Free Epilepsy Detection & Treatment Camp , Civil Hospital, Ahmadnagar

Free Epilepsy Detection and Treatment Camp , 19th May 2013, Alibaugith NRHM

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a common and diverse set of chronic neurological disorders characterized by seizures. Some definitions of epilepsy require that seizures be recurrent and unprovoked,but others require only a single seizure combined with brain alterations which increase the chance of future seizures. In many cases a cause cannot be identified; however, factors that are associated include brain trauma, strokes, brain cancer, and drug and alcohol misuse among others.

Epileptic seizures result from abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly 80% of epilepsy occurs in developing countries. Epilepsy becomes more common as people age. Onset of new cases occurs most frequently in infants and the elderly. As a consequence of brain surgery, epileptic seizures may occur in recovering patients.

Epilepsy is usually controlled, but not cured, with medication. However, more than 30% of people with epilepsy do not have seizure control even with the best available medications. Surgery may be considered in difficult cases. Not all epilepsy syndromes are lifelong – some forms are confined to particular stages of childhood. Epilepsy should not be understood as a single disorder, but rather as syndromic with vastly divergent symptoms, all involving episodic abnormal electrical activity in the brain and numerous seizures.

First Aid for Epilepsy

First aid for epilepsy is basically simple. The goal is to keep the person safe until the seizure stops naturally by itself. It is important for the public to know how to respond to all seizures, including the most noticeable kind—generalized tonic-clonic seizures, or convulsions.

When providing seizure first aid for generalized tonic-clonic seizures, these are the key things to remember:

Ø  Keep calm and reassure other people who may be nearby.

Ø  Don't hold the person down or try to stop his movements.

Ø  Time the seizure with your watch.

Ø  Clear the area around the person of anything hard or sharp.

Ø  Loosen ties or anything around the neck that may make breathing difficult.

Ø  Put something flat and soft, like a folded jacket, under the head.

Ø  Turn him or her gently onto one side. This will help keep the airway clear. Do not try to force the mouth open with any hard implement or with fingers. It is not true that a person having a seizure can swallow his tongue. Efforts to hold the tongue down can cause injury.

Ø  Don't attempt artificial respiration except in the unlikely event that a person does not start breathing again after the seizure has stopped.

Ø  Stay with the person until the seizure ends naturally.

Ø  Be friendly and reassuring as consciousness returns.

Ø  Offer to call a taxi, friend or relative to help the person get home if he seems confused or unable to get home by himself.

15 Fascinating Facts About Epilepsy

Epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, is a serious condition in which a person experiences a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain, affecting how they act or feel. There are many portrayals of this disorder in television (all of which are wholly inaccurate and for plot reasons only). Being personally afflicted with the most commercially patchable form of this disease, the most accurate description I could describe you with would be to tighten all your muscles as hard as you can, past the point of discomfort. You’re starting to cramp, aren’t you? Now conceptualize this: while your muscles are tensing, you are repeatedly bashing your appendages and your head against other solid objects (Do not try). It is a disquieting scene to witness a man attempting to stand on his own two feet, but his muscles have been strained to the point that it’s too painful to do so. In order to enlighten some of you about epilepsy, the following list is fifteen facts I have learned about epilepsy through research, trauma and treatment.

Facts 15-01

15. Hippocrates wrote the first book on epilepsy, On the Sacred Disease, around 400 BC, recognizing that it was a brain disorder and claiming that people with epilepsy did not have the power of prophecy.

14. Single tonic-clonic (otherwise known as grand mal) seizures lasting less

than 5-10 minutes are not known to cause brain damage, contrary to the belief

that seizures cause brain damage, they are actually more likely to stem from 

head trauma.

13. You cannot swallow your tongue during a seizure; you cannot swallow your 

tongue now, can you?

12. There have been some recent implications that have caused many to 

believe epilepsy goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression.

11. Like a diabetic who is misinterpreted as a drunk driver, epileptics can often 

have a seizure that manifests itself as bizarre behavior, such as: repeating 

the same word, not responding to questions, speaking gibberish, undressing, 

or screaming. (In my case I was considered a threat to an entire classroom 

while I was suffering from a seizure of this nature.)

10. Early in the 19th century, people with severe epilepsy were cared for in 

asylums, but one of the reasons they were kept separate from psychiatric patients 

was because of the misconception that seizures were contagious.

9. Everyone is born with a seizure threshold. If your threshold is high, you are less 

likely to have a seizure. However certain activities or things, known as triggers, 

can lower your threshold, such as drinking alcohol, sleep deprivation, stress, 

illness, flickering lights and hormones (for women mostly) can have an impact

on your seizure threshold.

8. Only in about 30% of cases is the cause of epilepsy determined. The 

other 70% remain unanswered, in what is referred to as idiopathic epilepsy.

7. About 1 in 20 epileptics are sensitive to flickering light, or photosensitive epilepsy.

The contrast, or change in light, can trigger a seizure.

6. The official color for Epilepsy Awareness is Lavender, with the pantone swatch of 

PMS 2593.

5. Towards the start of the 20th century, some US states had laws forbidding people 

with epilepsy to marry or become parents, some even permitting sterilization.

4. Seizures have a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning, referred to as the aura,

can have signs of the oncoming seizure such as smells, sounds, tastes, 

lightheadedness, or deja and jamais vu. The middle, is the seizure itself, whether it be 

a grand mal seizure, or a simple partial seizure. The end of the seizure is called the 

postictal phase and is the brain recovering, which can take anywhere from seconds to

hours and is usually accompanied with disorientation and memory loss.

3. The proper treatment for someone having a tonic-clonic seizure is not what you see

in TV shows (multiple people pressing their body weight down on a seizing person).

Here’s what you should do: Pay attention to how long the seizure lasts, move objects 

that they could strike out of the vicinity, simply block their way to prevent them from 

moving too far (or into water, fall off a bed, etc.). Put them on their side after the 

episode and don’t put anything in their mouth. If it lasts for more than five 

minutes call an ambulance.

2. Diastat, or diazepam, is the medicine used to treat a prolonged seizure or cluster 

of seizures. It is a gel supplied in a plastic applicator that, most unfortunately, has 

to be inserted rectally.

1. Epilepsy is usually not a lifelong disorder, with only 25% of those who 

develop seizures developing difficult to control seizures. And in my experience, 

those who have lifelong seizure disorders have more serious conditions at play.

Contact Us for the Free Epilepsy Treatment send us your query at epilepsyfoundationindia@gmail.com

Source : http://listverse.com

Summer Picnic at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali on 12.5.13

Epilepsy foundation organised a summer camp for all the epileptic patients on Sunday  12th May 2013 at Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

The picnic started with pick up at 7 am from Surya Neuro Centre and the bus reached the national park at 815. The patients were then served hot breakfast and snacks which was then followed by a wonderful Magic show. The kids enjoyed the magic tricks in the natural environment surrounded by lush greenery and wild habitat.

Everyone was then taken up to Kanheri Caves- the biggest and oldest Buddhist caves in Maharashtra. The trek to Kanheri caves was almost 20-30 minutes but the view from the top made up for the walk. The whole of Mumbai was visible from top of caves and all were shocked to see the beauty and peace that this place offered even though it was just in middle of city.

The tiring trek was then followed by a large and sumptuous buffet lunch which catered to the taste buds of all patients.

The patients were then taken to Gandhi Memorial Spot where they all were entertained by playing Housie and other games while the active and interested children were taken for rock climbing and rappelling all under expert supervision team.

The patients by evening were then taken back to Surya Neuro Centre and this marked the end of the picnic.

 

Everyone had a wonderful time in this serene and peaceful place which even though within the city was away from all the hustle bustle of the city.

Free epilepsy Detection and Treatment Camp , Nandurbar .3Feb 2013

 

Free Epilepsy Detection & Treatment Camp-11 Civil Hospital, Nandurbar on 03rd February, 2013

The Free Epilepsy detection & treatment camp was organized by Epilepsy Foundation India

in association with the National Rural Health  Mission (NRHM) on 03/02/2013 at Civil

Hospital, Nandurbar. The team started from Mumbai at 3pm & reached Nandurbar 1am

night.

The camp started at 9.00am with the CME lecture by Dr. Nirmal Surya which was attended

more than 50 delegates, which included doctors, nurses & paramedical staff of Civil Hospital,

Nandurbar in presence of Hon. Shri. Vijaykumar Gavit (Medical Education Minister) & Dr. H.

R. Borse (C.S). He also inaugurated the camp officially by cutting the ribbon after the CME.

The  entire team of Neurologists  and Pediatrician & Physician were from Mumbai, Dhule,

Surat & Ahmadabad assisted by local physicians, Pediatrician & Psychiatrist.

The Patients had  come from nearby villages & district and a total number of 226 Patients

suffering from Epilepsy were examined by the team of doctors which included Students from

various schools in and around Nandurbar accompanied by their teachers & School Health

worker.

Many students from various schools in and around Nandurbar who were suffering from

Epilepsy were accompanied by their teachers & School Health worker for the management.

An  EEG room was set up with 4 EEG Machines with 5 technicians & total numbers of 67

Patient’s EEG were recorded, out of which 85% EEG were Abnormal.

The  CT scan was done free for 30 patients. Every Patient’s data was recorded for future

reference and follow up. A Team of clinical  Psychologist, Physiotherapist,  Occupation

Therapist & Speech Therapy from Mumbai were also present to evaluate & treat patients &

they treated 139 Patients. One patient had Large Brain tumor on CT Scan who has been

transferred to Bombay Hospital for free surgical treatment.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of 30 tests was done with the help of Metropolis, Mumbai.

patients were given 3 months  free medication. Epilepsy Foundation  has arranged 170

patients medicine with the help of various Pharma Companies (Intas, Novartis, Sun Pharma,

Ranbaxy & Sanofi Pharma).

The street play was done at 4 places including Civil Hospital, Nandurbar, Bus Stand, Railway

Station & Bazar.

The Social  worker has interviewed nearly 200 people about awareness on Epilepsy & the

data base was recorded in form of 15 question.

The Camp ended at 4.00pm & the team departed back to Mumbai.

Team of Doctors present at Nandurbar

Dr. Nirmal Surya (Neurologist, Mumbai)

Dr. Ravindra Lodha (Neurologist, Ahmadabad)

Dr. Ramesh Patankar (Neurologist, Mumbai)

Dr. Kishore Padsala (Neurologist, Surat)      

Dr. Santosh Kondekar (Pediatrician, Mumbai)

Dr. Nikhil Shah (Neurosurgeon, Dhule)

Dr. Ajit Harale (Physiotherapist, Mumbai)

Dr. Aparna Choudhary (Physiotherapist, Mumbai)

Dr. Arnavaz Dubash (Occupation Therapy, Mumbai)

Dr. Chaitrali Kulkarni (Occupation Therapy, Mumbai)

Dr. Pooja Thakkar (Speech Therapy, Mumbai)

 Dr. Trupti Khade (Speech Therapy, Mumbai)

Ms. Aarti Sharma (Clinical Psychologist, Mumbai)

Social Worker

Mr. Pradeep Gupta , Mumbai

Mr. Padmakar Naik, Mumbai

Mr. Christopher Fernandez, Mumbai

Mr. Mohan Phatak, Pune

EEG technician

Mr. Rahul Ambadskar

Mr. Santosh Jagtap

Mr. J. P. Tulsankar

Mr. Suryakant Kadam

Team of Street Play

Mr. Kishore Dhadam

Mr. Naresh Jadhav

Mr. Pradeep Velude

Mr. Dilip Kamble

Miss. Supriya Lavate

Supporting Team

Mr. Akhilesh Jaiswal

Mr. Mahesh Pawar

 Mr. Jagat Shukla

Mr. Bankim Shukla

Ms. Manisha Jain

 Mr. Shailesh Mahadik

Mr. Rohit Thakur