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Purple Day for Epilepsy
Thursday, March 26th is Purple Day for Epilepsy, an invitation to wear purple and spread the word about epilepsy.
Anyone can develop epilepsy, but children and seniors are at higher risk. Over 65 million people in the world are currently living with the condition. In fact, more people live with epilepsy than autism, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and Cerebral Palsy combined.
To show our support for those people, this Purple Day we aim to educate our community about epilepsy and how to help someone who is having a seizure.
Understanding Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a disorder that causes unprovoked seizures as a result of abnormal brain cell activity. The word “epilepsy” does not describe the cause or type of someone’s seizure, which is usually unknown.
Seizures can cause changes in the following:
- Sensation
- Feeling
- Awareness
- Consciousness
- Behavior
- Movement
Help
Seizures may be more common than you think—about 1 out of 10 people will have one in their lifetime. If you’re ever in the position to help someone during or after a seizure, follow these guidelines:
Do…
- Check to see if they’re wearing a medical bracelet
- Stay with the person until the seizure ends, and they are fully awake
- Help the person get to a safe location to sit
- Comfort them and speak quietly—explain what happened in simple terms
- Keep yourself and others around calm
- Offer to call a taxi/Uber/Lyft or someone they know to ensure they get home safe
Don’t…
- Leave them alone while seizing
- Hold the person down or try to contain their movements
- Put anything in their mouths (this can injure their teeth and jaw)
- Give them mouth to mouth or CPR
- Offer them food or water until they are fully awake and alert
If you or a loved one suffer a seizure-related accident or injury, Albuquerque ER & Hospital is here to help. Our highly qualified, licensed physicians are ready to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Be sure to wear purple this Thursday and share what you learn from this article with others to spread the word!
Disclaimer: As a service to our readers, Albuquerque ER & Hospital and Nutex Health state no content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinicians.
Nutex Health, Inc supports you and your family’s health. You can depend on Albuquerque ER & Hospital, or any of our concierge-level, medical facilities to deliver the emergency care you deserve, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.