Recently I got to watch an old Indian movie where a person has epilepsy and someone close to the person hands over an iron key and surprisingly enough the person gets back to normal in no time.
So is the iron key or an iron bar the real magic medicine for epilepsy? The truth is, it is not! we do not know where the idea of an iron bar or iron key curing epilepsy came about. So in this article, we will look into the real reason for epilepsy and how it should be handled in real life.
Nerve cells present in the brain are called as Neurons. There are electric impulses that travel through these neurons in the brain. This is normal. If for any reason or for no reason there is an abnormal increase in the level of the electric impulse, it leads to epilepsy. In other words, epilepsy happens when there are abnormal changes takes place in nerves present in the brain.
Epilepsy doesn’t necessarily have to make a person fall down with hands, legs, and mouth turned towards an awkward angle all the time. If you find a person who suddenly forgets everything and feels confused for a couple of minutes and gets back to normal, you can be sure he had epilepsy as well.
A single instance of epilepsy in a person is not a serious problem. On the contrary, regular epilepsy should be brought to a Doctor’s attention and get treated accordingly.
Handing over an iron bar or an iron key to a person going through epilepsy won’t be of any help. Commonly, epilepsy lasts for a couple of minutes and it will subside by itself. When the level of electrical impulses in neurons gets back to normal the person will regain his consciousness.
How to handle a person going through epilepsy?
Make the person lie down on its sides. You should not allow the person to lay upside down on the floor.
You should leave the person free and never try to control his bodily movements by holding on to his legs, hands, and head. Also, you should not sit over the person or hand over an iron object. Under any situation do not make the person grab on to anything.
You can move the person a little bit if he/she is lying down in a dangerous environment which can injure or harm the person.
Avoid huge gatherings around the person, this will make the person to suffocate for oxygen. Ensure the person has access to as much fresh air as possible. Keep the doors and windows in the room wide open to let in more air inside.
Never sprinkle water on the person’s face or give the person anything to drink. You can provide a little water to the person after they gathered a little consciousness.
