Epilepsy

[Mobius]

I was at college in the library last week, working hard as usual. (I was reading the little book I got with my Oblivion collectors edition!) when I heard an almighty roar. I turned around, and this bloke from my Accounting class was on the floor. He is huge, muscular, with long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Hes literally a modern day Viking, and were I gay, I'd probably fancy him...
Anyway, I had no idea what had happened to him. He was bleeding from his ear as well, which was a bit weird. He started convulsing on the floor and froth was coming out of his mouth. His face turned all white and grey, like a dwarf on World of Warcraft. He was groaning like someone who'd been shot as well. We called the college doctor over and it turned out he'd had an epileptic fit. I always thought that it occured due to flashing objects (Some Japanese kids had fits watching Pokemon once) but I looked at his screen and all he was doing was using microsoft word. It affected me in quite a weird way, because it just seemed so odd to see this big tough guy, bought down to the ground, and curdled up like a child in only a few seconds. He used to be a fencer/swordsman type person but told me he had to retire due to medical reasons. I had no idea he was an epileptic. The doctor reckons that he must've fell forward, or slammed his head on the floor in order to have bled from his ear, which I suppose makes sense. In the end, the doctor basically said all you can really do is turn them on there side, and let them sleep it off. He went into a really deep sleep afterwards.

Anyway, I read into it and apparently it can just happen randomly. My dad said his friend had it, and fell forward into a window losing all his teeth. It sounds pretty dangerous. Shouldn't they have carers around them at all times? He could've broke his nose on the monitor, or anything. When I was helping turn him over I found a pocket knife...in his pocket, as well. Is it possible to die from epilepsy, or is it the danger of losing control of yourself that is the main problem, and how does one get it?

 

[Rubber Bullets]

Is it possible to die from epilepsy? Yes I guess, but not usually directly. During a fit people can injure themselves badly, maybe even fatally. It is also not ucommon for them to swallow their tounge, and suffocate. Clearly if it happens in a car it can be disasterous, which is why know epileptics cannot drive.

Most epileptics carry on a totally normal life, aided my medication, they do not require carers with them at all times.

What concerns me most about your post is that he was bleeding from the ear. This is often a symptom of a base of skull fracture, which in itself isn't life threatening, but should be checked out. Being left to sleep it off on his own, if this is the case, is definately not the best course of action.

RB

 

[haarewin]

my nan has epilepsy, she doesn't get fits any more but sometimes she has 'blackouts'.
they aren't really blackouts, she's conscious, but she does lose all memory of the past few hours and thinks everything is about 30 years ago, then gets really upset when she remembers things.

 

[Moo]

flashing lights etc can 'trigger' epileptic fits in people. However there's also a difference between epilepsy and seizures.

sorry about sp, cba to check.

 

[Tom]

My mum has epilepsy, the occasional fit while sleeping. It was never explained to me when I was a lad, and it frightened me to hear her scream and shout in bed. Sign of the times I guess, back then things just got swept under the carpet.

 

[WPKenny]

A friend I used to work with has epilepsy. I never saw her fit because she got a feeling a fit was coming on and would always ask to go home. She never actually told my bosses she was epileptic she'd just make up an excuse on the rare occasions she had to leave.

She did mention she feels mentally and physically drained after a fit and usually spends the next day resting.

 

[Rubber Bullets]

flashing lights etc can 'trigger' epileptic fits in people.

True, and the frequency of the flashing is critical.

I remember reading about a straight stretch of treelined road that had a ridiculous number of 1 car accidents on it, no one knew why. Someone then realised that if you drove it at the legal speed limit then the trees flashed past at just that critical frequency.

They took every other tree out and solved the problem at a stroke (unless people drive at twice the speed limit)

RB

 

[old.user4556]

Sounds like he had a grand mal (as opposed to petite mal) seizure. I think if people fit you need to let them get on with it, unless they endanger their lives. Some sufferers wear soft helmets / head gear incase they fall and hit their head.

Petite mal sufferers can be really odd. My sister told me of a sufferer in her class who got up from his seat in a lecture hall, walked round the room in a zombie daze and calmly sat down again without saying a word.