Place Your Advertisement Here. All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project.
 
Thu, 2/9/2012

Welcome to the redesigned epilepsy.com

It is now easier and faster than ever to access news, articles and community content. With less clutter and an improved navigation system, your favorite content is now only a click away.

The new features include:

  • Streamlined design with less clutter to promote important content and sections
  • New slider masthead
  • New horizontal menu across the site to ease top level navigation
  • Re-designed content pages that are easier to navigate
  • Overall new, fresh look!

Place Your Advertisement Here

Take control of your epilepsy and seizures. Seizure management has never been easier.

TAKE CONTROL TODAY

Sign up for our Newsletter!



Staying Safe at Camp



After managing seizures, keeping children safe is the next priority. Clearly, seizure type and frequency will make a difference in a camper’s potential for injury. Issues pertaining to seizures and side effects were addressed earlier. Now it's time to look at the camp environment more closely. What would happen in different camp locations if the child had a seizure? Is there room to fall? Would she get hurt and what type of injury would be most likely? Answer to these questions will help you think about the type of safety precautions that may be necessary.

Work with your child’s doctor to assess her risk for injury and talk about what recreational activities are appropriate. Think carefully about recreational activities. If having a seizure during an activity would cause the child signifcant harm despite precautions, then don't have the camper participate. 

  • Low-risk recreation (for example, walking, running, bowling, golf, baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball) can usually can be done by most people with seizures. 
  • A person should be seizure free for a period of time (talk to your doctor about how long) to do medium-risk activities. These may include football, hockey, ice skating, bike racing, gymnastics, horseback riding and boating.  
  • A person should generally be seizure free for a year or more to participate in high-risk activities, although this length of time needs to be individualized to each child. Sometimes people will be warned never to do some of these activities. High-risk activities may include hang gliding, motor sports, skiing, competitive skateboarding, mountain or rock climbing and scuba diving for example.

Assessing safety risks

  • Seizure type and frequency – do seizures affect awareness or consciousness?
  • Presence of a warning and predictability of seizures – can the child get to a safe place?
  • Side effects of medicines or other medical problems - do these affect your child's safety?
  • The camp environment - what safety hazards are present?
  • Camp accessibility - can people get around easily, especially those who may need help walking or who use a wheelchair?
  • Availability of help - can help be easily obtained at all camp locations?

Some tips to consider

  • Discuss the camp environment with the child’s doctor (and nurse if possible!) to get their views on appropriate safety precautions.
  • Protective helmets may be recommended for children who fall frequently during seizures or who don’t have a warning. Maybe they can be worn only in locations where injuries are most likely to occur or during high risk activities. Keep in mind that helmets may be recommended for all children during certain sports and activities.
  • Teach children about fire safety. Don’t play around campfires and sit far back from open flames. Children with seizures should have an adult present when near campfires.
  • Wear appropriate safety gear when climbing. Most people with seizures are cautioned against climbing or activities with high risk of injury if they should fall. However, some children may be allowed to participate with safety gear, precautions and appropriate supervision.
  • Check with the doctor about playing contact sports. Appropriate safety equipment should be used for all children. Kids with seizures may need extra equipment, depending on the sport and the child’s individual safety risks.
  • Make sure hiking paths are accessible if your child has difficulty walking or needs a cane or wheelchair.
  • Pay particular attention to water safety. If boating is a key feature, make sure staff have the capability of supervising the child with seizures appropriately. Click here for more tips on water safety.
  • Teach your child to use common sense! If they have a question, encourage them to ask. If they’re nervous, encourage them to talk to the counselors. They may have a real concern that the counselors haven’t considered, or they may need reassurance and support from counselors.

For more information:

Continue to Water Safety

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Reviewed: Robert Fisher, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN

Last Reviewed: April 2010


Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.

No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.



Place Your Advertisement Here

Title Posted
Seizure Alert Dogs  
bleedingheart
Is it safe to stop taking your medication during a detox?  
millachilla
Tongue Bitting  
Son of Cain
Anti-Suffocation Pillows  
angel_lts
Ongoing Struggle and no answers!  
naakshig_raven
info about vicodin  
daliastanlex
tryptophan, serotonin and epilespy. A new approch to control seizures  
PAOLOMAINARDI
Is Epilepsy Inherited?  
phylisfjohnson
View all Forums

Title Posted
Epileptic Seizure Monitor Alarm System  
onemarvy
Are these normal migraine symptoms or is there something more to it?  
xtheotherside
5 year old worsening seizures. Pls help???  
TIM_C28
Trileptal dosage  
myejk
SEN and epilepsy  
Kim Norris
possible non convulsive epilepticus?  
rayraykay
Fight with the sidewalk  
jasssmit
Focal activity followed by generalized activity but no epilepsy  
BendyPianist
Self-Management of Medication  
columbia.epilepsy.study
Feeling Like a Human Guinea Pig  
christopherpaul
View all Forums

Title Page Views
my.epilepsy.com Updates  
epi_help
topamax and weight loss  
alexia mom
kepra  
brian mattingly
Possible cure for absence seizures  
pdl1
How exactly do aura's feel  
WendyBendy
Sexual Side Effects  
George R
MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s  
picnupthepcs
Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised  
spiz
electrical shock in head?  
Maggie
Weight Gain and Depakote  
galinda
View all Forums

Title Posted
Driving and Epilepsy  
lsierens
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Epilepsy Pipeline Update Conference  
bryan_farley
my partial complex seizures  
Zanna1211
The Sunday Dreads  
johnverling
Giant Stuffed Animals For The Toddlers  
zacharysmith
Frederick's of Hollywood Announces the "Hollywood Love Story Contest" Valentine's Day  
cn-lightings
Seizures and medical marijuana  
seizureprone134
From muscle problems to seizures in 6 weeks or less  
ArizonaAbby
Speech at Epilepsy Pipeline Update Conference -2012  
dayna
The Doors.  
BowlofMush
marijuana  
ccraven
View all Blogs

Title Page Views
my partial complex seizures  
Zanna1211
Topomax... The Dreaded.........  
Dr Jason
Brain Zaps, tics & twitches  
JudiS
How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens?  
epl_controller
Feeling Sick  
JBJ1984
side effects of phenobarb.  
pksmom
Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds  
Butterflygrl
TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
cmscribbles
Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures"  
teft
newborn seizure  
Sunny_80
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Had the worse seizure of my life last night! Complex Partial  
jlamont
Self-Management of Medication  
columbia.epilepsy.study
Dravet Spectrum Disorder  
mytboy
Diving with eplilepsy  
p59
Moms of epileptic toddlers  
Xaviersmom2
Autism  
Aaron Chan
brain surgery  
jen020309
People in their 20's with epilepsy  
Mandy911
TEAM ETP  
krisj
24yr old male  
Dave24
View all Groups

Title Posted
My Story - Still Don't Know What it Means  
arobertshaw85
Help me plz. I can't go on like this  
Lindsea
For my daughter  
britni1780
Why can't I find out what is going on with me?  
dgreer27
nightime seizure  
ishaq
my grandchild with possible panayiotopolous syndrome  
krys
Please Read and Help  
WALLIGAT0R
Hello. I'm new to the forum  
Tom S.
Maxx  
MDS2006
Lyme Disease as a cause for seizures  
ssidah
View all Stories