What are the Risks that are Associated with Epilepsy and How Can you Help Yourself?

If you suffer from epilepsy, then you will know what a debilitating condition it can be. A lot of deaths that result from epilepsy actually happen as the result of the side effects, but the more you can do to understand your condition, the more of a chance you have at being able to come to terms with it.

Safety Equipment

Some sufferers don’t die as the result of their epilepsy, or even the side effects that come with it. They actually die as the result of an accident, such as drowning or even hitting their head after a fall. If you want to help yourself, then it may be a good idea for you to invest in a seizure alarm. When you do, you can then call for help when you really need it. There are many different types of alarms for you to choose from, some of them are set off when you fall, and others trigger when you have a tonic-clonic seizure.

Marijuana and Epilepsy 

If you suffer from epilepsy then it may be worth trying to explore the connection between medical marijuana and epilepsy. Of course, when you do look at medical cannabis and epilepsy, you may soon find that it’s a viable treatment option when most medications fail to work.

 Risk Assessments

Risk assessments can be useful when you are at work or even at your educational institution. It’s even possible for you to do them at home so that if you do have a seizure, you are doing everything you can to protect yourself. A normal risk assessment will look at your environment, how often you have seizures, how they affect you and even if you are going to be putting other people at risk.

Women

Epilepsy has been linked in the past to some girls and women- because when hormonal levels change during the menopause, pregnancy and puberty, seizures are more likely to be triggered. This can put you at a greater risk. The problem is that some AEDs can cause birth defects in pregnant women, so as a result, you may have to change medication, or you may not be prescribed anything at all depending on the severity of your condition. The issues regarding epilepsy and pregnancy are often complicated so you need to talk with your specialist if you are thinking about becoming pregnant.

Status Epilepticus

Most of the time, a seizure will stop by itself. Sometimes this doesn’t happen, and the seizure continues for a long period of time. It’s even possible for a person to have multiple seizures, one after another, with the person being able to somewhat recover in-between each one. If this goes on for 5 minutes or longer, this is then referred to as being in status epilepticus. If this happens when there is a tonic-clonic seizure, then this would be a medical emergency. Medication may need to be given to stop the seizure and if the emergency isn’t stopped in 30 minutes or less then the person who is experiencing the fit may experience brain damage.

This is a guest blog entry.