Millions of adults and hundreds of thousands of children live with epilepsy. This disability is not uncommon, but it is common for people that have it to struggle with it.
Some epileptics experience one or two seizures a year. Others experience several each day. While everyone affected with epilepsy reacts differently, the impact of epilepsy on day-to-day life is undeniable. The good news is that there are measures you can take to make it better, no matter what type of epilepsy you have or how frequent your seizures are.
Ready to learn how to control epilepsy rather than allowing it to control you?
Here’s what to do.
Understand Your Epilepsy
There are different types of epilepsy, and once you know the type you have you should do your research to learn all there is to know about it. It’s also important to be compliant and follow the treatment plan your doctor lays out.
Living with epilepsy can be challenging for many reasons, and it may force you to change certain aspects of your lifestyle, including what you eat and drink, how you schedule your day, and where you go. The more you understand about your condition, the easier it will be to understand why you may have to make these changes.
Take Basic Precautions
Physically, there are some things that epileptics just shouldn’t do, such as:
- Climb ladders
- Cook over an open flame
- Drive
- Swim alone
There is also one thing that all epileptics must do:
Tell people about it.
Make your friends, family members, and trusted co-workers aware of your diagnosis. Let them know how they can help you if they’re present the next time you have a seizure. While many people prefer to keep their medical issues private, for epileptics, sharing this information can be the difference between life and death.
Create a Safe Home Environment
With frequent seizures comes the need for some house-proofing. To prevent injuries and falls during seizures, keep your floors clutter-free. Buy appliances that shut off automatically. Install non-slip grips in tubs and shower stalls.
Living alone as an epileptic can be a challenge, especially if you wander during seizures. Be sure to keep all doors locked and consider subscribing to an emergency healthcare hotline that you can quickly contact for help.
Improve Sleep Habits
Sleep has a direct effect on seizures, and vice versa. Improving your quality of sleep can reduce the frequency with which you have seizures. You can improve your sleep habits by:
- Creating a consistent nightly routine
- Learning techniques to manage and alleviate stress and anxiety
- Doing more physical activity during the day
Checkout this article to learn more about the connection between epilepsy and sleep.
Take Measures to Boost Your Self-Esteem
Epilepsy can lead to low self-esteem. Sometimes, this is because epileptics feel as though they have less independence and that their condition carries a stigma. Low self-esteem can lead to all sorts of other issues, including anxiety and depression, decreased libido, and difficulty forming friendships and relationships.
Epileptics can improve their self-esteem by controlling or minimizing their seizures with medication. They can also join support groups, engage in talk therapy treatment with a licensed therapist, and learn techniques to manage stress and reduce anxiety.
Understand Your Treatment Options
Seizure-prevention medications are the most common treatment option for epileptics, and there are many antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on the market.
But AEDs aren’t the only treatment option.
While surgical procedures and vagus nerve stimulation therapy (VNS) can benefit some epileptics, so can something as simple as changing your diet. The ketogenic diet, which is low in sugar and high in fat, is known to have a seizure-reducing effect on epileptic patients.
Even if your current treatment plan seems to be working, be sure to ask your physician if there are any new medications or treatment options that can improve your condition.
From medical cannabis and CBD to CB1 inverse agonists, there is research going on right now that could change how you treat your condition in the future. To learn more about CB1 inverse agonists, checkout this article from HIBEGONE.
In Conclusion
Many people living with epilepsy have to do certain things a little bit differently. And while there is no “cure”, it is manageable.
From prescribed AEDs to open communication with your healthcare team to a focus on wellness, living with epilepsy can be complicated. But if you understand the disability and make yourself aware of the practices and resources that exist, managing it can be easier than you may think.
