March is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, so let’s take a look at this condition. According to Epilepsy Action Australia, around 800,000 Australians will develop it at some point in their life, so the chances are you may know someone who is or will be affected.

The key feature of epilepsy is seizures, which can put personal safety at risk.

So as well as offering some general information about the disease, we’re also going to cover epilepsy safety tips in this article. Read on to know more about epilepsy and how to stay safe living with this condition.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder where disruption to the electrical activity in the brain causes seizures.

Not all seizures are “tonic-clonic” or involve convulsions. And in fact, many people living with epilepsy may be seizure-free thanks to medication. But for others, not knowing when they may experience a seizure can mean that they need to be extra careful about keeping safe.

Epilepsy can affect people of any age. It may be caused by trauma to the head, a stroke or abnormalities of the brain that have always been there. But around half of the people with epilepsy will never know its cause.

The most common treatment for epilepsy is medication, which can stop people from having seizures.

Talk me through some epilepsy safety tips

Although epilepsy medication has a high success rate, there are many people living with the condition who still experience seizures.

If this sounds like you or a loved one, know that by putting an epilepsy safety plan in place, you can reduce the risk of accidents or injuries.

Here are our top epilepsy safety tips to help you or a loved one live with the condition.

Keeping safe at home

  • If you live alone, get a key safe and tell friends and family the code so they can access your home in an emergency
  • Secure any wires and cables so you don’t trip on them
  • Use guards over fires and radiators
  • Switch off heated appliances like hairdryers and irons as soon as you’ve finished with them and leave them somewhere safe to cool down
  • Instead of hard flooring, opt for softer options like cork, linoleum or carpet
  • Cover sharp edges on furniture with corner guards
  • Take showers instead of baths to reduce the risk of drowning
  • Instead of having a lock on the bathroom door, use an “Engaged/Vacant” sign
  • Make sure you have a temperature safety valve fitted in your taps
  • Use a microwave instead of a gas or electric cooker when you can
  • If you do use a hob, put saucepans on the back burners with their handles turned away from you
  • Choose a low bed so there is less distance to fall out of it
  • If you have a pond, pool or hot tub in your garden, make sure it is fenced off
  • Only use your pool or hot tub when you have someone with you

Keeping safe outside the home

One of the simplest measures you can take to keep safe when you go out is to wear a medical ID bracelet. This will say that you have epilepsy and can include information such as the name of any medication you are using and who to contact in an emergency.

For a comfortable and hard-wearing wristband, choose silicone. Silicone bracelets are soft and flexible, so they won’t hurt you if you fall while wearing them.

You can choose an epilepsy bracelet or a write on bracelet that lets you add your choice of useful information.

Whichever style you opt for, you’ll know that when you wear med alerts or IDs, vital medical information can be accessed by your caregivers so they can give you the help you need.

Other steps you can take to stay safe outside the home include:

  • Use a tracking app on your phone so friends and family know where you are.
  • At work, make sure your colleagues know what to do if you have a seizure and when to call for help.
  • If you use public transport, plan your journey in advance to give you confidence when travelling.

Other tips to stay safe

Take your medication and practise any lifestyle changes advised by your doctor or nurse.

Keep up with regular medical appointments so you can receive the best care.

Keep a health journal to track any seizures and side effects from medicine so you can share the information with your healthcare professional.

Know more about epilepsy alert bracelets

Living with epilepsy presents many challenges. You can reduce their impact by making your own epilepsy safety plan based on our tips and advice from your doctor or nurse.

One step you can take today is to order an epilepsy alert bracelet from our collection. Designed to make your life easier and safer, our medical ID bracelets will give you that extra bit of confidence you need to navigate day-to-day life.

Choose from a range of colours and designs to suit your own personal style and wear your epilepsy ID bracelet with pride!