Paediatric epilepsy nurse specialist service

The paediatric epilepsy nurse specialist service help those that have recurrent seizures that start in the brain.

Epilepsy

There are around 40 types of seizures and a person can have more than 1 type of seizure. Epilepsy can affect anyone, at any age and from any walk of life.

Over 400,000 people in the UK have epilepsy and about 50 million worldwide and  approximately 65,000 children in the UK have a diagnosis of epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition which is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act.

What is epilepsy

• Epilepsy is the tendency to have recurrent seizures that start in the brain.
• The brain uses electrical signals passing between neurones to send messages. Our brain is the ‘control centre.
• Interruption to these messages or a build up of electrical signals can lead to a seizure.
• What an individual experiences during a seizure will depend on where in the brain the epileptic activity begins and how widely and rapidly it spreads.

Treatment of epilepsy

• First line treatment for epilepsy is anti-epileptic medication.
• Anti-epileptic drugs are prescribed to stop seizures occurring. They are not a cure for epilepsy.
• There are over 20 different medications, which come in tablets, capsules, liquids, syrups, sprinkles.
• Other treatments include vagus nerve stimulation, ketogenic diet, surgery and complimentary medicine.

Availability

The paediatric epilepsy nurse specialist service is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.