Epilepsy treatments and Seizure First Aid

Knowing seizure first aid can save lives. STAY with them. Keep them SAFE. Roll them onto their SIDE.

Epilepsy treatments and Seizure First Aid

To wrap up our introduction to Purple Day, we are highlighting the different treatment options that your doctor might offer you if you are diagnosed with epilepsy.

The biggest danger associated with epilepsy is accidents. To avoid accidents, talk to your doctor about seizure first aid and which people in your life should be aware of it.

These treatments can help reduce the occurrence and impact of seizures:

1)      Medication

Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are the most common treatment, and will usually be the first line of action recommended by your doctor.

AEDs effectively stop seizures from occurring in about 1 in 7 people and come in a variety of forms such as liquid or pill.

Everyone with epilepsy reacts differently to medication, so your doctor might try out a few before you settle on one.

2)      Surgery

If AEDs don’t work, your doctor might recommend surgery to the seizure-causing part of your brain. This will only possible if your seizures are focal (so there is a part of your brain that is responsible for them).

Brain surgery comes with some risks, but it can stop seizures completely if medication alone does not. If surgery is appropriate for you, your doctor and an epilepsy specialist will discuss your options. 

3)      Electricity Treatments

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) involve using electrical currents to reduce the impact and frequency of seizures. Both are usually given alongside AEDs and are often effective where surgery is not possible.

4)      Natural Treatments

In recent years, natural treatments for epilepsy, such as herbs, essential oils and certain diets, have risen in popularity. A ketogenic (keto) diet is the most well known and involves eating little carbohydrates and lots of fats.

The health benefits and risks of alternative treatments have not been clinically tested yet, and should only be attempted under the supervision of your doctor. Most natural treatments are supplementary, so should also be taken alongside AEDs rather than instead.

5)      Seizure First Aid

Unfortunately, around one-third of people with epilepsy have not found an effective treatment, meaning they are unable to control their seizures.

For such people, and anyone that experiences seizures, seizure first aid can mean the difference between a fatal accident or not.

Seizure First Aid is aimed at anyone who spends time with people with epilepsy but the more people who know it the better! The best way to reduce the impact of a seizure is to have people around you that know what to do to keep you safe.

Felicity Thompson