A blog devoted to epilepsy and seizures wouldn't be complete without a token discussion of first aid for seizures. What do you do if someone near you starts going into a seizure?
A common misconception is that placing an object in a person's mouth will keep them from swallowing their tongue. First of all, it's impossible to swallow your tongue. If that were the case, how many of us would've done that already in our sleep? Tongues weren't made to be choked on, see. Another reason why someone may think putting something in a person's mouth during a seizure is for the sake of their tongue's safety. During a grand mal, its extremely common for someone to bite their tongue. It's also common for a person to involuntarily chew on their tongue during a seizure. Heck, I did! My tongue was sore for days after my grand mal seizure - I don't know if it was from a sudden bite, or from chewing - but nonetheless, it hurt afterwards! However, its better to have a sore tongue than to possibly choke on something else placed in my mouth with the intent to keep my tongue from being sore. Not to mention what this could do to your teeth...ouch.
If someone goes into a grand mal - have them lay on their side with something soft under their head. DO NOT hold them down - and be sure to remove their glasses or anything else that could get broken or pose a risk to them. Time the seizure. Call 911. Keep other people away from them. Its actually really simple - anyone could do it. You can look up this information anywhere, too (Epilepsy Foundation is my primary source for this)- be prepared because you never know when you might be in a position to help someone.
As far as complex partial seizures go - well, that's a little tougher. You can't always tell when someone is having a seizure just by looking at them. A person may be having a seizure while only appearing to be slightly disoriented, or lost. Wandering, blank staring, speaking jibberish, unresponsiveness, involuntary body movements, chewing...the list goes on. It's not always very obvious, though. However, if you suspect that a person is having a seizure, monitor them. Talk to them to test their responsiveness. Reassure them that they'll be all right. Time the seizure, and call 911 if they don't recover, or if they remained confused. I wouldn't have thought about this, but among these other tips, remind the person of the date, time, and where they are when they seem coherent enough to understand. The Epilepsy Foundation has all these tips on their website - and I have information sheets for this hanging on my refrigerator in case my husband ever finds himself in a situation where he needs to assist me.
I heard an interesting thing the other day from a friend. She told me to stay away from artificial sweeteners (which I'll do, HAPPILY, because they're disgusting), because artificial sweeteners have been thought to trigger seizures in certain people. Anyone else heard of this? There are so many things that can lead to seizures, I wouldn't be shocked if this were true. Anyway, that's all I have for tonight. Tune in next time for something else that you may or may not know about epilepsy and seizures.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wait - caffeine's OK?
In general....
OK - like I've said, I'm still learning all there is to know about epilepsy - and one thing I can't stress enough is that the plethora of information available is often questionable in accuracy or simply too generalized. There are so many different theories and ideas surrounding epilepsy - and this blog of mine can't possibly cover all of them - but, I'm trying to deliver sound information, which means taking a step back at times.
I'm relying on two main sources from now on: the National Institute of Health (there's a nice little slideshow all about epilepsy that you should check out); and the Epilepsy Foundation. As it turns out - caffeine is equal to stress and hormones in so much as it may be a trigger for seizures but it's not a risk, in general, for all epileptics. There's plenty of reasons to limit caffeine intake, but seizures isn't necessarily one of them unless an individual is exceptionally vulnerable to it. Now - I know that caffeine effects me in a profound way - which may mean that caffeine is one of my triggers - but I'm not even sure about that. However, caffeine and anti-seizure meds are not a great combination - but that's putting it generally. There I go, generalizing. =)
Remember that I'm not a doctor - but I've been going back to my sources and have seen another blunder in my reports: Alcohol CAN cause seizures. I stand corrected and have now been sacked for a second time on this issue. This time I'm confident about it. So - the caffeine and alcohol blog that I wrote awhile back may not necessarily be altogether wrong: i.e, individual cases vary in regards to caffeine and alcohol intake making it possible for some and dangerous for others. But, overall, revision is needed. And, I made a huge oversight when I wrote about do's and don'ts - which the NIH reports reminded me of - I neglected to address the issue of illicit drugs and seizures. Illicit drugs have been known to cause seizures - in fact, that's an understatement. Aside from being illegal and all; epileptics should stay far away from substances such as speed, cocaine, or anything in that realm of evil. Yes, I just called it a realm of evil (I've got strong feelings about illicit drugs). However, to clear up any confusion: epileptics aren't the only people who are vulnerable to seizures from illicit drugs - ANYONE can have a seizure from the use of cocaine, for instance. It's natural for the body to react dramatically to abnormal substances that mess with the body's function - and a person can go into a seizure just by using a drug that directly interacts with neurological functions. Look it up on the NIH website - in fact, this is such an understood concept that you can find information about this practically anywhere.
So - don't do drugs. Alcohol, although not illegal - can cause problems with neurological function and provoke seizures - so, epileptics, don't drink; and people who do drink: watch yourself.
OK - now that I've addressed that; let me re-emphasize a key point that I want all people to remember. One seizure doesn't mean epilepsy. Two seizures doesn't even mean epilepsy. Let me explain: seizures can be provoked by brain injury, infection, substance abuse (or use), and fever. ANYONE can have a seizure. The healthiest person you know could have a seizure. The poor, the rich, the active, the inactive, the liberal, the conservative - ALL can have a seizure as a result of a multitude of causes. Two or more unprovoked seizures, though, can mean epilepsy. Unprovoked, meaning a seizure occurs and there's no infection, injury, illness, or substance use that can be named to have triggered it. However, just one unprovoked seizure doesn't necessarily mean epilepsy either. Only tests and time can determine whether one is epileptic - and even then, sometimes, a person may be put on medication "just in case," even though they may not be epileptic. It's so difficult to diagnose epilepsy in many cases. Mine was easy - I made a connection between the episodes I had on June 21st with episodes I'd had in the past, and from that, I was able to determine on my own that I have epilepsy. To make it easier, my EEG came back with seizures actually recorded on it - meaning my seizures hadn't ceased even while I was on medication. My doctors didn't question it - and I easily believed it. In other cases, though, its not so clear cut.
Kids and teens who have seizures don't know whether or not they have juvenile epilepsy or generalized epilepsy until they reach adulthood, when juvenile epilepsy normally edges off. This means that a person may have seizures as they grow up and there's no way to tell if it'll ever stop until they get to a certain age when they undergo trial periods and testing. Can you imagine how chaotic and uncertain this must be for people with that condition? Or even more confusing, some people have seizures that may have been provoked, although the cause may be unknown; but, since the cause is unknown, they may be labeled epileptic for lack of a better explanation. Does this make sense? It's an endless cycle of questions and confusion - but my doctor explains it much better than I do. This is only my understanding of it, based on people I've spoken with and my own experience.
Now that my head hurts - I'll leave you with what I've written today. Forgive me for being over zealous with my findings - but, definitely do the research if you're interested in anything I've said or if you wish to compare sources. It'll teach you a lot.
OK - like I've said, I'm still learning all there is to know about epilepsy - and one thing I can't stress enough is that the plethora of information available is often questionable in accuracy or simply too generalized. There are so many different theories and ideas surrounding epilepsy - and this blog of mine can't possibly cover all of them - but, I'm trying to deliver sound information, which means taking a step back at times.
I'm relying on two main sources from now on: the National Institute of Health (there's a nice little slideshow all about epilepsy that you should check out); and the Epilepsy Foundation. As it turns out - caffeine is equal to stress and hormones in so much as it may be a trigger for seizures but it's not a risk, in general, for all epileptics. There's plenty of reasons to limit caffeine intake, but seizures isn't necessarily one of them unless an individual is exceptionally vulnerable to it. Now - I know that caffeine effects me in a profound way - which may mean that caffeine is one of my triggers - but I'm not even sure about that. However, caffeine and anti-seizure meds are not a great combination - but that's putting it generally. There I go, generalizing. =)
Remember that I'm not a doctor - but I've been going back to my sources and have seen another blunder in my reports: Alcohol CAN cause seizures. I stand corrected and have now been sacked for a second time on this issue. This time I'm confident about it. So - the caffeine and alcohol blog that I wrote awhile back may not necessarily be altogether wrong: i.e, individual cases vary in regards to caffeine and alcohol intake making it possible for some and dangerous for others. But, overall, revision is needed. And, I made a huge oversight when I wrote about do's and don'ts - which the NIH reports reminded me of - I neglected to address the issue of illicit drugs and seizures. Illicit drugs have been known to cause seizures - in fact, that's an understatement. Aside from being illegal and all; epileptics should stay far away from substances such as speed, cocaine, or anything in that realm of evil. Yes, I just called it a realm of evil (I've got strong feelings about illicit drugs). However, to clear up any confusion: epileptics aren't the only people who are vulnerable to seizures from illicit drugs - ANYONE can have a seizure from the use of cocaine, for instance. It's natural for the body to react dramatically to abnormal substances that mess with the body's function - and a person can go into a seizure just by using a drug that directly interacts with neurological functions. Look it up on the NIH website - in fact, this is such an understood concept that you can find information about this practically anywhere.
So - don't do drugs. Alcohol, although not illegal - can cause problems with neurological function and provoke seizures - so, epileptics, don't drink; and people who do drink: watch yourself.
OK - now that I've addressed that; let me re-emphasize a key point that I want all people to remember. One seizure doesn't mean epilepsy. Two seizures doesn't even mean epilepsy. Let me explain: seizures can be provoked by brain injury, infection, substance abuse (or use), and fever. ANYONE can have a seizure. The healthiest person you know could have a seizure. The poor, the rich, the active, the inactive, the liberal, the conservative - ALL can have a seizure as a result of a multitude of causes. Two or more unprovoked seizures, though, can mean epilepsy. Unprovoked, meaning a seizure occurs and there's no infection, injury, illness, or substance use that can be named to have triggered it. However, just one unprovoked seizure doesn't necessarily mean epilepsy either. Only tests and time can determine whether one is epileptic - and even then, sometimes, a person may be put on medication "just in case," even though they may not be epileptic. It's so difficult to diagnose epilepsy in many cases. Mine was easy - I made a connection between the episodes I had on June 21st with episodes I'd had in the past, and from that, I was able to determine on my own that I have epilepsy. To make it easier, my EEG came back with seizures actually recorded on it - meaning my seizures hadn't ceased even while I was on medication. My doctors didn't question it - and I easily believed it. In other cases, though, its not so clear cut.
Kids and teens who have seizures don't know whether or not they have juvenile epilepsy or generalized epilepsy until they reach adulthood, when juvenile epilepsy normally edges off. This means that a person may have seizures as they grow up and there's no way to tell if it'll ever stop until they get to a certain age when they undergo trial periods and testing. Can you imagine how chaotic and uncertain this must be for people with that condition? Or even more confusing, some people have seizures that may have been provoked, although the cause may be unknown; but, since the cause is unknown, they may be labeled epileptic for lack of a better explanation. Does this make sense? It's an endless cycle of questions and confusion - but my doctor explains it much better than I do. This is only my understanding of it, based on people I've spoken with and my own experience.
Now that my head hurts - I'll leave you with what I've written today. Forgive me for being over zealous with my findings - but, definitely do the research if you're interested in anything I've said or if you wish to compare sources. It'll teach you a lot.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Seizures...and driving.
Before I get to the topic for today, I have to correct an earlier blog in which I pointed to alcohol as a risk for seizures. "Alcohol actually increases seizure activity" hasn't been proven - but the affects of alcohol, combined with seizure medication can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion. High amounts of alcohol, though, like caffeine, can offset seizure medication and make a person vulnerable to them although alcohol is not a direct cause. Sorry for the confusion.
Now, seizures and driving. Every state has a law concerning seizures and driving priveleges. In Texas, one has to be seizure free for six months before they can legally drive again. In other states, the seizure free period can be a year or more. Luckily for me, though, I only had to wait six months. While every case of epilepsy varies, let me tell you something about my perspective on this driving rule.
I'm prone to seizures when I'm inactive; i.e, when I'm about to sleep, or lying down. On June 21st of last year, I may have been having seizures all day, but the second I got into my car, my mind was focused on driving, and I didn't even have an aura while behind the wheel. I met my friend at a restaurant, then drove all the way back home. It wasn't until I sat down at home and closed my eyes that the next seizure happened. I don't believe that it would've been safe to drive while I adjusted to my new medication within the first three months; but once I adjusted and knew that I was doing better, I would've been able to drive without any problems. I didn't quite wait until the six months was up - but that was for good reason - its simply unrealistic for someone to work downtown without a car in this city without having to rise at 4 a.m. There are those who do it, but I simply couldn't. So, I started driving a little earlier than I was supposed to, because it was in my best interests.
The six month rule is applied generally to all who suffer from a seizure at least once. And for those who have seizures everyday, driving is completely out of the question. This rule exists to protect the individual with the seizures, as well as all drivers on the road. Although I could've driven earlier than six months after my seizures - I only know for sure after the fact that I didn't have another seizure - my doctor couldn't have predicted when my next seizure would be. There's no way to determine when a person will have another seizure, because seizures are triggered by many different factors. However, I assumed that, while driving the car, I would be seizure free. My seizures occurred when I was inactive and unfocused - not when I was actively concentrating on something. However, the six month rule still applied to me because I posed a risk to other drivers. If I were to suffer a grand mal seizure while driving - I likely would've gone off the road and caused injuries to myself and others, and if it were within the six month period, I would've been fined just for driving.
So, the law says that the risk period ends after six months, but considering what I've said so far today and all throughout my blogs - would you say that's a logical suggestion? The risk doesn't end with the six month period. The risk never ends for epileptics. Epileptics who don't receive medication or therapy for their seizures should technically never be permitted to drive - but, according to the law, they only have to wait six months. The point I'm making is that there's no regulation to insure that I or others like me don't drive within the six months - and what's to say that we won't have a seizure while on the road during the seventh month?
Why is there a six month time period in Texas, and a year long time period in Illinois? I'm not sure. Epileptics in Texas are no different than epileptics in Illinois - but the rules are different.
This time period is to give the medication time to correct the problem - and six months to a year without seizures are considered successful in the law books - but what about unreported seizures? That's where it gets slimy, because many epileptics won't report additional seizures for fear of losing driving priveleges. See? The law is a formality only - a formality that can cause a hefty fine, though.
Now that I've just railed the driving laws regarding seizures - how can it be remedied? It would be nice if every case was able to be evaluated based simply on the individual's seizure patterns. Since its not that way, though - we'll just have to live with the unrealistic determination that time will make an epileptic less of a threat to other drivers.
Not if they don't take medication, and definitely not if their medication doesn't work. Wouldn't you agree? I didn' t wake up on December 21st (my wedding day, ironically) and feel healed of my epilepsy. Six months, a year, three years...they don't make a difference. The state has to address the issue, though, so laws are passed to lessen the risk in a general way. Then why is it that epileptics in Illinois are safe only after a year, when they could relocate to Texas and be safe drivers within six months? Hm.
Now, seizures and driving. Every state has a law concerning seizures and driving priveleges. In Texas, one has to be seizure free for six months before they can legally drive again. In other states, the seizure free period can be a year or more. Luckily for me, though, I only had to wait six months. While every case of epilepsy varies, let me tell you something about my perspective on this driving rule.
I'm prone to seizures when I'm inactive; i.e, when I'm about to sleep, or lying down. On June 21st of last year, I may have been having seizures all day, but the second I got into my car, my mind was focused on driving, and I didn't even have an aura while behind the wheel. I met my friend at a restaurant, then drove all the way back home. It wasn't until I sat down at home and closed my eyes that the next seizure happened. I don't believe that it would've been safe to drive while I adjusted to my new medication within the first three months; but once I adjusted and knew that I was doing better, I would've been able to drive without any problems. I didn't quite wait until the six months was up - but that was for good reason - its simply unrealistic for someone to work downtown without a car in this city without having to rise at 4 a.m. There are those who do it, but I simply couldn't. So, I started driving a little earlier than I was supposed to, because it was in my best interests.
The six month rule is applied generally to all who suffer from a seizure at least once. And for those who have seizures everyday, driving is completely out of the question. This rule exists to protect the individual with the seizures, as well as all drivers on the road. Although I could've driven earlier than six months after my seizures - I only know for sure after the fact that I didn't have another seizure - my doctor couldn't have predicted when my next seizure would be. There's no way to determine when a person will have another seizure, because seizures are triggered by many different factors. However, I assumed that, while driving the car, I would be seizure free. My seizures occurred when I was inactive and unfocused - not when I was actively concentrating on something. However, the six month rule still applied to me because I posed a risk to other drivers. If I were to suffer a grand mal seizure while driving - I likely would've gone off the road and caused injuries to myself and others, and if it were within the six month period, I would've been fined just for driving.
So, the law says that the risk period ends after six months, but considering what I've said so far today and all throughout my blogs - would you say that's a logical suggestion? The risk doesn't end with the six month period. The risk never ends for epileptics. Epileptics who don't receive medication or therapy for their seizures should technically never be permitted to drive - but, according to the law, they only have to wait six months. The point I'm making is that there's no regulation to insure that I or others like me don't drive within the six months - and what's to say that we won't have a seizure while on the road during the seventh month?
Why is there a six month time period in Texas, and a year long time period in Illinois? I'm not sure. Epileptics in Texas are no different than epileptics in Illinois - but the rules are different.
This time period is to give the medication time to correct the problem - and six months to a year without seizures are considered successful in the law books - but what about unreported seizures? That's where it gets slimy, because many epileptics won't report additional seizures for fear of losing driving priveleges. See? The law is a formality only - a formality that can cause a hefty fine, though.
Now that I've just railed the driving laws regarding seizures - how can it be remedied? It would be nice if every case was able to be evaluated based simply on the individual's seizure patterns. Since its not that way, though - we'll just have to live with the unrealistic determination that time will make an epileptic less of a threat to other drivers.
Not if they don't take medication, and definitely not if their medication doesn't work. Wouldn't you agree? I didn' t wake up on December 21st (my wedding day, ironically) and feel healed of my epilepsy. Six months, a year, three years...they don't make a difference. The state has to address the issue, though, so laws are passed to lessen the risk in a general way. Then why is it that epileptics in Illinois are safe only after a year, when they could relocate to Texas and be safe drivers within six months? Hm.
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