This post is
part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™, which will run from Nov.
1 to Nov. 30, 2017. Follow along!
We have come a long way in treating people with epilepsy.
From crude medications and incantations we now know are useless, we now have an
abundance of drugs specifically targeted toward different types of epilepsy.
Also, we have various types of surgery as an option as well as implants including
the VNS (vagus nerve stimulator) and the RNS (responsive nerve stimulation).
Who knows what may be next?
This is not the only thing helping people with epilepsy. Assisting them in their daily lives are apps such as an epilepsy diary to track all your seizures, side effects, and other data.
There are several different ones available. These are
just some of them:
My Seizure Diary—Epilepsy Foundation
My Seizure Diary—Epilepsy Society
Other innovations that help people with epilepsy are thespecial pillows that aid in preventing suffocation and therefore, lessen the
chance of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy).
One thing that has become very popular is the wearable technology that is supposed to detect tonic clonic seizures and alert your
caregiver. As expected, not all products are effective. It depends on the person,
just as with medications. And there are many choices, so you need to do your
research with the partnership of your doctor. Hopefully, he or she will know
about the products on the market.
Some of these products include:
Embrace by Empatica
SmartWatch by Smart Monitor
Pulseguard by Adris Technologies (British company, has a
U.S. office)
One other tool which is useful for medical responders is
the medical alert bracelet. There are a number to choose from. As long as you
have important information stored in your file and written on the bracelet, you
will usually be ok. Just make sure the company is reputable.
A few of the well-known medical bracelet companies are:
However, one of the simplest things is low-tech but
useful, and often necessary when taking multiple medications—an alarm. I myself
use one twice a day. When you have to take medicines four times a day, it is
critical to set alarms so you don’t miss a dose.
Basically, what I’m saying is that despite all the new
tools that we have to help us with every day life, we with epilepsy have to
take control by keeping track of our seizures and side effects as well as our
own safety. Sometimes, a good old paper calendar may suffice, but in other
cases, an online diary works better. Also, depending on how severe your
seizures are, you may not need all the technology I’ve mentioned in this post,
such as the pillow or the seizure-detecting watch.
It’s all up to you, depending on your type of seizure(s).
I hope you have success in achieving seizure freedom!
If you know of any other technological tools that
currently or may help people with epilepsy in the future, please comment below.
Resources
https://smart-monitor.com/https://www.pulseguard.org/
https://www.medicalert.org/
https://www.laurenshope.com/
NEXT UP: Be sure to check
out the next post tomorrow by Jessica Smith, at https://livingwellwithepilepsy.com/. For
the full schedule of bloggers visit https://livingwellwithepilepsy.com/.
TWITTER CHAT: And don’t
miss your chance to connect with bloggers on the #LivingWellChat on June 30
at 7PM ET.
Very helpful - thanks!
ReplyDelete