St. Augustine Legal Affairs (STALA) Issue 2 | Page 21
BY RADEYAH H. ALI
The Oxford Dictionary defines Epilepsy as a neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions,
associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
As budding Lawyers, how much do we really know about
the diseases impaling our society today? Do we merely
limit our mindset to the most common diseases such as
cancer, downs syndrome, or HIV and Aids?
Ask yourselves, do you really know about epilepsy? Did
you know that about 1 adult in 200, suffers from recurrent epilepsy and more than 180,000 people are diagnosed
with epilepsy every year? Did you also know that ANYONE can have seizures a.k.a. epileptic attacks? It really is
a scary thought, so what can you do to help a victim of
epilepsy? Here are some simple things that just may help
you to help someone you know…
How to help during a seizure:
o
Protect the person from injury.
o
Keep him or her from falling if you can, or try to
guide the person gently to the floor.
o
Try to move furniture or other objects that might
injure the person during the seizure.
o
If the person is having a seizure and is on the
ground when you arrive, try to position the person on his
or her side so that fluid can leak out of the mouth. But be
careful not to apply too much pressure to the body.
o
Do not force anything, including your fingers,
into the person’s mouth. Putting something in the person’s mouth may cause injuries to him or her, such as
chipped teeth or a fractured jaw. You could also get bitten.
o
Do not try to hold down or move the person.
This can cause injury, such as a dislocated shoulder.
Purple Day is an international effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26th
annually, people in countries around the world are invited
to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy
awareness. The St. Augustine Law Society 2013-2014 held
Purple Day this year on Tuesday March 26th 2013 in our
show of awareness of epilepsy.
“Did you know that about
1 adult in 200, suffers
from recurrent epilepsy and more than 180,000
people are diagnosed with
epilepsy every year?”