Epilepsy

At N-Style ID, many of the medical ID and medical alert jewelry we make is created for men, women and children with Epilepsy or other seizure disorders. As November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, we thought we’d wrap-up November with an overview of what you should know and how to react if a loved one or a stranger has a seizure in your presence. Many of us have never had to provide help and assistance for someone having a seizure. Because of this there are a few misconceptions about providing the correct care for seizures. Aside from some basic steps to follow, most of the time, a person having a seizure requires no assistance other than a caring and calming presence. If you have never seen someone having a seizure, it can be a somewhat scary experience. Just remember to stay calm at all times. Seizures will end within a couple of minutes. Seizures can be very confusing to those experiencing them and your reassuring presence is extremely comforting while the person is in “recovery mode” immediately following a seizure. Now that you know the importance of staying calm and focused in the presence of someone having a seizure, he’s a list of the top do’s and dont’s for providing care in the event of a seizure:

WHAT TO DO:

• Stay calm!
• Look for medical alert jewelry to confirm that the person has a Epilepsy or a seizure disorder
• Create the safest surrounding environment possible for the person seizing
• Remove sharp objects from around the person to prevent injury
• If possible, try to cushion their head with your hands, a pillow or any soft object to help prevent head injuries
• Try to loosen clothing around their neck
• Try to pay attention to the length of the seizure
• When the seizure is over, be sure to slowly move the person onto their left side. This is VERY important to help open their airway as any swelling of the tongue from the seizure or post-seizure vomiting could obstruct their breathing
• Recovery from the seizure will take a few minutes, but confusion and fatigue is sure to follow. Remain with that person until they are sufficiently recovered

WHAT NOT TO DO:

• Do not attempt to restrain the person’s body while convulsing. – This can cause injury to both yourself and the person suffering the seizure
• Do not put anything in the person’s mouth – This is a major misconception that stems from the concern that a person with a seizure might swallow their tongue. They will not swallow their tongue
• Do not give the person water, food or pills until they are completely recovered
• Do not leave someone alone following the seizure until they have fully regained their bearings

Cal 911 if you are a loved one and the seizure lasts more that five minutes or if you are a stranger and helping someone who is without family or friends. For those suffering from Epilepsy or a seizure disorder, always carry medical identification in the form of medical alert jewelry and medical ID card. In the event of an emergency, this will enable the people around you, especially strangers, to provide the appropriate treatment and maintain your safety in the event of a seizure. For more information about Epilepsy and seizure disorders, go to: http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org http://www.epilepsy.com Continue reading...

Medical alert jewelry is a simple and effective way to get you immediate and proper medical care and to save your life in the event of an emergency. If you were in an emergency, first responders need to know if there is a serious or chronic medical condition involved that requires special medical attention. Medical alert and medical ID jewelry will alert first responders and bystanders to your medical condition thereby enabling the appropriate care. All medical personnel are trained to look for medical ID jewelry. In a serious medical situation, time is of the essence and can be the difference between life and death. There are many medical conditions that should be immediately known to first responders, such as:

• - Diabetes
• - Food Allergies
• - Implants like pacemakers
• - Severe Asthma
• - Epilepsy and seizure disorders
• - Drug Allergies
• - Shunts for dialysis patients
• - Alzheimer’s
• - Bee Sting Allergies
• - Coronary heart disease
• - Renal Failure
• - Transplant Surgery
• - People on blood thinners
• - Mentally disabled
• - Cancer patients
• - Person’s having bariatric surgery

Everyone with a serious medical condition should wear a medical alert bracelet. Medical alert / ID bracelets are designed to be noticed by trained personnel. It’s important to note that both medical alert necklaces and bracelets are considered appropriate ID tools by the medical profession. Emergency personnel are trained to check any jewelry on your person to see if it is medical id jewelry. However, its been documented that EMTs always look for bracelets first. Additionally, depending on the type of activity you are engaged in, you may consider a different choice of medical alert and medical ID jewelry. For example, if you normally wear an ID necklace and you’re heading to the mountains to go skiing, it’s advisable to switch to an ID bracelet, as first responders would not have to dig through so many upper-body clothing layers to find your ID necklace. The information contained on your medical alert jewelry is just as important as actually wearing your alert jewelry on a regular basis. Here’s an example of the type of core information that must be included on your medical ID jewelry:

• - The Star of Life symbol
• - Statement of your type of medical (and if you take insulin)
• - Food or drug allergies
• - Prescription information
• - In-case-of-emergency (written as ICE) contact number information
• - Add anything else paramedics must know, including noting any implants (e.g., pacemaker or insulin pumps that shouldn't go in an MRI scanner)

In recent years, medical ID jewelry has come a long way in terms soft of looks. Gone are the days of the standard stainless steel bracelets.  Fashionable jewelry styles are available for women, men and children that look great and allow for variety, but still convey the vital life-saving information medial alert jewelry was originally designed to do. If you have a medical condition that requires alert jewelry there really is no reason not to be wearing one with so many styles and options available on the market today. At N-Style ID we've created hundreds of fun and fashionable medical alert jewelry for men, women and children. Continue reading...

The condition of epilepsy has been documented since the earliest medical texts. Stigma against the condition likely reaches back even further in history. Over the centuries, epilepsy has been associated with religious experiences, demonic possession, witchcraft, and mental illness, among other things. Even during times when epilepsy was considered a curse from the gods, however, there were individuals fighting against misconceptions about the disorder and the seizures that accompany it. Among these was the Greek physician Hippocrates, who argued against divine explanation in the book On the Sacred Disease, written around 400 B.C. Although there have been many advances in medical understanding of epilepsy, misconceptions about the condition continue to this day. Continue Reading Continue reading...