Epilepsy 
By Karlie Peters, RN.
What is Epilepsy? “Epilepsy is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system” (Epilepsy, 2009). Epilepsy and seizures affect people in many different ways. An individual is diagnosed with Epilepsy, when they have had two seizures without any cause from a medical condition. A community nurse can help a client “self-manage” their seizures by understanding the three parts of seizures. The three parts of seizures are the beginning, middle, and end.
If an individual is aware of the first part “the beginning”, which is considered a warning. Unfortunately some may not have warning signs. The middle stage has many different forms. People whom have warning signs, it may be a simple aura, turn into a complex partial seizures or convulsion. People without warnings, may have a seizure that continues into a complex partial seizure or a convulsion. People with epilepsy/seizures need to be informed of the end stage of this disease because this is when the individual transitions back into a normal state. One needs to be informed of the length this period of time last, which can be seconds to minutes, even hours, depending of the affected portion of the brain.
The community nurse can help stress the early (warning) signs of seizures to those who are in the early diagnosing stage, such as sensory/thought, emotional, and physical signs. The nurse should get the individual prepared with emergencies, treatment and safety matters.
One-way to “self manage” seizures is teamwork, whether healthcare team members, family and the individual. A seizure’s diary can help one keep tack of the types of seizures, meds, treatments, side effects, concerns, contacts information, prescription refills, and list medical appointments and take a copy to appointments. Having epilepsy/seizures can be scary, but if one is acknowledgeable about triggers they can minimize the number of attacks with the diary. Triggers are different for each individual person. Some triggers happen during sleep or while waking up, women may have seizures during parts of the menstrual cycle, or when under high stress. The community nurse can encourage the individual to seek support groups and take with family for support. One can also get involved with Blogs through websites such as http://www.epilepsy.com/ which provides information, community, and empowerment.
If an individual is aware of the first part “the beginning”, which is considered a warning. Unfortunately some may not have warning signs. The middle stage has many different forms. People whom have warning signs, it may be a simple aura, turn into a complex partial seizures or convulsion. People without warnings, may have a seizure that continues into a complex partial seizure or a convulsion. People with epilepsy/seizures need to be informed of the end stage of this disease because this is when the individual transitions back into a normal state. One needs to be informed of the length this period of time last, which can be seconds to minutes, even hours, depending of the affected portion of the brain.
The community nurse can help stress the early (warning) signs of seizures to those who are in the early diagnosing stage, such as sensory/thought, emotional, and physical signs. The nurse should get the individual prepared with emergencies, treatment and safety matters.
One-way to “self manage” seizures is teamwork, whether healthcare team members, family and the individual. A seizure’s diary can help one keep tack of the types of seizures, meds, treatments, side effects, concerns, contacts information, prescription refills, and list medical appointments and take a copy to appointments. Having epilepsy/seizures can be scary, but if one is acknowledgeable about triggers they can minimize the number of attacks with the diary. Triggers are different for each individual person. Some triggers happen during sleep or while waking up, women may have seizures during parts of the menstrual cycle, or when under high stress. The community nurse can encourage the individual to seek support groups and take with family for support. One can also get involved with Blogs through websites such as http://www.epilepsy.com/ which provides information, community, and empowerment.
Note: This blog post reflects the work of Karlie Peters, 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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