15/02/2024
13 – 20 February 2024 is Epilepsy Week. This week we look closely at the condition, raising awareness and how people cope living with this condition.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes seizures. Seizures affect people in many ways, depending on which area of the brain is involved. A seizure is a burst of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affects brain function. Epilepsy can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Symptoms of epilepsy
• Fits (uncontrollable jerking)
• Loss of awareness
• Becoming stiff
• Strange sensations, such as a "rising" feeling in the tummy, unusual smells or tastes, and a tingling feeling in your arms or legs.
• Collapsing
• Loss of consciousness
Treatments:
• Anti-epileptic drugs (main treatment).
• Surgery to remove part of the brain that's causing the seizures.
• Electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures.
• A ketogenic diet can help control seizures.
Some people may need treatment for life, but you might be able to stop treatment if your seizures disappear over time.
Epilepsy is commonly a lifelong condition, but most people with it are able to have normal lives if their seizures are well controlled.
