Epilepsy is a chronic non-infectious disease of the brain with characteristic recurring seizures. Seizures occur as a result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells. Depending on what part of the brain is affected, seizures manifest differently.
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What do epileptic seizures look like?
Seizures in epilepsy can take the form of short-term memory lapses, involuntary seizures in one part of the body (partial seizures), or prolonged convulsions of the entire body (generalized seizures). Sometimes seizures are accompanied by loss of consciousness and loss of bowel or bladder control.
An attack of epilepsy can occur without convulsions, but manifest itself as hallucinations. For example, a person suddenly feels as if his body is changing shape, or he begins to hear music. In some patients, attacks take the form of only short-term reverie and can remain completely unnoticeable to others.
Effect of work
Thanks to modern methods of therapy, doctors can stop epilepsy attacks, but for this the patient must lead a healthy lifestyle and follow the prescribed treatment regimen. A positive attitude can strengthen the effect, and for this it is recommended to conduct moderately active social activities and get a job you like. When a person is engaged in useful work, he has a desire to live and develop. After all, with epilepsy it is extremely important to feel useful, and such psycho-emotional effects enhance drug therapy.
Statistically, people suffering from this disease are less likely to have attacks if they are employed.
Typically, epileptics hide their illness and look up to other employees, trying not to be different from them. However, experts advise talking about your illness, because if a seizure does happen, you will need the help of colleagues.
Work activity not only helps to stop epileptic seizures, but also smoothes out other signs of the disease, for example, selfishness, excessive excitability and irritability. Instead of such negative qualities, a desire to help others, endurance and resistance to stressful situations develops. Such positive results can be achieved if you work scrupulously, but without overexerting yourself.
Causes of epilepsy
Epilepsy cannot be “caught”; it is not an infectious disease, although sometimes it begins after an infectious disease of the nervous system. The causes of epilepsy are structural, genetic, infectious, metabolic, and immune. Very often the causes of epilepsy remain unclear.
The causes of epilepsy can be:
- brain damage in the prenatal or perinatal period (hypoxia or birth trauma, low birth weight);
- congenital abnormalities or genetic conditions in the presence of malformations of the brain that are caused by these factors;
- head injury;
- a stroke, which causes the brain to not receive enough oxygen;
- brain infection, eg meningitis, encephalitis, neurocysticercosis;
- some genetic syndromes;
- brain tumor.
The doctor overlooked me
I was born and spent my whole life in Krasnoyarsk, graduated from school No. 7 and a university here with a degree in teacher-psychologist.
The first attack occurred at the age of 9, and then constant visits to neurologists began, but the diagnosis of epilepsy was not immediately made. Everything was complicated by the fact that I have congenital right-sided hemiparesis (editor's note: decreased strength in half of the body). The doctor who saw me was a little negligent about this. They prescribed me medications and did not track the progression of the disease over time. I lived in remission for a couple of years, and in adolescence the attacks showed themselves “in all their glory” and became a real problem.
What is epilepsy?
This is a chronic disease of the nervous system. It manifests itself as repeated unprovoked or reflex attacks of impairment of motor, sensory, autonomic and mental functions, resulting from excessive neural discharges. Discharges can occur in different parts of the cerebral cortex.
In Krasnoyarsk there are still no doctors in public hospitals who specialize specifically in epilepsy. There are good specialists in private clinics, whose appointment costs about 10 thousand rubles. Before going to this doctor, you have to pay the same amount for tests - all of them are paid. But now at least there is such an opportunity; in the 90s everything was much worse.
I am 32 years old, and I have been on medication for about 20 of them. It is difficult to talk about how often attacks occur. It all depends on different circumstances.
Is epilepsy incurable?
Epilepsy cannot be completely cured, but it can be controlled. According to Professor Pavel Vlasov, a member of the European Academy of Epilepsy, 78% of people with epilepsy can work, have a family, play sports and live a normal life, provided they follow three simple rules:
- Take medications prescribed by your doctor
- Get enough sleep
- Give up alcohol
As Pavel Vlasov said, sometimes epilepsy “goes away.” If a patient with epilepsy has been seizure-free for two years, doctors may consider stopping antiseizure medications. Then they talk about epilepsy in remission or even in history, and the person is no different from those around him.
Sometimes the patient has lifelong therapy. It is important to choose the right medications so that they do not cause unwanted side effects.
Permitted professions
Where can an epileptic work and still receive a stable and good salary? In fact, there are a huge number of options:
- programmer;
- telecommunications operator;
- tailor;
- fashion designer;
- computer operator;
- artist;
- accountant;
- testing of semiconductor structures;
- postal service;
- modeling and design of clothing;
- poultry farming and beekeeping;
- controller of the finished product.
In addition, patients with epilepsy can engage in freelancing. If a person has certain special abilities, then he can easily create websites, draw logos, write commercial texts and much, much more that can be found on various freelance exchanges. It is worth understanding that for some epileptics, the flickering of a computer monitor and TV can cause an attack, so you should first consult with your doctor.
Fact: frequent seizures of epilepsy largely limit the patient’s ability to work.
Attitudes towards epilepsy in society
Epilepsy is one of the oldest known diseases, with written evidence dating back to 4000 BC. For centuries, epilepsy has been surrounded by fear, misunderstanding, discrimination and social stigma. In many countries, such discrimination against people with epilepsy continues to this day:
- In China and India, epilepsy is often considered a reason to ban or annul marriages.
- In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the law allowing the annulment of marriage on the grounds of epilepsy was repealed only in 1971.
- In the United States, until the 1970s, people with seizure disorders could be legally denied entry into restaurants, theaters, entertainment centers, and other public buildings.
Therapeutic effect of labor
Today, more than half of people with epilepsy work. Thanks to modern treatment methods, most patients achieve stable compensation. In addition, work and social activities reinforce the therapeutic effect. A person who is engaged in an interesting activity develops new dominants in the brain. These are positive foci of excitation that suppress the effects of pathological ones. Experts note that those patients who work have seizures during periods of wakefulness much less frequently than those who are unemployed.
In addition, at work or school, people with epilepsy prefer to look up to healthy people and adhere to their lifestyle. Thanks to this, manifestations of the disease such as severe irritability, excitability, and selfish tendencies are smoothed out. In return, endurance, the ability to overcome troubles, and self-control are developed.
Epilepsy in children
According to Marina Dorofeeva, a neurologist-epileptologist at the Research Institute of Pediatrics named after. Pirogov, epilepsy, which is a consequence of birth injuries, is the most severe. If the diagnosis is made in the first or second year of life, these children will most likely experience developmental delays. All children need to be socialized, and children with epilepsy are most often not accepted into kindergartens and schools, including specialized ones. As a result, the whole life of the family breaks down: the mother is forced to not work and stay at home with the child, the father often cannot withstand the stress and leaves the family. The family's quality of life plummets.
In fact, most people with epilepsy can live a normal life if they only need to take anti-seizure medications regularly. You can engage in most professions, different sports, even snowboarding and diving, as long as you have a reliable friend nearby. Only contact wrestling and mountaineering are prohibited.
The main thing is that people do not invent boundaries for themselves that do not actually exist. But, unfortunately, about a third of patients with epilepsy suffer from depression to varying degrees, and this is largely the fault of society, which is full of stereotypes regarding their diagnosis.
Computer and TV
Flashing light at different frequencies, watching television programs, light music and computer games provoke attacks. Limiting TV viewing and computer use is possible and necessary.
Natural phenomena that can provoke attacks are not subject to restrictions. They can be sparks of snow in the light, reflections of water.
If you deprive children of playing on the computer and watching their favorite cartoons, you can cause psychological trauma. But you can teach your child to follow the rules:
- TV only 1 hour a day;
- distance from the screen or monitor - at least 2 m;
- mandatory additional lighting;
- the TV screen should be small and the image should be in color;
- exclude viewing if the child is very tired.
Children should not be deprived of the opportunity to work on a computer, because time requires skills in working with new technologies. A computer can become a means of professional implementation when working from home.
Children master program material in many subjects using a computer and educational games. A new opportunity to communicate with peers will appear.
When working with a computer, you need to take a break for 10-15 minutes after half an hour of work. At this time, the eyes rest. The child should be at a distance of 70 cm from the monitor. It is necessary to exclude glare from windows and lighting fixtures, which cannot be turned off when working with a computer. Contraindications for working with a computer include poor sleep the night before and child fatigue.
Where should people with epilepsy not work?
Russian legislation defines types of activities that people with epilepsy are prohibited from engaging in: working at heights, near fire or water, working with dangerous devices and mechanisms. You cannot become a pilot, a surgeon, a hairdresser, a driver, you cannot jump with a parachute. In short, to work in all those areas where, in the event of an attack, a person can be dangerous not only for himself, but also for others. This list is fixed by Resolution of the Council of Ministers - Government of the Russian Federation dated 04/28/1993 No. 377 and Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia dated 04/12/2011 No. 302.
There is also a ban on employing people with epilepsy in public service.
These prohibitions do not take into account the severity of the disease and the current condition of the person with epilepsy. A person whose epilepsy is in remission and has not had seizures for many years could easily perform many types of office work and be effectively implemented in the profession, including in the public service.
But in practice, people with epilepsy very often face refusal to hire, and not only where there is a direct ban. As soon as a potential employer hears about a candidate’s diagnosis, a plausible excuse is found to refuse him.
The stigmatization of epilepsy in society and low awareness among employers leads to the fact that people have to hide their diagnosis when applying for a job. Meanwhile, it is better for colleagues to know about the disease, so that in case of an attack they do not get scared, but help the person.
Professor Pavel Vlasov told the story of one of his patients, who was fired from customs, despite the fact that he worked on a computer and had permission from doctors for such activities. He tried to get justice in court, but the court refused on the grounds that people with epilepsy are prohibited from working in public service.
A much more positive story was told by an employee of a recruiting company, Alina Pribylnova, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of nine. She managed to get a job at a company where they treat her illness with understanding and do not consider it an obstacle to professional activity. But not on the first try - the first experience was unsuccessful.
Like most people with epilepsy, she kept her diagnosis quiet during the interview, and it was only revealed when she had a seizure in the office. The next day, the boss asked her to write a letter of resignation of her own free will, explaining that such attacks spoil the image of the company, because clients could witness them.
At another place of work, Alina also did not report her illness, but when the attack occurred, her colleague and friend was already aware and knew what to do. The bosses did not ask Alina to resign - partly because they valued her professional qualities, but mainly because this international company has a stricter attitude towards respecting human rights.
According to Anastasia Kovaleva, Alina’s boss, people with epilepsy only need a little more attention. Alina was given a workplace closer to the window, where there is more fresh air. The boss learned to notice signs of an aura and, if necessary, let Alina leave work a little earlier. “I know that the next day, when she feels good, she will make up for everything a hundredfold,” says Anastasia Kovaleva. According to her, in Alina the company has an excellent professional with high performance indicators.
Some may think that this is too difficult: creating special conditions for an employee with epilepsy and taking care of him. But any employee can have an aggravated chronic disease, from radiculitis to cystitis, or simply have a headache, and then he will have to be sent home earlier. We perceive such things quite calmly, but for some reason we refuse to understand people with epilepsy.
Maybe it's time to change stereotypes and understand that everyone has the right to care and attention? Should we start evaluating employees based on their professional qualities, and not on the diseases they have?
Dangerous products
It is important for epileptics to treat their diet correctly and not eat everything that comes to hand. You should make the right diet. After all, some foods can trigger both migraine and epileptic seizures.
Most often, people with epilepsy are advised to eat more dairy products. But this does not mean that you need to exclude vegetables and meat from your diet. This food can be eaten, but it is better boiled. You need to eat varied and balanced. Food should be tasty and enjoyable. Proper nutrition helps increase the time between attacks. It is better to choose a diet together with your doctor.
If you have epilepsy, drinking alcohol is contraindicated. It is recommended to exclude even low-alcohol drinks. They aggravate the course of attacks. It is better to replace them with kvass, soft drinks, and cocktails.
It is not recommended to eat a lot of carbohydrates. The brain runs on glucose, but too much of it can trigger seizures. A protein-fat diet is preferable. Epilepsy attacks are also provoked by drinking too much liquid and overeating. You should eat no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
It is better to exclude salty and pickled foods or consume them to a minimum. You should also limit spices, smoked, and hard-to-digest foods. There is no need to add a lot of sugar or salt to your food.
Coffee lovers are concerned about whether it is possible to drink coffee if you have epilepsy. Doctors believe that it is better not to drink caffeine-containing drinks. But if you're a big coffee drinker, it's okay to treat yourself every once in a while. It is better to choose soft varieties of insoluble drink and dilute the coffee with milk. This also applies to tea.
Diet features for adults:
- You should eat about 4 times a day in small portions.
- For your table, you should choose food rich in proteins to restore the liver. After all, anticonvulsant medications have a negative effect on the liver.
- Foods containing vitamin B6 must be included in the diet.
- Food should not be eaten very cold or very hot.
- It is better to use gentle cooking methods.
- The consumption of “empty” carbohydrates, which quickly satisfy hunger, should be kept to a minimum.
What is important for a job applicant with epilepsy to know?
If you are just looking for your first job, when analyzing vacancies, pay attention to the required qualifications and compare them with your skills. In addition, companies mark some of their vacancies that are suitable for people with disabilities with special signs, which simplifies the job search. If you have a disability, look for these special signs on job search resources. On your first day of work, pay attention to the safety around you. If you are sensitive to light, try to remove irritating signals from your field of vision. If your attacks are triggered by stress, try to reduce your stress levels. Some companies provide special break rooms where you can rest and recover. If your office is not on the ground floor, try to use the elevator regularly. Tell your colleagues that you have epilepsy and show them how to properly provide first aid during a seizure.
Exacerbation of the disease
Epilepsy is a disease that can cause exacerbations. Then the seizures become more frequent or severe. In such cases, it is better for patients to temporarily change their job to an easier one, or go on vacation. An exacerbation of the disease is not a reason to remove a person from work if it is not contraindicated for epilepsy. People around you should pay attention to a person suffering from this disease. His future condition depends on how employees and relatives perceive what is happening to a person.
And finally, we publish “bad advice” for epileptics from the heroine of the interview, Olga:
- Drink as little water as possible, or better yet, instead of 1.5 liters of water per day, drink 1.5 liters of soda.
- Don’t study, don’t read anything - your brain will burn out anyway, because stupidity and whining are a trend among seriously ill patients.
- Don't get involved in any hobbies - why should you?
- Don't meditate - all these "mindfulness" innovations in recent years are bullshit.
- Don't learn foreign languages - it's a waste of time. Why such complex brain surgeries?
- More often you are at the center of a scandal.
- Do not engage in light exercise. It’s better to lie on the couch and look at the ceiling with longing in your eyes.
- Do not eat nuts and fatty fish, or better yet, forget about eating altogether - train your body.
- Called him an epileptic? They told you that it’s better for you to stay at home and not spoil society? Don't rush to see a psychologist or create a support group. Complain to everyone about life. Let them regret it!
- Rely only on the state. Pension is the best way to provide all medicines and doctors and life needs. Work is not an option, listen to that part of society that recommends that you stay at home and get treatment.
- When your health is worse, do nothing, you are not a frog to flounder and churn butter. There is no need for such stupid comparisons. No home work or classes. Wait for the foundations and centers to hand you everything on a silver platter.
- Sleep little - go to bed late.
- Don't check your folic acid levels. Plus or minus one attack. Who cares?
- Do not take vitamins prescribed by a neurologist-epileptologist. Let the body recover on its own after constant use of anticonvulsants.
- Communicate less with like-minded and interesting people. You are not an artist to look for inspiration for life creativity.
- Don't support anyone, don't help if you can. Strength must be saved for tears and grievances against the world.
Just in case, let’s clarify that “bad advice” should be perceived as harmful.
Keep reminders about what to do during an epileptic attack and how to recognize this very attack. And in general, let’s become a little more attentive and tolerant of each other? Maybe then public opinion will change, and we will stop looking askance at those who are at least somehow different from us.
Anastasia Shchepetova specially for the online newspaper Newslab
