When it comes to living with epilepsy, it is so much more than learning about the types of seizures you have, or your symptoms, or how long a typical episode lasts.
It takes a lot out of you, not only physically but emotionally as well. It scares you and your loved ones, leaves you with so many questions, exhausts you to your limits. And when you feel like you have reached your limits, you get pushed past it even more.
Here is a related article that might interest you on 9 Famous Soccer And Basketball Players With Epilepsy That Will Inspire you!
Yet, so many people Don’t know much about seizures, let alone about what epilepsies are. So it’s time to educate you about it.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder that leads to abnormal activity in the brain. This abnormal activity in the brain causes periods of unusual sensation, behaviors, seizures, and sometimes even loss of sensation. This neurological disorder can develop in anybody, but it’s more common in older adults and young children. And although it has no cure, early treatment and proper care can make a huge difference.
Not many people know this but epilepsy is a fairly common brain disorder. In fact, there are (65) sixty-five million people worldwide who have epilepsy and (3.4) three-point four million of those being in the United States Of America. The interesting part is that the number will only increase because one in twenty-six people in the United States (USA) will develop epilepsy at some point in their life.
There are a lot of reasons due to which one might have epilepsy. Any condition that can damage the brain can cause epilepsy. So it can be because of a stroke or a brain tumor. Do you know strokes are one of the leading causes of epilepsy in people older than thirty-five? Other reasons can include infectious diseases such as viral encephalitis, meningitis, or AIDS, or even because a child had low oxygen in their brain during birth. But regardless of all the reasons one might have epilepsy, it is pretty common for people to have epilepsy with no known cause.
Now that we have gone through the basics of epilepsy, let us talk about the basics of seizures.
What Are Seizures?
Seizures are a sudden rush of electrical impulses in the brain. Generally speaking, they can be divided into two parts:
- Generalized Seizures
- Partial or focal seizures
Generalized seizures affect the whole brain, whereas partial or focal seizures affect a part of the brain. And adoration from the types of seizures, there are also different severity of attacks. It depends on each individual, but usually, a mild episode can be pretty difficult to recognize. It does not last long, around a few seconds, and is generally accompanied by a lack of awareness.
Strong seizures, on the other hand, are easily recognizable. You can have intense spasms accompanied by muscle twitches that you can’t control. This can last from a few seconds to several minutes, and a person might even lose consciousness. Sometimes people have no memory of the seizure or what happened during it once it ends.
So here you go, (almost) all about epilepsy and seizures. Now that we have discussed what they are, it’s safe to say that it is not easy to live with them. It can be overwhelming at times because of the fear of the seizures or the anxiety when you are just waiting for them to happen. They can affect your day-to-day life. This can happen, especially during the early stages. You are worried about going out alone, and you are concerned about staying indoors alone.
But it doesn’t have to be all that bad. Although it is scary, nowadays, there is help available everywhere to get you through this. And it doesn’t have to be just your doctors or your friends. Anything that will make you feel a little bit better or more comfortable works.
There are several applications developed to make your journey with seizures and epilepsy easier for you and those around you. They each have unique features, and you have a wide variety of apps to choose from based on your needs. So without further ado, let’s get to it.
Table of Contents
Best 4 Applications For Epilepsies
1. Seizure Tracker (For iPhone, iPad, And Android)
Seizure Tracker is a free app available on both iPhone and Android. It has a really easy and quick setup and can be used immediately after download. With this app, you can log in your seizures, their length, type, and even the potential triggers. Moreover, you can add your associated symptoms as well. This app has been created by the parents of a child who has epilepsy. Their main goal was to help people manage their epilepsy better and also help empower them by giving them more control of their situation.
The best part about this app is that it has a quick capture button. This feature allows you to record any of your seizures and time them as well, as they are happening. Then they are uploaded to YouTube (for private sharing, obviously). Once the timer and the video are stopped, the app enters the event into an event log that will be stored in the seizure library. But if you are not comfortable with the video feature, that is completely understandable. The app can be used without the video function, but it allows care and treatment for the person to be individualized even more, especially with all the information they note down.
2. Epilepsy Journal (For iPhone, iPad, And Android)
Epilepsy Journal is another app that is mainly used for logging in your seizures as they are happening. As soon as you download and open the app, there is this large purple button that is labeled ‘seizure.’ You just use that button when your seizure starts and stops.
Along with that, you can also log in any possible triggers, your location, what you were doing at that time, and even rescue medicine. So from all the information you have logged, you will be able to generate a report, look at all the trends and even email your doctor. Great, isn’t it?
3. SeizAlaram: Seizure Detection (For iPhone and Apple watch)
SeizAlaram is an excellent app for people with epilepsy or any other problems related to seizures. What this app does is that it alerts medical professionals manually if they think they might need help soon. They will also contact medical professionals automatically if they detect a motion that will be considered seizure-like. The movement will be detected either through iPhone or AppleWatch.
Any elevated heartbeat or any abnormal motion will be detected and will be reported. So if you are planning to go to an activity that might give a false alarm, then you can disable this feature (but surround yourself with people who will take care of you if needed, in case of emergency).
There is also a help request feature that can be used in the case where immediate help is needed. Once you choose the help request, your location is sent to your emergency contacts so that they can find you easily. And if you want, a lot of your help requests can be kept for any personal use.
4. Seizure First Aid (For iPhone, iPad, and Android)
If you know someone who has seizures or cares for them, you understand how helpless one feels when their loved one has an episode. How you struggle to understand how to help them. All of this can be scary, especially in the beginning, so this app is for you. Seizure First Aid is a mobile guide containing essential first aid guides for people caring for people with seizures. Patients with any seizure-related disorder need to feel safe at all times, so it’s crucial you know how to care for them and what to do during an emergency.
Friends and family can download this app, and they can even record how long a seIzure was, determine the type of seizure, and also learn how to respond if a person is having seizures.
So here you go, from tracking your seizure, logging your triggers to spreading information about epilepsy. Here are the best apps for seizures and epilepsy. We hope that they make this process easier for you and your loved ones around you.
Remember, you are not alone, and you shouldn’t be scared. Although this journey seems scary, it is nothing you can not handle. So it is time to take control of your life finally.
Hi, my name is Eddie, I am a professional trainer specializing in the elderly population and I’m also a website designer. I love training in the gym, going to the beach, traveling, and having good food.
I combined my love for sport and website designing to make “DisabilitEase” whose purpose is to help elderly and disabled people live a more full and active life, have more fun, and enjoy their unique journey despite any disability.