It's November, and you know what that means! Nope, not Thanksgiving, but good guess! November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month. As someone living with epilepsy, I consider it my responsibility to educate others about the disorder. I encourage you to keep reading. That way, if you ever come across someone having a seizure, you'll know just what to do.

But first, what the heck is epilepsy, anyway?

Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that induces recurring seizures. Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain aggravated by neurons sending out the wrong signals. A seizure affects mental faculties, physical functions, and levels of consciousness in a person. Signs and symptoms of a seizure include aimless fidgeting, confusion, incomprehensible speech, and uncontrollable muscle spasms.

However, having one seizure does not necessarily qualify someone for diagnosis. Seizures occur for innumerable reasons, and oftentimes a person has a seizure with a clear cause and never has another one. 10% of people are likely to have a seizure in their lifetime, but only 3.8% are likely to develop epilepsy. A person must have two or more spontaneous seizures to qualify for a diagnosis of epilepsy.

Sounds complicated, but…well, it is complicated. The brain is a complex organ, and doctors are still trying to figure out exactly how it works. And although epilepsy has a variety of causes, such as genetic inheritance, head trauma, and brain abnormalities, in 60% of cases the cause of epilepsy is unknown.

With treatment, most epileptics can lead a relatively normal life. However, in some cases people are diagnosed with refractory epilepsy, meaning the seizures are drug-resistant at one time or another during their lifetime. Some epileptics haven't had a seizure in years, and others have ten seizures a day. Regardless, it is important to be prepared to help someone having a seizure at a moment's notice.

Now that you know the basics about seizures and epilepsy, let's talk about how you can help someone in the event of a seizure.

Seizure First Aid Video www.youtube.com

What You SHOULD DO:

1. Stay with person until the seizure ends and he/she recovers.

2. Time the seizure, and call for emergency assistance if it lasts longer than five minutes.

3. Check for medical ID.

4. Pad the person's head with a soft, folded piece of clothing to prevent injury.

5. Remove the person's glasses and loosen tight clothing around the neck, like a shirt collar.

6. Keep onlookers away, and give the person plenty of space to prevent injury.

7. Reassure the person after the seizure ends. A seizure can be a scary experience.

8. Call 911 if:

- the person has no history of seizures.

- the seizure lasts longer than five minutes.

- the person stops breathing.

- the person is injured during the seizure.

- the person is non-responsive after the seizure.

- the seizure happens in water.

- the person has another seizure before recovering.

- the person is pregnant.

- the person has another medical condition, such as diabetes, that may be a concern.

Now that you know how to help during a seizure, let's talk about what you should avoid doing during a seizure.

What You SHOULDN'T DO:

1. Don't panic. Try your best to remain level-headed in the event of a seizure.

2. Don't restrain the person during a seizure. It won't stop the person from seizing, and you could potentially injure him or her by doing this.

3. Don't give the person mouth-to-mouth breaths (CPR) during or after the seizure. Usually, a person resumes a normal breathing pattern after a seizure is over. If not, call 911 and wait for trained professionals to handle the situation.

4. Don't offer water or food until the person is fully alert and can consent.

5. Don't put anything in the person's mouth during the seizure. People make this mistake with the common misconception that the person may be in danger of swallowing their own tongue. It's not true, so don't do it. The person's jaw may seize up during the seizure, and you could injure yourself and the other person.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Every day, I walk out the front door with my phone at immediate access to call for help, my medical ID around my neck, and the hope that nothing will go wrong. However high my hopes, I still may need your help someday.