Friday 26th March is Purple Day, a day to raise awareness about epilepsy, as well as raise much-needed funds to make a difference to those affected by the condition.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition where there is a tendency for seizures to start in the brain. A seizure starts when there is an interruption in the electrical signals that are sent from one nerve cell to another, or the electrical signals continue after they are no longer required.
Anyone can develop epilepsy at any stage of life, but it is most commonly diagnosed in children and in people over 65. Epilepsy can be caused due to a variety of reasons and can be hard to identify. The epilepsy may be inherited, it might be due to genetic conditions, may be caused by a change from a traumatic brain injury, or as a result of changes to the brain from another condition or disease, like a tumour for instance, or hypoglycaemia.
What is Purple Day?
In 2008, a young girl with epilepsy from Canada, Cassidy Megan, wanted to get people talking about epilepsy and reassure those with epilepsy that they are not alone. Lavender is seen to be the flower of the condition and so she used the colour purple to get her message out there and Purple Day was created.
Purple Day is now a global event where thousands of people come together to fundraise and raise awareness around epilepsy. There are lots of ways you can virtually become involved in Purple Day 2021, such as by holding a virtual quiz night, coffee morning or virtual murder mystery evening. The Epilepsy Society has digital fundraising kits to download from their website, along with lots of other Covid-19 friendly event ideas.
The importance of a correct diagnosis
If there is the possibility a patient has epilepsy then they should be referred to an epilepsy specialist for a diagnosis and to discuss treatment options. This diagnosis will examine what happens before, during and after seizures and certain tests may be completed to gather additional information. The results of these tests may indicate whether or not a patient has epilepsy and the cause of the seizures.
Receiving an early diagnosis or correct diagnosis is so vital because, whilst epilepsy cannot be ‘cured’, there is the potential that with the right medication and/or lifestyle changes, a patient’s seizures can be controlled and they can go on to lead a normal lifestyle in the long-term. However, the condition can be mismanaged or misdiagnosed, which can then result in harm to the patient.
Negligence claims relating to epilepsy
There are occasions where patients are misdiagnosed with epilepsy when they actually have a migraine for instance and they receive unnecessary antiepileptic medication which can have intrusive and worrying side effects.
Furthermore, claims can arise where a patient’s epilepsy is caused by a trauma or a disease that causes a change to the structure in the brain. For example, bacterial meningitis, if not treated quickly and effectively, can cause a patient to develop epilepsy.
How can Nelsons help?
Danielle Young is a Senior Associate in our highly regarded Medical Negligence team, which has been ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
If you would like any advice in relation to medical negligence claims relating to epilepsy or any related subjects, please contact Danielle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.