What Is Epilepsy And How Do You Live With It?

Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system (neurological) in which brain activity becomes abnormal and causes seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of consciousness, as the Mayo Clinic indicates.

According to the  World Health Organization (WHO), about 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy. This makes it one of the most common neurological diseases in the world. Unfortunately, 70% of them do not get the treatment they need because they cannot afford it.

While living with epilepsy may seem like a real challenge, the truth is that prescription medications tend to work really well in most cases. If you want to know more about what epilepsy is and the daily habits that people suffering from this condition should follow, read on here.

Lifestyle habits that people with epilepsy should acquire

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates, epilepsy is not the end of the world or the end of an individual’s well-being. Medication helps two out of three patients suffering from this condition. In some cases, one can make use of surgery and other approaches.

The  Living with Epilepsy portal  from the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and many other sources indicate certain tips that can improve patients’ daily lives. Below we will briefly share a few of them.

1. Training

Exercise is essential  for all people as it promotes the physical, emotional and physiological well-being. According to the aforementioned source, several studies claim that  sports can raise the seizure threshold and reduce the onset of epilepsy, which helps deal with the episodes better. 

2. Have a social life, but be careful

Organizations that raise awareness about epilepsy do not discourage patients from living  social lives. We are social beings, and therefore we need the company of other people to develop properly. Nevertheless, one must be careful with certain factors:

• Experts advise against going out in the evening. One must be careful with flashlights and noise from certain establishments.
• The intake of alcohol and tobacco must be limited. The former is linked to seizures. Although the latter has not been associated with seizures yet, experts recommend reducing the intake of this for obvious reasons.
• You need to get enough sleep. It has been shown  that deprivation of sleep and disorders can trigger epileptic seizures.

3. Driving

This issue is controversial, as some sources argue that scientific evidence suggests that people with epileptic seizures under control have a low risk of accidents, while  other studies  confirm that there is an inherent risk.

This is how you can avoid a seizure if you have epilepsy

There are a number of caveats that can be followed to avoid the occurrence of seizures in epileptic patients. Some of them are:

• Never miss a single dose of your medicine. Talk to your doctor if you feel strangely comfortable or have any questions.
• Get good sleep. Websites, such as  epilepsy.com,  claim that not getting enough sleep can increase the incidence of seizures. Try to get 7-10 hours of sleep every day.
• Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol activates the brain neurons, disrupts the normal sleep pattern and may interact with epileptic drugs. It is the perfect basis for the occurrence of a new seizure.
• Do not take drugs. Drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamines can promote the onset of an epileptic seizure.

• Avoid living an overly stressful life. Periods of stress can lead to poor sleep or make you forget to take your medication.

How to help a person during an epileptic seizure

The National Library of Medicine of the United States summarizes in several essential points how to act during a seizure. They are as follows:

1. When a seizure occurs,  the primary goal is to protect the person from injury. Therefore, lay the person suffering from a seizure on the ground in a safe area. Clear the area of ​​furniture and other sharp objects.
2. After this  , mitigate the person’s head.
3. You need to loosen up for tight-fitting clothing, especially around the neck.
4. Turn the person over on the side. If the person vomits, this helps to ensure that the vomit is not inhaled into the lungs.
5. See if the person has a bracelet with medical ID with instructions for seizures. The patient should wear one if he or she has recently had a seizure.
6. Stay with the person until he or she has recovered  or until professional help arrives. In the meantime, keep an eye on the vital signs (heart rate and breathing rhythm) as much as possible.

What you should not do under any circumstances is clamp the person, put an object in their mouth so that he or she can not bite his or her tongue or perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation or other rescue techniques.

Simply stay calm, position the person correctly and keep an eye on him or her until help arrives.

Patients with epilepsy should reduce the risks in their daily lives

As you have seen, epilepsy is a pathology that requires patients to make modifications in their daily lives. Nevertheless, epileptic people can lead an almost normal life if they follow the established guidelines and receive appropriate treatment, without experiencing unfortunate episodes.

To avoid seizures, you should sleep well, avoid taking drugs and  drinking alcohol,  and avoid experiencing events that create overly intense or stressful emotions. If you follow these tips, you will minimize the risk of having a seizure.