Epilepsy is a treatable brain disease caused by short-term brain dysfunction that affects approximately 1 percent of the world’s population. As long as individuals with epilepsy comply with the treatment prescribed by their doctor, their seizures can be controlled and they can continue their daily lives. However, misconceptions about epilepsy push society into prejudice. One of these is the misinformation that individuals with epilepsy cannot work.
In order to inform the society about these mistakes, the Turkish Epilepsy Society organized an event in Maslak, Istanbul, one of the centers of working life, with the unconditional contribution of Abdi İbrahim. The message “Individuals with Epilepsy Can Work” was given through the “Purple Cabin” established at the event.
At the event, which attracted great attention, many people were made aware of epilepsy. With the photo-taking activity in the purple cabin, photos from this meaningful event were shared on social media and awareness was raised among a wider audience.
There are approximately 1 million people with epilepsy in Türkiye
As a result of uncontrolled electrical emissions in the brain, seizures occur in individuals with epilepsy, and this is known as “epilepsy” in society. Epilepsy can occur at almost any age. Although there are many types of epileptic seizures, there are basically two types of seizures: Partial seizures (seizures that start limited to one area of the brain) and generalized seizures (seizures that start widely in the brain). There are currently approximately 1 million individuals with epilepsy in Türkiye.
Epilepsy and working life
It has been observed that the general attitudes of employers change when they learn that a person has epilepsy during recruitment. Repeated studies have shown that there is no difference between individuals with epilepsy and healthy individuals in terms of injury rate at work, absenteeism, job loss due to illness, and work production. However, this high unemployment rate continues due to society’s view of epilepsy and their ignorance about epilepsy.
Although there are some protective measures in Türkiye, it seems that they are not sufficient. Employers are obliged to employ 2 percent of physically and mentally disabled individuals in jobs appropriate to their situation in workplaces where they employ 50 or more permanent workers. According to this law, a disabled individual is one who have documented with an official health board report that they are deficient in physical and mental strength by 40 percent or more, who generally have difficulty in finding a job, but who are able to do some jobs immediately or after a short training despite the said deficiency in any workplace. However, in order to benefit from this law, individuals with epilepsy must continue to have seizures despite treatment. This law cannot protect the rights of individuals with epilepsy in remission (where there is no disease activity in people known to have a chronic disease) and does not solve the problem of these people not being employed due to prejudices.
How should one approach someone who is having an epileptic seizure?
-First of all, stay calm. Do not leave the patient’s side; if necessary, send someone else for help.
-Do not try to stop and/or obstruct the patient’s movements.
-Lay or take the patient to a safe place.
-Protect the patient by removing sharp or hard objects from the patient.
-Loosen any tight clothing (such as a tie or belt) and take off your glasses.
-Lay him to one side in a stable and comfortable way and let his saliva flow out. If possible, keep his mouth and respiratory tract open for easy breathing.
-Never try to put anything in his mouth (for example, if he is clenching his teeth, open them or give him water).
-Forcing movements related to the jaw are harmful.
-Do not try to give medication during a seizure. Onion, cologne etc. Do not let it smell. There is no need for artificial respiration or heart massage in an epileptic crisis.
-Check if the patient has a card or health card showing that he or she has epilepsy or explaining what you should do if so.
-Wait for the seizure to end.
-Often after a seizure, the person is tired and does not know what to do, so be as calm and reassuring as you can at this stage. In situations such as heading towards an open window or the road, gently block the vehicle.
-Remember that all the information you can give about the seizure will help both the patient and the doctor.
What should patients do?
-Patients should use their medications regularly in cooperation with the physician and their families.
-If the situations that trigger the seizure are known, situations that will trigger the seizure should be avoided.
-Since some types of seizures can be triggered by insomnia, arrangements are required for such patients in situations requiring shift work and seizures. Long-term fasting and extreme fatigue can also trigger seizures.
-Since some types of epilepsy are sensitive to light, such patients should not work in front of a computer for a long time or watch television closely for a long time.
-Such patients should wear a hat and sunglasses in sunny weather.
Abdi İbrahim Tower turned purple for epilepsy awareness
World Epilepsy Day is also known as Purple Day, based on the color purple, which is the symbol of the disease. The idea for Purple Day emerged in 2008, led by Cassidy Megan, a 10-year-old epileptic living in Canada. Cassidy chose the color purple because it symbolizes loneliness in some cultures and evokes the feeling of isolation from society that many people with epilepsy experience. As part of the Purple Day event, every year on March 26, people try to raise awareness about epilepsy by dressing in purple. In order to support awareness activities, Abdi İbrahim illuminated its headquarters building in Maslak, Istanbul, with purple color on March 26, as in previous years.
