BY: Rosalind Anderson, RN
Several months ago my best friend bought a 42in LCD television for her mom. The television was quite the focal point in her mom’s small one bedroom apartment living room. Her mom’s nightly ritual included curling up on her recliner and watching her favorite late-night programs until she fell asleep. She usually would awaken in the middle of the night, turn off her television and go to bed. However a few months later her mother started to notice that she would wake up in front of the television with very bad headaches, dizziness and feeling disoriented. It wasn’t until she noticed a hole in her wall the morning following such an incident that she realized what had happened. My best friend’s mother suffers from epilepsy and had been suffering seizures. It wasn’t until she visited with her neurologist that the reason for her increase in seizures was known. Her neurologist identified the new television as the trigger for her increased seizure activity.
Epileptic seizures are the result of transient cerebral dysfunction caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain presenting as sudden recurrent attacks of memory, sensory or psychic manifestations with or without loss of consciousness or generalized convulsions (Levenson, 2008). Some causes of seizures are genetic, brain disease, trauma, infection, febrile illness, electrolyte imbalances and eclampsia (Lawal, 2005). However approximately one third of adult epilepsy cases are idiopathic.
The standard medical treatment of epilepsy is with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (Lawal, 2005). However nonpharmacologic management such as surgery involving brain dissection or implantation of electrical devices may be used for those who do not respond to pharmacologic treatment (Kanceski et.al, 2005).
Despite use of AEDs or nonpharmacologic therapies, there are factors which may trigger seizures. These include emotional stress, insomnia, hormonal changes, alcohol/drug abuse, and photosensitivity. In photosensitivity, seizures are provoked by flickering light such as reflections from sunlight, flashing neon lights or watching television, as in this case. Sitting a few meters from the television would help to prevent these light-induced seizures (Lawal, 2005). However given the small dimensions of my friend’s mom’s living room, to the proportion of the visual area occupied by the television, this was not possible.
In additional to being knowledgeable of surgical and pharmacologic therapies and their side effects, and encouraging adherence to the treatment regimen, the nurse caring for the patient with epilepsy can assess for these triggers and teach the patient to do so also.
Unfortunately my friend had to trade in her mom’s television for a smaller one. After the switch, her mom did not experience any more seizures while watching television; and I got a good deal on a TV.
Epileptic seizures are the result of transient cerebral dysfunction caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain presenting as sudden recurrent attacks of memory, sensory or psychic manifestations with or without loss of consciousness or generalized convulsions (Levenson, 2008). Some causes of seizures are genetic, brain disease, trauma, infection, febrile illness, electrolyte imbalances and eclampsia (Lawal, 2005). However approximately one third of adult epilepsy cases are idiopathic.
The standard medical treatment of epilepsy is with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (Lawal, 2005). However nonpharmacologic management such as surgery involving brain dissection or implantation of electrical devices may be used for those who do not respond to pharmacologic treatment (Kanceski et.al, 2005).
Despite use of AEDs or nonpharmacologic therapies, there are factors which may trigger seizures. These include emotional stress, insomnia, hormonal changes, alcohol/drug abuse, and photosensitivity. In photosensitivity, seizures are provoked by flickering light such as reflections from sunlight, flashing neon lights or watching television, as in this case. Sitting a few meters from the television would help to prevent these light-induced seizures (Lawal, 2005). However given the small dimensions of my friend’s mom’s living room, to the proportion of the visual area occupied by the television, this was not possible.
In additional to being knowledgeable of surgical and pharmacologic therapies and their side effects, and encouraging adherence to the treatment regimen, the nurse caring for the patient with epilepsy can assess for these triggers and teach the patient to do so also.
Unfortunately my friend had to trade in her mom’s television for a smaller one. After the switch, her mom did not experience any more seizures while watching television; and I got a good deal on a TV.
NOTE: This blog post reflects the work of Rosalind Anderson, RN with minor editing by Shirley Comer RN and was completed as a class assignment. The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Before beginning or changing a treatment or lifestyle regime you should consult your primary health care provider.
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