November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month. It was established to educate the public on the facts about epilepsy, in hopes of dispelling some of the misconceptions surrounding the disease.
Epilepsy, the fourth most common neurological disease in America, is a disorder where periods of abnormal brain activity produce seizures. It is generally treated with anti-epileptic medications to regulate the electrical activity in the brain and minimize seizures. For most people there is no definable cause for their epilepsy, but there are some cases that can be traced to:
Genetic tendency
Trauma as the result of a severe head injury
Brain damage as a result of a tumor or stroke
Infectious diseases like meningitis, AIDs, and viral encephalitis
Prenatal injury such as infection in the mother, poor nutrition, or lack of oxygen.
Other neurological disorders like autism or neurofibromatosis
Home Health Care providers routinely care for patients recovering from stroke and other debilitating brain conditions. Contact your referral network next month to remind them of your agency’s patient outcomes and the important role Home Health can provide those struggling with frequent seizures.
Living with epilepsy can make a person feel as if they have no control over their life. Home health assists patients to manage their condition by carefully documenting their symptoms, seizures, and outcomes. This information can be a valuable tool in refining seizure management.
Seizure management starts by avoiding known triggers. Some known epileptic triggers include:
Sleep deprivation
Alcohol and drug use
Stress
Drug interaction
Certain foods
Acute dehydration
Extremely low blood sugar levels
During this month-long epilepsy awareness campaign, provide tips on what to do when someone is having a seizure on your social media sites:
Epilepsy Foundation – Adapting First Aid Plans: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/adapting-first-aid-plans
CDC – Seizure First Aid: https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm
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