23/05/2024 16:19:04
Epilepsy Awareness Week 2024
Epilepsy Awareness Week is a dedicated time to support those affected by this common yet frequently misunderstood condition. Epilepsy involves recurring seizures that can vary significantly in their effects and severity. Many individuals with epilepsy face substantial challenges and stigma, highlighting the importance of raising awareness and understanding.
By educating ourselves about epilepsy, sharing stories, and offering support, we can help build a more compassionate and informed community. This article will explore what epilepsy and seizures are, their causes and triggers, how seizures are classified, the methods of diagnosis and treatment, and ways we can provide meaningful support.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy, the fourth most common neurological disorder globally, is a brain condition that leads to recurring, unprovoked seizures. A doctor may diagnose epilepsy if a person has experienced two unprovoked seizures or one unprovoked seizure with a high risk of additional seizures.
It's important to recognize that not all seizures indicate epilepsy. Seizures can also be linked to brain injuries or hereditary factors, though often the cause remains unknown. The term "epilepsy" is interchangeable with "seizure disorders" and does not specify the cause or severity of the seizures.
What are Seizures?
A seizure is a burst of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affects how it works. They can cause a wide range of symptoms and can also be known as ‘fits’ or ‘attacks’. Seizures do not necessarily mean a person has epilepsy. There are around 60 different types of seizure and a person may have more than one type. Most seizures occur suddenly without warning, last a short time and will stop by themselves. Not all seizures involve convulsions (jerking or shaking movements). All suspected first seizures should be seen by a neurologist (NICE guidelines recommend within 2 weeks).
Key data for the UK
- There are 630,000 people with epilepsy living in the UK.
- Epilepsy affects around 1 in every 100 people in the UK.
- Every day, 80 people are diagnosed.
- Epilepsy usually starts in childhood or in people over the age of 60.
There are certain factors such as health conditions, age and family history that may make developing epilepsy and seizures more likely.
Causes of Epilepsy
In around half of all people who have epilepsy, there is no identifiable cause. For the other half, the condition may be traced to various factors, including: a prenatal injury - such as, a lack of oxygen during birth.
Genetic influence - some types of epilepsy, which are categorised by the type of seizure a person experiences or the part of the brain that is affected, run in families. In these cases, it’s likely that there’s a genetic influence.
Head injuries - accidents that result in a head injury, such as a car accident. Or a head injury received during birth.
Brain conditions - that cause damage to the brain, such as brain tumours or strokes.
Infections - such as, meningitis or encephalitis.
Common Seizure Triggers
There are things that make seizures more likely for some people, these are often known as triggers. Triggers do not cause epilepsy, but they do make it more likely that a person will have a seizure. Not everyone with epilepsy will be affected by triggers, the things that may trigger one person’s epilepsy may not affect other people with epilepsy in the same way. For some people, if they know what triggers their seizures, they may be able to avoid them, thus lessening the chance of a seizure. Examples of triggers include:
- not taking epilepsy medication
- drinking alcohol and/or taking recreational drugs
- stress
- flashing or flickering lights
- monthly periods (in women)
- missing meals
- having an illness which causes a high temperature
- feeling tired and not sleeping well
- waking up.
The Main Symptoms of Epilepsy
The main symptoms of epilepsy are repeated seizures and unfortunately, it is not always easy to recognise a seizure, as not all seizures include convulsions. Some people may appear vacant, wander around, daydream, not pay attention or appear confused during a seizure.
Seizures will vary in the length of time - some may not even last a minute, but most are usually within 2-3 minutes. People with learning disabilities can have prolonged seizures but this is atypical. Seizures can occur when a person is awake or asleep.
The symptoms vary depending on the type of seizure. In most cases, a person with epilepsy will tend to have the same type of seizure each time, so the symptoms will appear similar from episode to episode. Epileptic seizures all start in the brain. There are other types of seizure that seem like an epileptic seizure, but do not start in the brain, such as, a seizure caused by hypoglycaemia.
When Should You Call 999?
Most epileptic seizures do not require the emergency services. However, always dial 999 for an ambulance if any of the following apply:
- this is the person’s first seizure
- they have problems breathing after the seizure has stopped
- they are badly injured (perhaps from a fall to the ground)
- one seizure immediately follows another with no recovery in between
- the seizure lasts two minutes longer than is usual for them
- the seizure lasts for more than five minutes.
Seizure Classification
There are many types of epileptic seizure. Seizure classification is a way of naming and grouping different types of epileptic seizures. To name a seizure using the classification, doctors will look at three things:
- where in the brain the seizure has started
- the persons level of awareness during the seizure; and
- whether the seizure involved movement or not.
Seizures are generally classified as either; focal onset, generalised onset or unknown onset, based on how the abnormal brain activity begins.
Focal Onset
When an epileptic seizure starts in one side of the brain, it’s called a focal onset seizure or a focal seizure (focal onset may also be referred to as a partial seizure).
Occasionally a focal onset seizure can spread to both sides of the brain, called a focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (this may also be referred to as a secondarily generalised seizure). When this happens, the person becomes unconscious and will usually have a tonic-clonic (convulsive or shaking) seizure.
Generalised Onset Seizures
Generalised onset is the term used when a seizure affects both sides of the brain from the start and happens without warning.
The person will be unconscious (except in myoclonic seizures), even if just for a few seconds and afterwards, will not remember what happened during the seizure.
Unknown Onset
Unknown onset is the term used when the beginning of the seizure is not clear. As doctors get more information about the seizure, they may be able to decide if it is focal or generalised in onset. This can occur when a person is alone, asleep or the seizure was not witnessed.
When there is little information about a person’s seizure, or the symptoms of the seizure are unusual - it’s called an unclassified seizure.
Seizures are split into motor seizures, meaning they involve movement, or non-motor seizures, meaning they don’t involve movement.
A motor seizure is any seizure that involves a change in movement. For example, a tonic-clonic seizure - where a person’s muscles go stiff before making rhythmic, jerking movements - this is a type of motor seizure. Focal seizures can also be motor seizures if the main symptom involves movement, for example, automatic behaviour, like plucking at clothes or repeated swallowing.
A non-motor seizure is any seizure that does not involve a change in movement. A focal seizure, where a person’s main symptom is a change in vision, smell or hearing, is a type of non-motor seizure. Absence seizures are also non-motor seizures.
Treatment and Diagnosis
Some people will live with epilepsy for all their lives, while others may only have it for a short period of their life. For most people, seizures are well controlled (they still have epilepsy, but the medication they take stops the seizures) and so it has little effect on them. Whilst for others, seizures may take longer to control, or they may not respond to treatment. Epilepsy will affect people in different ways and everyone’s experience of living with the condition is different.
Diagnosing epilepsy is not simple. To diagnose epilepsy, a doctor will need to review a person’s symptoms and medical history. Getting a diagnosis is not always easy as there is no single test that can diagnose epilepsy. However, doctors and specialists will carry out several tests to diagnose epilepsy and determine the cause of seizures.
How Can You Support Epilepsy Awareness Week?
Every action, big or small, matters. Whether you choose to spread awareness, make a donation, fundraise or offer your time as a volunteer, your support can make a meaningful impact. Explore ways you can support individuals living with epilepsy by clicking here to visit the epilepsy.org website.
Final Remarks
The primary aim of Epilepsy Awareness Week is to enhance education, raise awareness, and encourage discussions about recognising seizures and knowing how to respond when witnessing one. This will alleviate concerns about receiving inadequate first aid and empower individuals with epilepsy to openly address their condition.
Further Continued Professional Development (CPD) Opportunities
Interested in learning more about Epilepsy Awareness? Our awareness eLearning module is suitable for health and social care professionals seeking to improve or reinforce their knowledge of epilepsy as a condition and its management. This includes those involved in diagnosis, day-to-day management, or those likely to be first responders to an epileptic seizure.
The module is designed to give users an overview, knowledge and recognition of epilepsy. It is vital for all service users and staff living with epilepsy to be well supported with individuals able to recognise and respond if someone has an epileptic seizure. This module will cover areas such as: understanding what seizures are, the different types of seizures and how the brain can be affected, some of the common seizure triggers, when epilepsy is described as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, the use of safety aids and equipment and how people living with epilepsy can be supported.
Our Epilepsy Awareness module will cover topics including:
- What is epilepsy?
- Different types of seizures.
- Living with epilepsy.
- How to respond in the case of an epileptic seizure.
How do you Access the Blue Stream Academy eLearning Platform?
Click here for more information about Blue Stream Academy and what we offer. Alternatively, contact us via email at info@bluestreamacademy.com or speak with a team member at 01773 822549.