Epilepsy, one of the most common neurological diseases, is a chronic brain disorder that leads to abnormal electrical discharges within the brain causing recurring, unprovoked seizures.
Nearly 3 million U.S. adults have epilepsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but many people don’t know much about this brain disease.
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“It still carries quite a lot of mystery amongst the general public,” said Dr. Dileep Nair, a clinical neurophysiologist with Cleveland Clinic.
Nair said the severity of epilepsy varies from person to person, but it can affect anyone at any time of their life.
“People who aren’t really aware of the disease. It can look scary,” Nair said.
That’s why, Nair says, it’s important to know what to do when someone is having an epileptic seizure.
There are three things to remember:
- Keep the patient safe. Make sure they’re not bumping into anything, but do not restrain them and don’t put any objects in their mouth.
- Turn them onto their side. That way if they have vomit or saliva, it will drain out instead of going back into their lungs.
- Stay with them and time the seizure. If it lasts for more than 5 minutes, if they’re injured, having difficulty breathing or experiencing repeated seizures, call 911 immediately.
“Many people who have epilepsy have rescue medications that are prescribed. And if you’re a caregiver or a family member and you have those medicines, you can use them as prescribed by your doctor,” Nair said.
Nair said there are dozens of anti-seizure medications and new therapies being studied, including gene therapy, that can help patients with epilepsy.
He says there’s also epilepsy surgery for those patients who have drug-resistant epilepsy.