Safety and Seizures

Taking an Inventory of Personal Risk

One way to start thinking about safety is to ask yourself the following questions:

What type of seizure do I have? If you have drop attacks or convulsions, you have an increased risk of injury. Your risk is probably lower if you have brief staring episodes, or remain awake and aware during seizures, or have seizures only at night.

Do I fall during a seizure? Loss of balance and falling increases the risk of fractures, cuts and bruises.

Do I know where I am and what I'm doing during a seizure? A "no" answer increases risk from things around you - especially from machinery, fire, water, or from wandering into harm's way.

Do I do the same thing each time I have a seizure? If you do and what you do (like staring, mumbling, or picking at clothes) is low risk, your risk of injury is lower, too. If you usually run or walk without knowing where you are, the risk is high.

Have I been injured in the past as a result of a seizure? If you have, think about where you were and what happened. Can you do anything to reduce or prevent the injury next time?

Do I know when I'm more likely to have a seizure? If so, you may reduce your risk quite a lot by planning higher risk activities at times when seizures are less likely.

Do I know what triggers my seizures? If you do, changing activities to avoid the trigger as much as you can reduces the risk of related injury.

Do I have a warning (aura)? A warning may give you enough time to get out of harm's way when you feel a seizure approaching.

Do I have seizures every day? Every week? More often? The more often you have seizures, the greater the risk of having one near something that could hurt you. If you've had no seizures for several months or even years, your level of risk is probably no higher than it would be if you didn't have epilepsy. However, basic safety measures -- like not swimming alone -- should be part of your life, whether you have seizures or not.

Disclaimer

This information is based on common experience. It does not reflect the level of risk or need for safety measures of any individual. People vary in their need for safety measures and readers with seizures are warned not to base lifestyle changes on this material without first consulting a physician.