Epilepsy affects about 1 out of every 100 people in the UK, so while little has been discussed openly about the condition and public perception is still very much shaped by dated information, the probability of it affecting someone within your own social circles is quite low but the probability that someone you work with lives with the condition could be higher.
Epilepsy is not something that is often discussed openly among work mates and colleagues, and there still exists a stigma when it concerns talking about the condition even though knowledge and understanding has somewhat increased. Knowing more about the condition and how to react if someone experiences a epileptic seizure within the workplace doesn’t only take away the associated stigma attached to the condition but could also prevent serious injury and even save a life.
It is only beneficial to visit some key misunderstandings regarding the condition that need to be addressed and understood.
Understanding the different types of epilepsy induced seizures…
A commonly held misconception by the public concerns the types of epileptic seizures someone living with the condition can experience. Unfortunately, due in part to a lack of representation within major media, many people believe that all epilepsy induced seizures are exactly the same.
Generally the misconception involves loss of consciousness and violently involuntarily jerking. While this is true for a relatively small number of individuals living with the condition, it is not the case for every person living with the condition.
What do to when assisting someone who is experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure…
Due in part to the lack of correct representation within popular media, people are generally confused about what to do when someone around them is experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure. Unfortunately many people hold the false belief that a person experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure must be restrained to prevent themselves from harming themselves, even worse some believe that that in the event of a seizure something must be placed in the person’s mouth.
Though both are commonly held among many people globally, noty just in the UK, it is unfortunately the wrong way to go about assisting someone currently experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure and can actually lead to unintended harm or even death.
By restraining a person currently experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure, you may inadvertently cause them to hurt themselves. Even more dangerous, by putting something into the mouth of someone currently experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure, you could possibly cause them to swallow the object or otherwise have it lodged in their throat, in which the new danger should become quite inherent and certainly more life threatening than the seizure itself.
So, if the most commonly held belief towards assisting someone currently experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure is wrong, what is the correct thing to do in the given situation?
Assisting someone experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure in the workplace…
Since we have discussed that attempting to hold down or in another way restrain a person experiencing an epilepsy induced seizure can inadvertently lead to more harm than good, it is important to discuss what is the appropriate response to the given situation in the workplace.
First recognise if the person is experiencing a tonic-clonic seizure.
This should be rather simple as a tonic-clonic seizure is similar to the public perception of what epilepsy is, the person experiencing the tonic-clonic epilepsy induced seizure will display signs of involuntary convulsions and loss of consciousness, often falling onto the ground.
Get ready to take ACTION.
Recommended by the UK advocacy group, Epilepsy Action, A.C.T.I.O.N. refers to the proper steps to take once you determine someone in your workplace is experiencing a tonic-clonic epilepsy induced seizure…
- First Assess the situation and make sure the person is not in danger of injuring themselves on anything close by…
- Then Cushion the person’s head, with something like a jacket or coat, to prevent unintended injury…
- Pay attention to how much time has passed, if the person is experiencing a seizure lasting longer than five minutes, call an ambulance…
- Look for any Identifying information, like a medical bracelet or necklace tag…
- Once the seizure has passed, roll the person over onto their side in the recovery position…
- And of course, Never restrain a person during a seizure…
Following these steps and ensuring a person is coherent and safe after an epileptic seizure could help you save a colleague from injury or even possible death.