Do's And Don'ts For Epilepsy?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Do's and don'ts for epilepsy?

Content:

• What is not allowed with epilepsy?
• What can you do with epilepsy?

The term "epilepsy" was introduced into use several millennia BC, it was mentioned in his works by Hippocrates. The condition is characterized by recurrent convulsions, fainting, impaired consciousness. Basically, children and adolescents are susceptible to epileptic seizures, and the elderly also suffer from them.

A classic seizure in the eyes of a person who is far from epilepsy looks like a fall, fainting and foam at the mouth. In reality, an attack is more often limited to a sudden fainting spell or "blackout" in the midst of an activity. Night attacks are common and may be accompanied by a trembling sensation in the body and involuntary urination.

Epilepsy is not a reason for giving up a full life, you just need to remember the basic "Do's and Don'ts."

What is not allowed with epilepsy?

If a person is prone to epileptic seizures, he should carefully consider the arrangement of his own living space:

• Ceramic and glass utensils should not be kept; plastic utensils are a safe alternative. Sausages, cheese, bread and other products are bought sliced. It is advisable to use knives less often, keeping them in a closed place. It is better to refuse a gas stove, choosing a multicooker or a microwave oven instead. As a last resort, you can use a gas stove if other people are present in the apartment.
• It is forbidden to furnish rooms with furniture endowed with sharp corners. The floor must be covered with a carpet or soft carpet. There should be no glass furniture and accessories.
• It is dangerous to keep a hairdryer or other electrical appliances in the bathroom, to leave cutting objects in the open (even nail scissors).
• It is forbidden to install radiators and heaters where they are likely to fall.

• You cannot live in a house with two or more floors if there is no lift. Stepladders and ladders are extremely dangerous for a person who has epileptic seizures.

But besides this, for safety it is prohibited:

• It is forbidden to engage in all sports that pose the slightest threat of injury - horseback riding, acrobatics, mountaineering, boxing. It is dangerous to indulge in excessive stress (not only physical, but also mental).
• No smoking. Cigarettes not only negatively affect the condition of the person suffering from epilepsy. An attack that occurs while smoking is fraught with fire.
• It is dangerous to close yourself in the bathroom, in the restroom. The latch is best replaced with a busy sign. It is advisable to give up bathing in the bathroom in favor of a shower, as there is a danger of choking in case of a seizure. Hot water is contraindicated, as well as going to the sauna and bathhouse. Exposure to high temperatures for a long time leads to a real threat of an attack.
• You can not take alcohol, alcohol can activate a seizure, negatively affects the patient's condition. As a last resort, men can only have 2 glasses of wine, women - one.
• It is dangerous to hide the problem from work colleagues. They should be aware of the possibility of a seizure, clearly understand the process of helping with a seizure. It is advisable to provide a set of clean clothes for yourself at work.

What can you do with epilepsy?

The list of actions prohibited for epilepsy is long, but it often includes erroneous items.

Sports - can you do it?

Physical activity is good for everyone, including those with epileptic seizures. When choosing a sport, you need to take into account the regularity of seizures, the conditions for their occurrence. It is advisable to choose programs together with a doctor. Most likely, team games are suitable for an epileptic - volleyball, football, you can try rhythmic gymnastics. In this case, the load must remain minimal, overvoltage is not allowed.

Avoiding healthy swimming is also not always necessary. Simple rules will help to protect yourself in the pool:

• You cannot visit the pool without being accompanied by an observer who is able to help if necessary.
• Diving, jumping from a tower, from the sides of the pool is prohibited.
• Swimming in too cold water is dangerous.
• You can not swim in a state of poor health if there is a problem of frequent recurrence of seizures.
• It is forbidden to sail far from the edge of the pool, choose deep pools.

TV - can I watch it?

There is an opinion that watching TV is contraindicated in people with epilepsy. According to statistics, seizures provoked by such an activity are observed in only 1% of epileptics suffering from excessive sensitivity to light.

You can watch TV, guided by the following rules:

• You cannot stay less than 2 meters from the TV screen. Use the remote control to switch channels.
• Eye level must be at the level of the screen, you cannot go higher.
• Viewing should take place in a lighted room; the TV should not be left as the only light source.
• The optimal screen size is small, home theaters will be the wrong purchase for an epileptic.

Computer and video games - can they be used?

Rumors about the inaccessibility of a computer for an epileptic have nothing to do with reality.

The safety rules are simple, easy to follow:

• The computer is located in a bright room, the work area is carefully lit.
• Glare from light sources, windows should not fall on the monitor.
• Maintains a distance of 35 cm between the eyes and the screen.
• Work is carried out only in a calm state, fatigue is a contraindication for using a computer.
• Combining computer work with watching TV is dangerous.
• Breaks during which the eyes rest should be frequent; prolonged sitting at the computer is contraindicated.

The rules for safe interaction with a computer and TV are also relevant for spending time with video games.

Author of the article: Sokov Andrey Vladimirovich | Neurologist

Education: In 2005 completed an internship at the IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and received a diploma in Neurology. In 2009, completed postgraduate studies in the specialty "Nervous diseases".