An awareness program was conducted by Aster Prime Hospitals, Hyderabad, in association with the Walkers Association of Krishna Kant Park on the Purple Day of Epilepsy. In total, 150 people from the walkers and the yoga practice people attended this program.
Dr. Aniruddh Kumar Purohit, neurosurgeon of Aster Prime Hospital, with his experience of 45 years in the medical field, delivered a speech and had an interactive session with the audience. In his speech, he highlighted how to recognize your friend or relative having a fit or epilepsy. He explained to the audience that any transient but repetitive neurological phenomenon is either a seizure or TIA or some kind of syncopal attack.
Usually, any motor, general sensory, or special sensory phenomenon that subsides in less than 2 minutes could be a fit. Some such phenomena may last only for a few seconds. Some may last for a long time, however, as an episode. A child who blinks his eyes or stares blankly for a few seconds, many a time in a day, can be epilepsy. A child who has bouts of crying, laughter, smiles, anger, unusual behavior, etc., could be an epilepsy
These episodes or attacks could occur with or without his awareness. He may or may not lose consciousness. There are many types of such neurological episodes, like:
I. Motor
1. Jerky movement of the limbs
2. Tightness of the whole body
3. Turning of face to one side,
4. Frequent jerky movements of the fingers etc
II. Sensory:
1. Abnormal sensations on the skin
2. Abnormal smell, sounds, tastes, flashes of light, well-formed pictures,
III. Psychological:
Abnormal Psychological phenomena. Bouts of anger & laughter,
confusion, uttering of some words, sadness, sexual behavior (even a child may adopt a sexual position).
IV. Autonomic disturbances:
Excessive perspiration, goose skin (piloerection)
Roller coaster or butterfly sensations in the stomach.
He suggested a pro-nature lifestyle to prevent and control the severity and frequency of fits. What is a pro-nature lifestyle, was explained in detail. He warned the audience, not to overuse screens and cell phones.
He explained the dos & dont during the episode. He suggested to Mr. Prasad, the Walker's Association executive, to keep a first aid kit in the Park like a medicated nasal spray and sublingual tablets to abort the fit instantaneously.
Later, Aster's CEO promised to provide such an emergency kit.
The program also provided health checkups and blood investigations to the participants. They were also given an Aster Health Card to provide affordable health services.
