Safety With Epilepsy
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Video Description:People with epilepsy should understand that seizures can can cause severe injuries. It is important to manage your risks while living the most fulfilling life possible.
Transcript:If you have epilepsy, it’s important that you be aware of a few simple ways to protect your safety! People with epilepsy know that seizures can provoke injuries. While it’s important to be smart and use common sense to avoid potential injuries, the goal is to live life as fully as possible! People with frequent seizures should exhibit special care in water, including bathtubs. It may be safest to shower use a hand shower while sitting on a stool. When swimming, people with epilepsy should always be accompanied by an informed companion. Special caution is needed around cutting and chopping machinery, or in other potentially dangerous situations, such as heights. People with seizures should also be careful about burns near the stove or fires. Cook on the back burner to reduce spill or burn risk should a seizure occur. In very rare instances, seizures can cause fatalities, either from injury, or from the poorly understood condition SUDEP, an abbreviation for “sudden unexplained death in epilepsy.” Consult a medical team to discuss precautions to avoid this. Aside from the risk of injury from a seizure, be aware that all medications, including anti-epilepsy drugs, have potential risks. For example, over years certain seizure medicines can weaken bones. Of course, the risks of medication must be balanced against the risks of seizures and the limits that they put on lifestyle. In early 2008, the FDA reported 4 suicides in about 28,000 patients taking epilepsy medicines, versus none in patients taking a placebo. Other patients taking epilepsy medications reported having suicidal thoughts. Although these results are significant, for most people, this FDA warning is just something to know, not a reason to change medicines. However, if you have symptoms of depression or thoughts of suicide, discuss them with your doctor immediately. Many epilepsy medications have interactions with other drugs and can change the side effects of the other medications. Some anti-epilepsy medications reduce the effectiveness of low dose birth control pills by causing the liver to clear the hormones more quickly from a woman’s body. Unexpected pregnancy can result. If you are on anti-epileptic medication and might get pregnant, talk to your medical team about taking folic acid to reduce the risk of birth defects. Some groups are genetically inclined to side effects. For example, people of Asian descent may be predisposed to get a dangerous rash when starting carbamazepine. People with epilepsy should discuss potential adverse reactions, or drug interactions with their medical team. Many parents who have a small child-and epilepsy-worry about dropping or otherwise harming the child during a seizure. This is a very rare occurrence, but some precautions can be taken. Carry the baby as little as possible, or use a pouch. Change the child on a floor rather than a raised table. Also, don’t leave the baby in water, and get help to supervise the baby in dangerous situations. With tonic-clonic seizures, ensure that they do not bang into objects or the ground during the episode. Turn the person on their side so that secretions are not inhaled, and do not put anything in the mouth, since bites, broken teeth, or inhalation of the object can result. If the seizure continues for more than five minutes, not counting wake-up time, or rapidly goes into another seizure, call 911 immediately. This advice may be helpful, but it does not replace individualized medical counsel, which you should obtain from your health care team! For more information, please see the videos that cover specific medications, and risks from driving, during pregnancy and with recreational activities.
Category:Neurological Health/Epilepsy
Tags:quality of life risks lifestyle safety injury water bath tubs showers swimming machines climbing heights burns stoves SUDEP sudden death side effects suicide bone health depression drug interactions birth control pills contraceptives birth defects pregnancy rash parenting child care seizure first aid managing seizures health medicine athletics physical science advice community web series fitness home video blog guru
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