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Epilepsy:the right things to know

A disease still relatively unknown to the general public, epilepsy still affects nearly 500,000 people in France. And precisely, the lack of information on this disease means that very often, we do not know what behavior to adopt when faced with a person having a crisis. On the occasion of International Epilepsy Day, which takes place this Monday, February 13, we list the actions to take in this situation. But above all, it is necessary to know the signs of a crisis, which are the following according to the website of the Health Insurance:"uncontrolled and localized muscular twitches", "sensory hallucinations, tingling, tingling", "deviations of the head and eyes, abnormal and repeated gesticulations”. Good to know.

Leave as much space as possible for the person

At the start of a crisis, if the person is on the verge of collapsing, it is obviously necessary to cushion their fall. Then you don't have to move it. We make sure to protect our head and we move all the objects that could be dangerous. It is also necessary to place under the person's head a thick cushion or a folded garment. Finally, for it to breathe as well as possible, it is necessary to loosen the clothes, the collars of the shirts or the ties.

Place the person in the lateral safety position (PLS)

Be careful, absolutely nothing should be put in the person's mouth to prevent him from swallowing his tongue. After having loosened the clothes, it should be placed as soon as possible in the lateral safety position (PLS). The person on the back, it is necessary to extend the right arm perpendicular and bend the elbow at 90°. Then, bend the other arm by placing the palm of the left hand on the right cheek. Then you have to bend the left leg so that it serves as a crutch when the person tilts.

Calm down after the crisis

After the crisis, when the person gradually regains their senses, it is necessary to speak to them calmly and reassure them. According to the French Foundation for Research on Epilepsy (FFRE), the person should not be given anything to drink or medication. Attention, it is imperative to call the emergency services if ever the attack lasts more than 5 minutes, if a second attack begins, if the person has hurt himself or if he has injured himself by falling!

Long-term sequelae:the case of Jessica Sharman

In some rare cases, epileptic seizures can have serious sequelae, such as memory loss. This is what a young British woman, Jessica Sharman, experienced. On the train with her boyfriend of 7 months Richard, she suffered a severe seizure. When she woke up in the hospital, where she was rushed, she no longer recognized anyone:neither her parents, nor Richard. She doesn't even recognize herself in the photos her mom shows her. The doctors announce that for his memory to come back, it could take more than 6 months. Back home, she begins to hate the one who made her heart beat. But by dint of hearing him talk about their common past, and thanks to all his attentions, Jessica Sharman ended up falling in love with Richard again! And even though the doctors have told her that she could still have memory loss like this, she remains convinced that her boyfriend will manage to crack her up all the time!

Very nice story!