Epilepsy: The 'at Your Fingertips' Guide 2nd Edition (At Your Fingertips)

✍ Scribed by Brian Chappell, Pamela Crawford

• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 207
• Edition: 2nd
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Covering all aspects of epilepsy, this practical handbook guides the reader through the complicated maze of diagnosis and treatment, and shows them how to deal with their epilepsy with confidence. Two experts in the field answer over 220 real questions from people with epilepsy, offering advice on how to live an active and full life.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 9
Foreword by Dr Stephen Brown FRCPsych......Page 10
Introduction......Page 14
My Epilepsy......Page 17
1 What is epilepsy?......Page 23
Epilepsy and the brain......Page 24
Types of epilepsy......Page 28
More about seizures......Page 36
Possible causes......Page 42
Facts and figures......Page 44
2 Diagnosing epilepsy......Page 46
How do they know it's epilepsy?......Page 47
EEGs......Page 55
Scans......Page 63
3 Treatment......Page 67
Does treatment work?......Page 68
Antiepileptic drugs......Page 70
Side effects......Page 75
Practical aspects of drug treatment......Page 79
Surgery......Page 84
Diet......Page 86
Complementary therapies......Page 87
4 Is it an emergency?......Page 92
First aid......Page 93
Calling an ambulance......Page 95
Status epilepticus......Page 97
5 Feelings, families and friends......Page 100
Coming to terms with epilepsy......Page 101
Family feelings......Page 104
Outside the family......Page 105
6 Employment......Page 108
Teaching the employers......Page 109
Getting on at work......Page 114
For those not able to work......Page 121
7 Practical concerns......Page 123
Safety in the home......Page 124
Driving......Page 126
Finance......Page 129
Information for carers......Page 131
Miscellaneous......Page 133
8 Travel and holidays......Page 136
Trains and boats and planes......Page 137
Activities and facilities......Page 138
Medical care abroad......Page 141
9 Your social life......Page 144
Sports......Page 145
Night clubs......Page 147
Television......Page 149
Computers and computer games......Page 150
10 Relationships, sex and pregnancy......Page 152
Relationships......Page 153
Sex and contraception......Page 154
Pregnancy......Page 155
Periods and HRT......Page 159
Glossary......Page 161
Appendix 1: Epilepsy associations and other organisations......Page 176
Appendix 2: Useful publications......Page 191
Index......Page 193