Epilepsy can be life-threatening for some adults, so you can already imagine how much of a challenge it might be if your child is diagnosed with this brain disorder.
Having epilepsy means your child can be tremendously affected in different aspects of their life. This includes making friends and social interactions, going to school, enjoying their favorite sport/s, and even their well-being. As their parents, we want them to have a normal life and still enjoy their journey even if faced with a chronic illness such as epilepsy.
What to do if your child has epilepsy?
- Seek Proper Medical Help and Attention For Your Child – This helps in having an accurate and better diagnosis of your child’s condition. There are different types of epilepsy, and the frequency of it varies when the seizures might happen as well as the degree of its severity. This can also provide further information for the doctors so that they can come up with better and more efficient ways to treat your child’s disease. Your doctor might suggest medical tests and exams such as epilepsy clinical trials, MRI exams, and EEG exams. There may also be circumstances in which your doctor will give you the task of making thorough observations and writing detailed notes about your child’s seizure.
- Give Emotional Support and Encouragement For Your Child – You would have to be more patient with a child diagnosed with epilepsy because they tend to have resentful feelings, and that’s only natural. Emotional problems cause these feelings because they might feel that they’re kind of different from their peers. This also causes them to have less confidence in themselves, leading to depression. You can do these things to support your child emotionally:
- Be wary of what you say to your child because some words can make them feel like a burden or a problem.
- Teach them to have a positive outlook in life despite having such a disease.
- Always be there for guidance and support, to help them take every step of the way.
- Praise and applaud their accomplishments, no matter how minor. They may be. Remember that little progress is still progress.
- Make a network of support for you and your child. There are always organizations out there that focus on helping parents that have a child diagnosed with epilepsy and are easy to approach.
- Encourage your child to join in physical activities such as sports. Be considerate of their hobbies and point of interest to make sure he/she will have a great time.
- Make Sure that You and Your Child Have a Good Understanding of the Disease – It is best that you and your child have knowledge about the chronic illness that he/she is facing. This way, you can be able to prepare for the symptoms that might pop up and will be able to reduce or stop its progression by planning out treatment plans that are best for them. Make sure to familiarize the disease, this way, you plan ahead of time and even avoid triggers for seizures.
- Learn the First Aid Procedures for Seizures – As a parent, it is your sole responsibility to keep your child safe during seizures. There are many types of epileptic seizures, one of which involves uncontrollable jerking movements of the feet and hands. This can pose a threat to your child and may cause some injuries during the seizure. This is what you should do when your child is having a seizure
- DO NOT PANIC! Stay calm and assess the situation carefully. Your job right now is to keep your child safe and away from injuries.
- If your child is having a seizure, gently lay them on the floor and place a cushion at the back of their heads to avoid injury. Then, see to it that any nearby objects that may cause injuries are removed.
- Lay your child to their side. This is to prevent them from choking on their saliva due to their uncontrolled movements.
- Don’t try to put anything in their mouth or keep anything away from their mouth. This is to prevent them from breaking their teeth and causing injuries to the mouth.
- Check your child’s breathing is still OK.
- Keep track of when the seizure started and when it stopped. This could help if emergency responders are needed at the scene.
- Be with your child even until the seizure stops. There are cases when repeated seizures can happen.
- If your child got injured or the seizure takes more than 5 minutes to stop, don’t hesitate to call emergency responders immediately. If you think the symptoms are getting out of hand and already concern you, it’s time to call medical personnel.
- Learn to Recognize some Seizure Warning Signs – Although there are a variety of seizures, it’s actually easy to spot their warning signs. Knowing these warning signs would be beneficial in making your child safe during epileptic seizures. These warning signs can include:
- Having a problem when breathing, or not even breathing at all.
- Losing consciousness
- Jerking or twitching of the feet and hands.
- If they cannot respond to calls and words you’re saying.
- Appears to be confused and just staring excessively.
- Suddenly falls or frequent stumbles.
- Have your Child take Prescribed Medications – Anti-epileptic medications are taken to control and reduce the occurrence of epileptic seizures. This is the most common way of treating epilepsy. These medications are usually taken orally because they are mostly in capsules or in medicine tablets and syrup. So it is important that your child is taking their prescribed medications on schedule. The dosage taken must also be followed according to the doctor’s prescription. Also, be aware of the side effects, so don’t hesitate to ask your doctors about this sort of issue.
- Spread the Word! – As much as possible, teach your loved ones and friends about these important learnings. If needed, you can also relay it to their friends. It is best that they also know the situation of what your child is going through to adjust and can offer assistance anytime when an emergency happens, and you’re not on the scene.
Takeaway
Epilepsy varies in every person diagnosed with it. Some can still have seizures until they reach adulthood. Seek medical help from healthcare providers is a must when you think that your child might have epilepsy. This ensures that your doctor can make a proper treatment plan early to prevent further symptoms from worsening. Let them continue to take the prescribed medications and other treatment procedures advised by your doctor because, in many cases, it will help them overcome their epilepsy as they grow into their adulthood.
Most children diagnosed with epilepsy actually get to enjoy life just like any normal person should. As their parents, aside from just being there for them, it is also your responsibility to let them recognize WHY you are there. You are the first line of defense regarding the safety of your child during seizures, and you are the cornerstone of their emotional support. Remember also to balance the importance of encouraging your child in every step of the journey ahead and recognizing their independence as an individual.