a low mood, insomnia, or
How to support someone with epilepsy
The two greatest things you can do to help someone with epilepsy are to be there for them and do your research. Understanding epilepsy will teach you how to react responsibly if someone has a seizure in your presence and show you what people affected by the illness endure.
Knowing that you can spot the warning signals that someone with epilepsy is about to have a seizure and giving first aid in the event of a seizure may provide some comfort and peace of mind for people with epilepsy.
Epilepsy training with CBAT
CBAT teach with a popular three-hour online epilepsy training program that is accessible to anybody who wants to learn about epilepsy. Our course is popular among both businesses that care for persons with epilepsy and people who have family members suffering from the disorder.
