Epilepsy is a common issue for those living with a brain injury. In most cases, epileptic seizures may occur relatively frequently during the first week after the injury takes place, becoming less common thereafter. However, some brain injury survivors will continue to experience epileptic fits for weeks, months or even years after their injury.
Why do brain injuries cause epilepsy?
Epilepsy is caused by abnormal brain activity, where the electrical signals travelling through the brain are disrupted. Damage caused by a brain injury can cause random electrical activity in the brain, resulting in a seizure, which may involve symptoms such as shaking, convulsion, tongue biting and loss of consciousness.
Types of epileptic seizures
There are two main types of epileptic seizure:
Generalised tonic-clonic seizures– This is what most people think of as an ‘epileptic fit’, involving sudden loss of consciousness and collapse followed by stiffening and then rhythmic jerking of the whole body. A person who experiences this type of seizure will often feel tired and confused or need to sleep once the fit ends.
Partial seizures– Also sometimes called a ‘focal seizure’ this only affects part of the brain and may involve more mild symptoms, such as changes in behaviour or mood. These symptoms can still be highly distressing, however, and may include lip-smacking, picking at clothing, grimacing, not responding to external stimuli, sudden anger, panic, depression and other changes in mood.
Controlling epilepsy
Many people living with epilepsy learn to recognise the warning signs that a seizure is about to occur. It can also be helpful to work out what factors may increase the likelihood of a seizure (e.g. tiredness, stress, drinking too much caffeine) so you can manage these risk factors and reduce the likelihood of a seizure.
Doctors may also prescribe anti-convulsant medicine to control seizures, helping to minimise the risk of injury yourself during an epileptic fit. It is common for people who have suffered a brain injury to be given drug treatment as a preventative before they have even had a seizure to reduce the risk of seizures occurring.
Practical issues when living with epilepsy
One of the most important practical issues to be aware of is with respect to driving. If you have had a seizure, whether diagnosed as related to epilepsy or not, you are legally required to stop driving immediately and notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You will then normally need to be examined by a DVLA approved medical specialist before you will be allowed to continue driving.
Get the support you need for living with epilepsy following a brain injury
Epilepsy is just one of the issues that can affect people living with a brain injury and a lot of specialist treatment and support is often required to help those affected to live a full and independent life. Claiming compensation for your brain injury can provide the funds to help ensure you have access to all the help and support you need for living with epilepsy and the other effects of a traumatic brain injury.
IBB Claims specialise in brain injury compensation claims, so can guide you through the entire process. This includes assessing the strength of your claim, giving an estimate of how much compensation you may be able to win, then representing you at every stage of the claims process, giving you the best chance of a fair outcome.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
