Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
What is Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain. When someone has epilepsy, it means they have a tendency to have epileptic seizures.
Anyone can have a one-off seizure, but this doesn’t always mean they have epilepsy. Epilepsy is usually only diagnosed if someone has had more than one seizure, and doctors think it is likely they could have more.
Epilepsy can start at any age and there are many different types. Some types of epilepsy last for a limited time and the person eventually stops having seizures. But for many people epilepsy is a life-long condition.
What are Epileptic Seizures
Electrical activity is happening in our brain all the time, as the cells in the brain send messages to each other. A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of intense electrical activity in the brain. This causes a temporary disruption to the way the brain normally works. The result is an epileptic seizure.
There are many different types of seizure. What happens to someone during a seizure depends on which part of their brain is affected. During some types of seizure the person may remain alert and aware of what’s going on around them, and with other types they may lose awareness. They may have unusual sensations, feelings or movements. Or they may go stiff, fall to the floor and jerk.
Recognising Epilepsy
There are many forms of epilepsy, as paediatric first aiders we need to recognise them. There are 3 conditions we will learn to recognise they are:
- Absent Seizure/Minor Epilepsy
- Full Seizure/Major Epilepsy
- Febrile convulsion
How to manage absent seizures
Important!
Watch this clip again, did you notice that this child continued to blow the paper after the seizure
Stop Think!
What if he was about to cross a road and just as he was about to cross the road he had a seizure, as he comes out of the seizure his brain re-engages to the activity he was about to do 10-15 seconds later.
Treatment for absents seizure
- Ensure safety first
- Sit the child down
- Calm them down
- Ask questions, how do they feel? what happened? Has it happened before?
- Are they on medication
- Take to doctors if its the first time
- Record information
The Absent Seizure is a concern but not life threatening,