Fill - Free fillable Seizures & Epilepsy New to PDF form

Disclaimer: This publication is designed to provide general information about epilepsy and seizures to the public. It is not intended

as medical advice. People with epilepsy should not make changes to treatment or activities based on this information without ﬁrst

consulting with their health care provider.

This publication is made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under cooperative grant

agreement number 1NU58DP006256-02-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the Epilepsy Foundation and do not necessarily

represent the views of the CDC.

1-800-332-1000

New to

Seizures & Epilepsy

08/2018501NDK

Improve Your Seizure Control

Take medication as prescribed

Taking medicines daily can be hard to remember. Sometimes medicine schedules are complex and

hard to follow, especially if medicines are taken many times a day. If you’re new to seizures, talk to

your health care provider about your medicines and what’s expected. Make sure you know details

of what you take, how often, when, and why. You’ll also need to learn some new skills, such as how

to take medicines safely and consistently. For example:

• Checking your medicine and pill sizes to know if you have the right one and correct dose.

• Following special instruction for dierent forms of seizure medicines.

• Setting times to take medicines as prescribed by your doctor or nurse.

• Recognizing side eects and when to call your provider.

• Getting blood tests done if needed.

• Tracking if medicines are working.

Seizure triggers

Some people ﬁnd that certain situations, habits, health problems, or medications can aect their

seizures. For example, not sleeping well or too much stress can make some people more likely to

have a seizure. Missing doses of seizure medicine makes you likely to have more seizures and is a

common cause of breakthrough seizures and emergencies.

When you are ﬁrst diagnosed with epilepsy, it’s important to note when you

have a seizure and if any triggers can be identiﬁed. Some examples of seizure

triggers include:

• Missing seizure medicine or stopping them suddenly

• Not getting enough sleep or not good quality sleep

• Stress

• Being sick with another illness or fever

• Flashing lights in people who are photosensitive

• Menstrual cycles or other hormonal changes

• Alcohol or drug use (Too much alcohol can make a person more likely to

have seizures, especially the day after drinking.)

continued on pg 2

MANAGING YOUR EPILEPSY

Managing Your Epilepsy continued

• Certain prescription or over-the-counter medicines

• Some herbal products or supplements

• Low levels of certain minerals or substances in the body (for example, low levels

of sodium or salt, magnesium, or calcium)

What do I do about triggers?

If you ﬁnd things you think could aect seizures, keep track of them over time and see

how often they happen. If they often happen before seizures, then it’s time to see if you

can change or avoid the trigger. Can you change your lifestyle? Avoid the trigger?

Share your observations with your health care team and talk about what you can do to

prevent or lessen your seizure risk this way.

Focus on your overall wellness. Having healthy daily routines also can help improve

seizure control. Here’s a few things that can help:

• Keep a regular sleep pattern – go to bed and get up at the same time each day.

• Drink plenty of ﬂuids and stay hydrated.

• Pay attention to your overall emotional health.

• Eat regularly and have a healthy diet.

• Have a strong support system of family and friends.

• Exercise in a safe manner; avoid getting overheated, overtired, or dehydrated.

• Look at how you cope with stress – talk with others; give and get support!

• Keep a seizure diary – such as My Seizure Diary or a paper diary – to help you check

your progress.

If you ﬁnd things you think could aect seizures, keep track of them over time and see how

often they happen. If they frequently happen before seizures, then it’s time to see if you

can change or avoid the trigger.

Managing stress

Many people with epilepsy think that emotional stress may aect their seizures. Or maybe stress

can aect how you sleep, eat, or feel in general. Some may notice times they feel scared, worried,

sad, or depressed separate from their seizures. A few tips to think about:

• Talk about how you feel with your health care providers. Let them know if your mood

changes.

• Try deep breathing, meditation, exercise, or other ways to help you relax and manage stress.

• Talk with your health care provider if you are having trouble sleeping. Sleep problems can

trigger seizures or be a symptom of something else.

• If mood changes continue or last longer than a few weeks, tell your doctor and ask for help.

Menstrual cycles

About half the women of childbearing age who have epilepsy report more seizures

around the time of their menses or in the middle of their cycle. Keeping track of when

seizures occur can help women ﬁnd out if there are any connections. Talk with your

health care team about monitoring your hormones and other health conditions. For

some women, this could lead to other ways to improve seizure control.

Strive to stop seizures

Getting the best seizure control possible is one step towards improving your health and lessening

the risk for SUDEP. Don’t give up or settle for life with continued seizures. Be proactive and see an

epilepsy specialist if you are still having seizures or side eects of medicines.

Some people with certain types of epilepsy ﬁnd it very hard to control their seizures. They may

also have other problems that aect their ability to move, feel, think, talk, and do other things.

These other problems are often called comorbidities and can make managing epilepsy more

dicult. Being seen at a comprehensive epilepsy center may help you look at all options to

improve seizure control and how epilepsy aects your health and quality of life.

Managing Your Epilepsy continued

SEIZURES

Community Education Programs

continued on pg 2

Epilepsy and Seizure First Aid

Everyone should know what to do when a seizure happens. Epilepsy and Seizure First Aid is

available through our local oces and our website, epilepsy.com. Presentations can be tailored

to the type of audience.

First Responder Training

The Epilepsy Foundation oers resources and training to help First Responders understand how

to recognize and respond to someone having a seizure.

Epilepsy & Seizure Response for Emergency Medical Services

(EMS) Personnel describes seizures associated with epilepsy and

other causes, outlines appropriate EMS responses to consider for

further medical care, and encourages the use of evidence-based

guidelines for status epilepticus.

Epilepsy & Seizure Response for Law Enforcement Personnel

provides law enforcement personnel with tools to recognize

and give appropriate care to people with epilepsy and seizures.

Managing other epilepsy-related issues that police may respond to

are also highlighted.

Managing Students with Seizures: The Importance

of School Nurses

Managing Students with Seizures: The Importance of School Nurses is a program designed

to provide the school nurse with information, strategies, and resources that will enable them to

better manage the student with seizures by supporting positive treatment outcomes, maximizing

educational and developmental opportunities, and ensuring a safe and supportive environment.

Programs include a 2-hour course on managing students with seizures, and 1-hour programs

targeting rescue therapies, developing IEP and 504 programs, and psychogenic nonepileptic

seizures.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Community Education Programs continued

Seizure Training for School Personnel

Seizure Training for School Personnel is an interactive course designed to help promote a

positive social and educational environment for students living with seizures and epilepsy.

Seizure Training for Childcare Personnel

Seizure Training for Child Care Personnel is a curriculum developed

by the Epilepsy Foundation for child care providers instructing them

on proper seizure ﬁrst aid for young children. This program also

highlights epilepsy syndromes that are more common in children

under the age of 5 and the impact of seizures when providing child

care.

Seniors and Seizures: Education for

Organizations Serving Older Adults

The Epilepsy Foundation’s Seniors & Seizures Training is designed

to provide caregivers and sta of adult day care centers, senior centers, long-term facilities,

nursing homes, and other senior-serving organizations with strategies to better recognize and

respond to seizures among older adults.

Seizures & You: Take Charge of the Facts

Seizures and You: Take Charge of the Facts is an epilepsy awareness program for students in

grade K-12 designed to dispel myths and reduce the stigma associated with epilepsy.

How You Can Get the Training

Several of these programs are oered in-person through local Epilepsy Foundation oces.

Contact your local oce to learn more. To access courses through the Epilepsy.com Learning

Management System, visit https://learn.epilepsy.com.

For more information, or to see if a course is available in your area, please call the Epilepsy &

Seizures Helpline at 1-800-332-1000.

Disclaimer: This publication is designed to provide general information about epilepsy and seizures to the public. It is not intended as medical advice.

People with epilepsy should not make changes to treatment or activities based on this information without ﬁrst consulting with their health care provider.

This publication is made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under cooperative grant agreement number

1NU58DP006256-02-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the Epilepsy Foundation and do not necessarily represent the views of the CDC.

Epilepsy & Seizures 24/7 Helpline

What do we do?

The helpline has trained information specialists available to answer your questions about epilepsy

and seizures and give you support, guidance, and referrals to national and local resources.

How can we help you?

The 24/7 Helpline provides compassionate telephone support, answers emails and replies to

forum posts on the Foundation’s online community site.

Some of the topics our information specialists respond to most often

include:

• Treatment options

• Available medicines

• Support groups

• Resources for ﬁnancial, insurance, and other help

• Seizure ﬁrst aid and safety issues

• Employment, discrimination, and legal issues

• Emotional support

• Getting connected with local Epilepsy Foundation oces

• Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)

• Free information packets

Para obtener información adicional y materiales impresos con información detallada y actualizada

comunícate con nuestra línea gratuita 1-866-748-8008 o visita nuestro sitio web:

www.laepilepsia.org.

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Providing HELP, HOPE, and SUPPORT to people with epilepsy and

seizures and their families nationwide.

1-800-332-1000

epilepsy.com/helpline

HOW WE CAN HELP

Interpreters available for over 200+ languages

How We Can Help continued

Epilepsy.com

Epilepsy.com oers ways to learn critical information, skills and resources that will help you

manage seizures and epilepsy more easily.

Information

Information is available to help you learn as much as you can about seizures and

epilepsy, managing your epilepsy, new therapies, seizure ﬁrst aid, and more!

Community

Our online community helps you to connect with others who are living with

seizures and epilepsy. Read or post messages on a wide variety of topics. You can

also join a chat and talk to others in real-time, read powerful stories, or listen to our

Hallway Conversations. Join our live online events about the latest in epilepsy and issues

aecting families.

Empowerment

Explore the many tools available to help you be in charge of your seizures & epilepsy, work with

your health care team, and take action to manage your seizures.

Clinical Trials Portal

Clinical trials and studies are critical to new therapy development for epilepsy. Please consider

joining a current trial or study to aid in the eort of ﬁnding new and improved ways of treating

seizures and ultimately lead to a cure – visit epilepsy.com/clinical_trials to learn more!

My Seizure Diary

Track your seizures, medicines, and other health events. Having more accurate and up-to-date

information helps you and your care team make better decisions about medicines, treatments, and

other ways of managing seizures and how they aect your life. See diary.epilepsy.com.

Resources

Search for an Epilepsy Foundation local oce that works in your area or search the Helpline

Resource database to learn about resources available in your area.

Visit epilepsy.com today.

Tools for Managing Seizures

For most people, seizures and epilepsy are chronic problems. Medicines can control seizures for

many people, but it takes work. You need to do things like remembering to take your medicine,

tracking your seizures, and ﬁnding out what triggers your seizures. And if medicine doesn’t work, it

may take even more work to ﬁnd other ways to manage your seizures.

Managing your epilepsy, also called self-management, includes everything you and your family

or supports do to control your seizures, manage how epilepsy aects your daily life, and live life

to your fullest potential. It doesn’t mean you manage epilepsy by yourself. It does mean you work

together with your health care team, family, and other supports. Here are some programs to help.

Epilepsy Foundation website

Epilepsy.com is the most comprehensive national resource for anyone

who seeks to better understand a medical condition that aects 3.4

million people in the United States.

Learn: Whether you have just been told you have seizures or whether you

want to learn more to better understand your epilepsy, ﬁnd basic and in-

depth information that meets your needs.

Living with Epilepsy: Find training, tools, online resources, local services,

and more that will help you take charge of your health, care, safety,

wellness, and life.

Make a Dierence: Getting involved and giving back to the epilepsy

community can be a powerful way to improve your life. Find ways to get involved in the ﬁght to ﬁnd

new therapies and a cure and to raise awareness about epilepsy and seizures.

Connect: Connect with others who are living with seizures and epilepsy.

Visit epilepsy.com

Texting4Control

Texting4Control is text messaging support available to people with

epilepsy. This service sends reminders to your cell phone to help you

remember to take your epilepsy medications, as well as motivational

messages to help you stay positive about taking control of your epilepsy.

To sign up, visit www.texting4control.com

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SELF-MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Self-Management Tools continued

My Seizure Diary

A free online seizure diary with companion smartphone app

for people with seizures and epilepsy.

• Monitor your health – track seizures and clusters over time.

• Manage medicines – track side eects and use of rescue

therapies.

• Learn what works and when changes may be needed.

• Easy-to-use reminders to prevent missed medicines or

appointments.

• Share your seizure with a family member, caregiver, or clinician.

• Track triggers and lifestyle to lessen risk of breakthrough

seizures.

• Organize your health history and personalized seizure

response plan.

• Communicate more easily with your healthcare team!

Learn more at epilepsy.com/seizurediary

You and Your Health Care Team

Getting good medical care for epilepsy and seizures is a team eort, and you are the most

important member of the team. You want answers, and your doctor needs information from you,

too! What you tell your doctors and other health care providers is critical – it helps them sort out if

you have seizures and what type of epilepsy you have. It also helps them choose which medicine

may be best for you.

Do your part by telling the doctor or other health care provider:

• Your history – when and what happened and when you ﬁrst noticed

seizure symptoms

• About your seizures or events

• What medicines you take and any allergies

• About any side eects or other health problems

• How epilepsy aects you and your family

• Your priorities and questions - what’s bothering you most

Take an active role in your health care

The traditional approach to medical care is that the doctor asks questions, the patient answers

them, and the doctor recommends the treatment. But there’s another approach, called patient-

centered health care, where the patient and family play a more active role on the health

care team.

Making sure you get patient-centered care is especially important when you are coping with a

chronic health problem like epilepsy. That’s what managing your epilepsy is all about.

Be prepared - Share important information

Epilepsy is often “invisible” to doctors, since seizures don’t usually happen during an oce visit.

That means your doctor is relying on you to say what your seizures are like, how often they

happen, and how they aect your life.

Keep a seizure diary to track any seizures or other symptoms you have. Take it to your

appointment. When you track your seizures and how you are feeling, you’re bringing in critical

data that your team will need.

Make a list of all the medicines you take – including any vitamins or herbal remedies – and

the amount you take.

Be ready to talk about anything that has changed since your last visit, like a new job,

school problems, or changes in how you feel. Tell them if you feel nervous, sad,

depressed, or are having changes in sleep, appetite, or sex drive. This may make you

uncomfortable, but your health care team is there to help. They want to know how

you’re doing.

continued on pg 2

HEALTH CARE VISITS

Remember, your doctor can only help if you share all of the relevant information, including if you:

• Don’t always take your medicine

• Are having side eects or aren’t feeling well

• Don’t like your treatment plan

• Are still having seizures

• Want a second opinion from a dierent doctor

Learn what to do

For your treatment to work, you’ll need to learn new skills — like how to take your medicines, make

lifestyle changes, teach others seizure ﬁrst aid, and prevent injuries. If seizures are not responding

to medicines, your health care team may want you to try a special diet or consider testing for

surgery or a device.

All this can be overwhelming at times. If you are new to seizures and epilepsy, start with the basics.

• Think about what you need now to get diagnosed properly, stay safe, and

follow your treatment plan. Remember, treatment will only work if you can

follow the plans.

• Next think about how epilepsy is aecting you and your family. Ask for help.

You may need to learn new skills here too – how to talk about epilepsy or

cope with the impact it may have on relationships, work, family, and

social life.

Ask questions

People work together best when they know what to expect from each other. Talk

to your doctors and health care providers about your role, their role, and what to

expect from each other.

Also talk to your doctors about new ideas or treatments, other people who should be part of your

team, and any other concerns you may have. If you’re still having seizures after trying at least two

seizure medicines, ask to see an epilepsy specialist.

Discussions take time. You may need to set up special appointments to talk to dierent people

about your questions, concerns, and next steps in your care.

Health Care Visits continued

Talk to your doctors about new ideas or treatments, other people who should be part

of your team, and any other concerns you may have.

Stay in touch

Be sure to keep all follow-up appointments. Write them in your calendar, put a

note on your fridge, or set a reminder on your phone – whatever will help

you remember.

If you don’t have time to talk about everything that’s on your mind, make another

appointment. It’s also a good idea to ask what to do if you have questions after

you get home. Find out who you can call and when.

You may want to contact your provider in situations like these:

• If you start having more seizures, or you have seizures that are dierent from

your usual pattern

• If you have unexpected side eects, or bad side eects

• If you have an unexpected problem that develops after surgery

• When you’re sick with another illness

• When you’re taking a new medicine

• Before surgery or procedures for a dierent health problem

Getting urgent help

There may be times when you should not wait for a routine call back. Ask your doctor who to call

in an emergency, and how to reach them.

• If the problem is urgent and you can’t reach your own doctor, you may need to talk to a

dierent doctor or go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic.

• If you have seizures that last too long or happen too close together, someone should call 911

for emergency medical help.

Once your health care team gets to know you, ask for help developing a seizure response plan.

This will help you and others have the right information at home – what to do for seizures, when

seizures could be an emergency and if anything can be done at home to prevent an emergency.

Sometimes a rescue therapy (medicine or device) may be recommended for people who may have

long or cluster seizures)

Visit epilepsy.com/managing to learn more about seizure emergency and seizure

response plans.

Health Care Visits continued

Know SUDEP Facts

SUDEP is Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy

• SUDEP is the sudden unexpected death of a person with epilepsy.

• While SUDEP is rare, it happens in 1 out of 1,000 people with epilepsy. The risk in

children may be lower.

• One way to lessen your risk of SUDEP is to have as few seizures as possible.

Know your risk for SUDEP

SUDEP can happen at any time and with any type of seizure.

It happens most often in people with

• Tonic clonic seizures

• Uncontrolled seizures

• Seizures at night

#DareTo take control

• Take your medicine on time, every day — exactly as prescribed.

People whose seizures aren’t controlled have an almost 40 times higher risk of death than

those whose epilepsy is under control.

• Keep a health diary of seizures, test results, and questions for your health care provider.

• Know your seizure triggers.

For many people, not getting enough sleep, drinking too much alcohol, or feeling

stressed can trigger more seizures.

• Create and share your own Seizure Response Plan.

Get your doctor’s input and share it with your family, friends, co-workers, or teachers.

Discuss how you can improve your safety at night with your doctor, family and friends.

Know how to stay safe

• If you have seizures at night, talk to your health care team about safety.

• Have someone check on you after a seizure or share a room.

• Ask your health care team about seizure alert devices and how to get help after a seizure.

Talk to your health care providers about SUDEP

Get answers to these questions:

• What is my risk of SUDEP?

• What should I do if I have another seizure?

• How can I prevent more seizures?

• Are there other ways to control seizures and lower my risk of SUDEP?

DARE TO SAY SUDEP

SEIZURES

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Dare to Say SUDEP continued

• What should I do to reduce my risk of SUDEP if I have seizures at night?

• Should I consider using a device to warn someone that I am having a seizure?

• Should I consider sharing a bedroom?

• What else should I know about?

Some other health conditions may increase your risk of dying or getting injured during or after a

seizure. See your primary care physician for regular check-ups to help you stay healthy.

Tell your family & friends about epilepsy

and SUDEP

• Your friends and family care about you, so let them know about your risks.

• Make sure they know Facts to Keep You Safe and when to call 911. Learn more at

epilepsy.com/safetyfacts

#AimForZero

Getting the best seizure control possible is one step towards lessening the risk for SUDEP.

Aiming for zero seizures means keep trying. Some people can get complete seizure control

with available treatments. Others, especially people with a complex form of epilepsy or one that

doesn’t respond to medicine, may never reach zero seizures. If you are in the latter situation,

you still should not give up. It’s just as important for you and your family to do what you can to

lessen your risks – lessen the risk of breakthrough seizures, severe or long seizures, triggers, and

potential complications. There are many approaches that may vary from one person to the next.

Here’s at least 4 important ones to help you get started:

• Take medication as prescribed – consistent, regular amounts of medicine are key for seizure

medicines to work properly.

• Get enough sleep – not enough sleep or poor quality of sleep is a common trigger for

seizures.

• Limit alcohol – too much alcohol can make a person more likely to have seizures, especially

the day after drinking. Some seizure medicines may lower your tolerance for alcohol and you

get drunk faster.

• Strive to stop seizures – don’t give up or settle for life with continued seizures. Be proactive

and see an epilepsy specialist if you are still having seizures or side eects of medicines.

911

calling...

A Seizure Safe Environment

Depending on the type of seizure, people may fall or hurt themselves in a variety of ways. Cuts,

burns, bumps, and bruises can happen. More serious injuries can happen too, especially if

someone falls and is not aware of what’s going on around them.

Here are some general tips that can help lessen your risk of injury. First talk to your

health care provider about your type of seizures and risks. Then look at where you are

when a seizure may happen and what risks are present in your home, work, school, or

play area. Look at your lifestyle too. For example, what types of activities do you like

to do? Then look at the following tips and see what makes sense to keep you safe and

prevent injuries or accidents.

Home safety

Prevent drowning and injuries from slips and falls in the bathroom:

• Take showers instead of baths.

• Leave the bathroom door unlocked. Make sure someone is close by in case you

have a seizure while showering.

• Hang the bathroom door so it opens out, not in. This way someone can get in easily if you

need help.

• Use safety glass for mirrors and shower doors.

Take care when cooking:

• Get pre-sliced foods so you don’t need to use knives when alone.

• Use the microwave instead of a stovetop when you’re home alone.

• If you use a stovetop, use back burners to prevent spilling hot foods.

• Wear long thick oven mitts to take food out of the oven.

• Try not to carry hot dishes. Try sliding them along a counter or use a cart.

• Use cups with lids for hot drinks.

• Use non-breakable dishes, cups, and cookware.

Stay safe from burns and ﬁres:

• Make sure someone is nearby when you use the stove, grills, or ﬁreplace.

• Iron clothes or light candles onlywhen someone is with you.

• Look for appliances that have automatic shut-o switches.

• Put guards in front of radiators, heaters, and ﬁreplaces. Only use space heaters that can’t tip over.

• Check your smoke alarms once a month by pushing the test button.

Keep yourself safe while sleeping:

• Sleep in a bed that is low to the ﬂoor if you have seizures at night.

• Consider using a seizure alert device so someone will know if you have a seizure and can

check on you.

• If you have shaking movements during a seizure, move your bed away from furniture or the

wall so you don’t injure yourself during a seizure.

• Sleep on your back or side; don’t sleep face down.

continued on back

SEIZURES AND SAFETY

Prevent injuries from falls:

• Pick up or put away things you could trip over, like cords, toys, or shoes.

• Store things you use often where you can reach them easily.

• Put padding on furniture with sharp edges or buy furniture with rounded or soft edges.

• Install soft ﬂooring, like carpets with thick padding.

• Use soft “outdoor carpeting” on hard surfaces like stairs or a deck.

Work safely outside:

• Use a lawn mower that stops when you let go of the handle.

• Make sure that power tools have safety guards and will stop running if you let go.

• Always wear protective eyewear, footwear, and gloves.

Safety and parenting

You have seizures and you have a child. How is this going to work?

You can’t help but wonder, “What happens if I have a seizure while taking care of the baby?”

This is a normal question and one you should talk about with your loved ones and

health care team. Then develop a plan to make your home safe for your family. Try

these simple parenting tips to make life easier.

Remember, what you need to do may vary with the type and number of seizures you

have, so talk about these ideas with your doctor or nurse. If you have frequent seizures,

especially with loss of awareness, consider having someone help while you care for

your baby.

Telling children about seizures

One day, as your child grows, she may ask about your seizures. Use simple language to explain

things. Say that you will be okay but that you may need some help sometimes. Show him how to

get another adult to help or to call 911 if you do not wake up after a seizure. If you are calm, your

child will be too. As your child gets older, he will have more questions for you. Use age appropriate

information to teach your family about seizures and how they can help.

• When childprooﬁng your house like all

parents do, take an extra step. Get down on

the ﬂoor and think what would happen if you

fall. What could hurt you or your baby?

• Sit in the middle of the bed, on the couch, or on

the ﬂoor when holding or feeding your baby.

• Change, dress, and sponge bathethe baby

using a portable changing pad on the ﬂoor.

• Strap the baby snugly into a stroller with

breaks or an infant seat when you feed him.

• When home alone, use a playpen or play

yard with doors and gate. If you don’t feel

well, put the baby down in this enclosed area.

• Keep baby supplies on each level of the

home to avoid climbing stairs.

• Don’t carry hot ﬂuids or dangerous items near

the baby.

• If your seizures are sensitive to sleep

deprivation, use help to feed the baby at night.

• Always keep your epilepsy medicine (and other

medicines) where children can not

reach them.

• When walking outside with a child who can

wander, consider using a safetyharness to keep

your child close in case you have a seizure.

• If you feel a warning or seizure, lie down on

your side on a soft surface.

• Carry a cell phone with you, even in the house,

to call for help if needed.

Seizures and Safety continued

Seizure First Aid

How to help someone having a seizure

STAY with the person until they

are awake and alert after the seizure.

✓Time the seizure ✓Remain calm

✓Check for medical ID

Keep the person SAFE.

✓Move or guide away from harm

Turn the person onto their SIDE

if they are not awake and aware.

✓Keep airway clear

✓Loosen tight clothes around neck

✓Put something small and soft under the head

✗ Do NOT restrain.

✗ Do NOT put any objects in their mouth.

✓Rescue medicines can be given if prescribed by

a health care professional

Call

911

if...

NOT

▲

Repeated seizures

▲

First time seizure

▲

Difficulty breathing

▲

Seizure occurs in water

▲

Seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes

▲

Person does not return to their usual state

▲

Person is injured, pregnant, or sick

This publication was created by the Epilepsy Foundation, a nationwide network organization, and is part of our END EPILEPSY

awareness campaign. This publication is made possible

with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under cooperative grant agreement number 1NU58DP006256-04-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of

Learn more: epilepsy.com/firstaid

epilepsy.com

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Seizure & Epilepsy Overview

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that causes people to have recurrent seizures. A

seizure is a brief disruption of electrical activity in the brain.

• Epilepsy is not contagious.

• Epilepsy is a medical condition, like asthma and diabetes.

• Epilepsy is a developmental disability when it starts before age 18.

• Often seizures are the main problem for people with epilepsy, but other

neurological or developmental problems can be seen too.

What causes epilepsy?

More than half the time, the cause is unknown. When a cause can be found, it is

often one of these:

• Head injury

• Infection of the brain

• Stroke

• Brain tumor

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Malformation of an area of the brain

• Genetic factors

Who has epilepsy?

In the United States, 3.4 million people live with epilepsy, and over 150,000

new cases are diagnosed each year. One in 26 people will develop epilepsy

at some point in their life. Epilepsy doesn’t discriminate. It aects children and

adults, men and women, and people of all races, religions, ethnic backgrounds,

and social classes. While epilepsy is most often diagnosed either in childhood

or after the age of 65, it can occur at any age.

How is epilepsy diagnosed?

• A good description of the event and ideally an eyewitness account or

video recording is key to determining if the event was a seizure and what kind.

• A medical history, physical and neurological exam, blood work, and other tests are important. These

help diagnose epilepsy and look for other conditions or causes.

• An EEG is one of the most important tests. It records the brain’s electrical activity. Some patterns of

activity are unique to certain types of seizures.

• Imaging tests (like a CT, MRI, or PET scan) look at the structure and function of

the brain. An MRI is needed for anyone with new onset of seizures. PET scans or

other advanced imaging may be done later.

How is epilepsy treated?

Medication – Drugs used to treat epilepsy are called anti-seizure medication.

• More than 30 anti-seizure medications are currently approved to treat epilepsy.

• About 6 in 10 people may control their seizures with the ﬁrst or second medicine

they try.

• Yet a survey of adults in the community found that 56% still have seizures.

• Regardless of the numbers, if a person does not get control of seizures in the

ﬁrst year or after the ﬁrst 2 or 3 medicines are tried, they should be seen by an

epilepsy specialist.

• Options beyond medicines may be possible.

continued on back

UNDERSTANDING SEIZURES & EPILEPSY

Surgery – Certain types of surgery may be used for people whose seizures do not respond to

medication. Surgery may be recommended when a seizure focus can be found and removed

without hurting vital functions like speech or movement. For other types of surgery, visit

epilepsy.com/surgery.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) – A small device (generator) is implanted under the

skin in the left side of the chest. A small thin wire or electrode goes from the generator

and is attached to the vagus nerve in the neck. VNS may be an option if surgery doesn’t

work or is not right for you. The beneﬁts of the VNS appear to improve over time. For

example, about 45% of people have seizures decreased by 50% or more within one to

two years.

Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) – This is another device to treat seizures. It is

implanted under the scalp in a small area of the skull or bone surrfounding the brain.

One or two wires from the device are placed under or on the surface of the brain where

seizures start. The device is able to sense a seizure and sends small pulses of electrical

current through the wires to help stop or lessen seizures. RNS also may help people

who can’t have surgery or when surgery doesn’t work well enough. Like the VNS, the

RNS does not cure epilepsy and it may not work right away. Yet it can help stop or lessen the

number of seizures a person has by 40% to 60% after one to three years.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) – DBS is a new type of device that also helps control seizures when

surgery doesn’t work or cannot be done. Electrode wires are placed in a speciﬁc area of the brain.

The device is programmed, like VNS, to give stimulation to interrupt or stop seizures.

Dietary Therapies – Dietary therapies can help control seizures in both children and adults. They

are usually used when seizures do not respond to medicine.The most common diet therapy is the

ketogenic diet. This is a medically supervised high fat and low carbohydrate diet. There are three

other diets that also help control seizures in some people. Most people who use a diet therapy

continue taking medicine

Understanding Seizures & Epilepsy continued

Types of seizures

Common types of seizures include:

Generalized Onset - Tonic-Clonic (Grand Mal) – Convulsions, rigid muscles, jerking; typically lasts

1 to 3 minutes and followed by period of confusion.

Generalized Onset - Absence (Petit Mal) – Blank stare lasting only a few seconds; sometimes with

blinking or chewing motions.

Focal Onset - Impaired Awareness (Complex Partial) – Staring and dazed facial expression;

person is not aware of what is going on or will not remember; person may perform repetitive

random movements and may not be able to talk normally; typically lasts 1 or 2 minutes and may be

followed by confusion.

Focal Onset - Aware (Simple Partial) – Jerking in one or more parts of the body or sensory or

perceptual changes that may or may not be obvious to onlookers; the person is aware of what

occurs during the seizure.

Atonic (Drop Attacks) – Sudden collapse with recovery within a minute.

Myoclonic – Sudden, brief, massive jerks involving all or part of the body.

Seizures can take many dierent forms, not just the convulsive type that most

people associate with epilepsy.

When rescue therapy may be needed:

WHEN AND WHAT TO DO

If seizure (cluster, # or length) ________________________________________________________________________

Name of Med/Rx ________________________________ How much to give (dose) ________________________

How to give _____________________________________________________________________________________

If seizure (cluster, # or length) ________________________________________________________________________

Name of Med/Rx ________________________________ How much to give (dose) ________________________

How to give _____________________________________________________________________________________

If seizure (cluster, # or length) ________________________________________________________________________

Name of Med/Rx ________________________________ How much to give (dose) ________________________

How to give _____________________________________________________________________________________

Name:

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

Birth Date:

———————————————————

Address:

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Phone:

—————————————————————

Emergency Contact/Relationship

————————————————————————————————————

Phone:

—————————————————————

SEIZURE ACTION PLAN (SAP)

How to respond to a seizure (check all that apply)



F

First aid – Stay. Safe. Side.

Notify emergency contact at ______________________________

F

Give rescue therapy according to SAP

Call 911 for transport to __________________________________________

F

Notify emergency contact

Other ________________________________________________

Seizure Type How Long It Lasts How Often What Happens

First aid for any seizure

F

STAY calm, keep calm, begin timing seizure

F

Keep me SAFE – remove harmful objects,

don’t restrain, protect head

F

SIDE – turn on side if not awake, keep airway clear,

don’t put objects in mouth

F

STAY until recovered from seizure

F

Swipe magnet for VNS

F

Write down what happens _____________________

F

Other _____________________________________

When to call 911

F

Seizure with loss of consciousness longer than 5 minutes,

not responding to rescue med if available

F

Repeated seizures longer than 10 minutes, no recovery between

them, not responding to rescue med if available

F

Diculty breathing after seizure

F

Serious injury occurs or suspected, seizure in water

When to call your provider ﬁrst

F

Change in seizure type, number or pattern

F

Person does not return to usual behavior (i.e., confused for a

long period)

F

First time seizure that stops on its’ own

F

Other medical problems or pregnancy need to be checked

Seizure Information

Seizure Action Plan continued

Care after seizure

What type of help is needed? (describe) _______________________________________________________________

When is person able to resume usual activity? ___________________________________________________________

Health care contacts

Epilepsy Provider:

——————————————————————————————————————

Phone:

———————————————————————————

Primary Care:

————————————————————————————————————————

Phone:

———————————————————————————

Preferred Hospital:

—————————————————————————————————————

Phone:

———————————————————————————

Pharmacy:

——————————————————————————————————————————

Phone:

———————————————————————————

My signature

————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Date

—————————————————

Provider signature

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

Date

—————————————————

Epilepsy.com

Revised 01/2020 130SRP/PAB1216

Triggers: _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Important Medical History _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Allergies _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Epilepsy Surgery (type, date, side eects) ________________________________________________________________________

Device:  VNS  RNS  DBS Date Implanted _______________________________________________________________

Diet Therapy  Ketogenic  Low Glycemic  Modiﬁed Atkins  Other (describe) ____________________________________

Special Instructions:

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Medicine Name Total Daily Amount

Amount of

Tab/Liquid

How Taken

(time of each dose and how much)

Daily seizure medicine

Other information

Special instructions

First Responders: _________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Emergency Department: ___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

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