Susan Holloway Education Coordinator 731.660.0500 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Susan Holloway

Education Coordinator 731.660.0500

_________________________________

Central Office

701 Murfreesboro Pike, Suite 200, Nashville, TN 38212 www.epilepsytn.org 615.269.7091 Office

Bel ell Ri l Ring nger er

• What is epilepsy?
• What is seizure?
• How are they different?
• Who can have a seizure?
• Can seizures be treated?

Everyone is UNIQUE

• Some wear glasses
• Some have allergies
• Some have asthma
• Some have diabetes
• Some have seizures
• Some have . . . . . .

Cannot tell by looking who has a malfunction or disability

Unless the disability is demonstrated!!

Nervous System (NS) Sends and receives messages/signals to nerves all over the body to make the body work.

If the NS malfunctions, seizures can occur . . .

RAISE YOUR HAND - HIGH

 Seizure is when the brain sends mixed up messages and causes the

body to do things we don’t want it to do  Described as a brief disturbance in the electrical activity of the brain  After seizure is over, brain and body work properly again  Rarely, there can be death during a seizure – SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy)  Medicines are used to help prevent seizures. It works for 500,000 Americans but over 1 million people still have seizures or side effects with their meds. Research is needed to develop more.

 Epilepsy is a health condition where persons repeatedly have seizures – NOT a disease and NOT contagious  Epilepsy is a generic term for a variety of seizure disorders  150,000 new cases in USA each year  Causes – 70% unknown, 30% are combination of head trauma (auto, gunshot, sports), brain tumor/stroke, poisoning by lead/alcohol, infections, injury at birth, sometimes genetic  Epilepsy is not only treated by medication but diet, surgery, e-stim therapy and monitoring such things as blood level  Support groups /doctors are available with help  Seizure FIRST AID is important for all of us to know

In Children, Adults, Pets - Not all are convulsions, some are:  Most common is Grand-Mal or Tonic-Clonic  Tonic – Stiff Muscles  Clonic – Jerking Motions  Stares  Face Twitches  Chew Lip  Smack  Periods of Confusion  Wanders  Normal very short time

• Short attention blackouts as if

daydreaming

• Sudden falls, stumbling, clumsiness
• Lack of response for brief periods
• Dazed behavior
• Unusual sleepiness and irritability when

awakened from sleep

• Head nodding
• Rapid blinking
• Complaints that things look, sound,

taste, smell and feel “funny”

• Sudden stomach pain with confusion

and sleepiness

• Repeated odd movements
• Sudden episodes of fear without reason

Early Detection is SMART

Treatme eatment nts

 Medicines - There are about 24 different medicines. Doctor’s

choice depends on age, severity, type, frequency of seizures.

 Diet - The Ketogenic Diet is prescribed and effective with the meds.

It is a high fat and low carb diet. A modified Atkins diet can help seizures too.

 Surgery - If there is resistance to the medicine, the part of the

brain affected during the seizure can be identified and removed.

 Devises:

Monitors warn of seizures as do trained pets.

 VNS - Vagus NerveStimulator sends steady pulses under

skin

 RNS - Responsive Neurostimulation device in scalp  eTNS - External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation on forehead  Diastat - Gel applied rectally when seizures occur close and >5 min

LETS ETS DISPEL ISPEL SOME ME MY MYTHS THS

• Epilepsy

ilepsy is NOT contagi agious

• us
• Epilepsy

ilepsy is NOT just st a childhood dhood disor sorder der

• Epilepsy

ilepsy is NOT mental ntal illn lnes ess

• Epilepsy

ilepsy is NOT a cognitiv itive e disability sability or a sign gn of low intelli elligen gence

• You CAN’T swallow your tongue during a seizure
• Flashing

shing lights ghts can cause e a seizur izure...b e...but ut only y in about ut 1 in 100 people le with th epilepsy lepsy.

When n is s it a Seizure ure Emergency rgency? ? (i.e. .e. wh when to transpo nsport to ER)

Ep Epilep epsy sy Found ndati tion recom comme mends ds transpor nsport t to a medi edical cal fa facili lity ty in the e case e of: : First-time time seizure izure (or r suspect cted ed first t seizur zure) e) App pparent arent inj njur ury y Se Seizu zure occur curs s in n wa water er Diabe betes, s, pr preg egnancy cy or r ot

• the

her medi dica cal cond ndit ition ion Se Seizu zure lasts ts more re than n 5 minu nutes 2nd

nd seizur

zure e occur curs s right ht awa way y withou thout t gaini ning ng consciousn nsciousness ess

If you do not know them:

If you know them and know they have seizures:

Discuss how these relate to EPILEPSY

• “There are no such things

as strangers, only FRIENDS we haven’t met.”

• “The only true disability is

a lack of knowledge.”

• It’s still hard for me to say

EPILEPSY – people have this picture in their mind.

• Like a hiccup or sneeze,

seizures just happen and we have no control.

• “Knowing you are NOT

going through it alone helps.”

• “Understand what is

going on with each

• ther.”
• “For once my feelings

have been validated.”

Be Bell ll Rin inger ger

• Epilepsy – A health condition where persons have repeated

seizures.

• Seizure – When the brain sends mixed up messages and

causes the body to do things we don’t want it to do.

• How are they different? – Have one (seizure) or more than
• ne (Epilepsy).
• Who can have a seizure? – Anyone, Anywhere, Any time, Any

place.

• Can seizures be treated? – Yes. See a medical doctor.