Good news? It’s more than possible to lead a rich and meaningful life with effective management of epilepsy. Unfortunately, the ignorance, myths and preconceived notions that surround this condition make it difficult for many to even accept the disease; and then take the right steps to deal with it. If you, or someone you know, suffers from epilepsy, read on to know how to make life better.
1) Understand your condition
It’s always good to know everything you can about your condition, and ensure that your loved ones, friends and others around you are educated on the condition. Generally, epileptic seizures can be controlled with medicine; and in the case of children, the seizures often disappear with age. Moreover, if a cyst, benign tumour, or lesion on the brain is the root cause of epilepsy, it can be cured with surgery.
Says Dr. Shah, a specialized radiologist at Star Imaging – “We recently had a patient suffering from seizures that was revealed to be caused by a benign tumour in the left frontal lobe of his brain. In fact, it was a small tumour, but our advanced (128 slice CT) scanner picked it out. A functional MRI further helped the surgeon understand how to operate on the tumour, without compromising the adjoining crucial areas that controlled speech.”
2) Get an early diagnosis
Diagnosing epilepsy on time can help you kickstart your treatment as early as possible, improving your quality of life. To get an accurate diagnosis, make sure you get the essential tests done, and choose reputed centres for your diagnostic scans.
3) Take your medications strictly
It is crucial never to miss your medicine dose, as this could lead to loss of control over your seizures. Consider buying a pill organizer box so that you don’t skip a dose by mistake.
4) Avoid common triggers
While epileptic seizures are caused by a combination of factors, commonly reported triggers are
- Lack of sleep
- Illnesses or fever
- Stress
- Diet, skipping meals
- Bright lights, flashing lights, disturbing visual patterns
- Caffeine, alcohol, drugs
- Certain medications
However, every case is different, and what triggers a seizure in one person may not trigger it in another. Consider noting down your seizure episodes in a diary, including the time of the occurrence, what you did, ate, etc. just before. This will help you manage your seizures better.
For many people, sleep deprivation is the major culprit behind seizure episodes; make sure you prioritize sleep time and find ways to get a good night’s rest. Unsurprisingly, diet too plays an important role in seizure management – following a ketogenic diet, especially for children with hard-to-control seizures, has long since been an established form of treatment.
5) Sports and physical activities are not only possible, they’re essential
Many people who have epilepsy stay away from sports out of ignorance, or fear for safety. But while you should play it safe, you definitely should play sports and engage in physical activity too, as it has shown to have tremendous benefits. However, a word of caution: Don’t take up any sport or physical activity before consulting with your doctor first. This helpful site classifying the sports according to their risks could be a good starting point.
6) Enjoy life at work and school
Whether you’re an adult or a student, nothing should stop you from carrying out your daily activities like other people. At work, make sure you inform your employer and people around you of your condition, so that they know what care needs to be taken in case of an emergency. Also, people with epilepsy should avoid high-risk jobs which involve driving, operating machinery, working at heights, etc.
And while it may be tempting to sweep your condition under the rug, doing so will only make it riskier for you, in case you have a seizure. Plus, by educating others about epilepsy and showing them that it doesn’t have to be a death sentence, you would be doing the entire epilepsy community a huge service.
Children with epilepsy should compulsorily attend school, although they may require additional support such as shadow teachers, remediation therapy and some concessions during examinations, which is provided for by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the State Boards and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
7) Get social
Talking to other people who have epilepsy and finding help groups (through Facebook, Epilepsy-dedicated foundations) can be a wonderful source of motivation and support.
All in all, with the right management and support, nothing can stop people with epilepsy (PWE) from getting the most out of life!