Work and epilepsy. What kind of work can you do if you have epilepsy?

Society

12:00, 10.02.2020 8

Second Monday of February - International Epilepsy Day

Photo: Maxim Platonov

Psychiatrist, State Duma deputy from Tatarstan Boris Mendelevich spoke about a disease that is widespread throughout the world.

Prohibited professions

Work that people with epilepsy should not do:

• absolutely any work that takes place at height;
• maintenance of lifting structures;
• maintenance of electrical installations with voltages of one hundred and twenty-seven volts and above;
• profession related to animal husbandry;
• maintenance of hostels and hotels;
• work in which various machines are used (lathes, milling and others);
• drivers of various vehicles;
• construction industry;
• plumbing;
• printing production;
• trade;
• cooking;
• connection;
• healthcare;
• mechanical engineering;
• energy;
• metallurgy;
• hairdresser;
• watchmaker;
• wood processor;
• florist;
• jeweler;
• engraver;
• product technology;
• chemical technologies;
• some specialties of education;
• cook;
• miner;
• geologist;
• art.

The list of prohibited work does not end here, but it is worth understanding that everything depends on the individual case and the degree of the disease. For a more accurate understanding, a person needs to undergo a thorough medical examination and consult with a potential employer.

It should be noted that seizures are quite dangerous, since during them a person can cause harm both to himself and to people nearby. A patient with epilepsy must be aware that there may be danger and impose special restrictions on themselves. If attacks occur rarely, then there are practically no restrictions. Restrictions include: altitude and water controls. For example, water treatments are best taken in a sitting position.

There is one extremely unpleasant moment. If attacks of the disease are constant, then the range of possible professions is significantly narrowed. Work that involves frequent contact with people is immediately excluded. An epileptic who suffers from fairly frequent seizures and intellectual degradation belongs to the second group of disabilities.

Many people mistakenly assume that sedentary office work will be safe for epileptics, but this is not the case. Office is stress, emotional distress, tension and everything that can later lead to an epileptic attack.

Epileptics receiving refusals from employers often despair and give up all attempts to find a normal, well-paid job.

In order to find a good profession, you first need to clearly complete the following three steps:

1. Make a correct, clear diagnosis in a medical institution and carry out effective treatment. This stage is fundamental and most important, since you need to really accept your illness and begin to take steps towards recovery.
2. It is necessary to understand as accurately as possible all the responsibility for yourself and especially for other people. It is advisable to listen to the recommendations of your doctor regarding this issue.
3. Maintaining a correct lifestyle and a correct daily routine.

Who should not work with epilepsy?

There are professions in which both his own safety and the safety of other people depend on the correct actions of the worker. An epileptic seizure can turn into a tragedy. The law sets restrictions on such professions.

The corresponding list was approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers - Government of the Russian Federation dated April 28, 1993 No. 377. A sick person cannot work at heights, as a pilot, surgeon, driver, near water, fire, dangerous devices and mechanisms, etc.

The full list is quite long, but it is worth remembering that contraindications are not only absolute, but also relative, when restrictions arise only under certain conditions. The decision is made by the doctors who conduct the medical examination and members of the clinical expert commission.

And in general, a lot is individual. The “safest” job for people with epilepsy is considered to be in an office. But even here there are harmful factors: low physical activity, frequent stress, conflicts, working with a computer, high workload and multitasking. All this can provoke frequent attacks. It is necessary to take into account the characteristics of a particular person.

Permitted professions

Where can an epileptic work and still receive a stable and good salary? In fact, there are a huge number of options:

• programmer;
• telecommunications operator;
• tailor;
• fashion designer;
• computer operator;
• artist;
• accountant;
• testing of semiconductor structures;
• postal service;
• modeling and design of clothing;
• poultry farming and beekeeping;
• controller of the finished product.

In addition, patients with epilepsy can engage in freelancing. If a person has certain special abilities, then he can easily create websites, draw logos, write commercial texts and much, much more that can be found on various freelance exchanges. It is worth understanding that for some epileptics, the flickering of a computer monitor and TV can cause an attack, so you should first consult with your doctor.

Fact: frequent seizures of epilepsy largely limit the patient’s ability to work.

Myth No. 5. Epilepsy is inherited, occurs in childhood and never goes away on its own.

In fact . Only a predisposition to the disease is inherited. And the risk is not too great. If only one parent is sick, it is 2-3%. If both suffer from epilepsy, the danger is significantly higher. The disease can appear at any age. But there are several peaks of its occurrence: one occurs in early childhood, the second - at the age of 45+.

Sometimes during puberty, epilepsy can even self-destruct, but this only happens in age-dependent forms of the disease. Nevertheless, new generation antiepileptic drugs are able to control attacks of various types of epilepsy at different ages and provide the patient with long-term remission.

In facts and figures: about 65 million people in the world suffer from epilepsy Read more

Therapeutic effect of labor

Today, more than half of people with epilepsy work. Thanks to modern treatment methods, most patients achieve stable compensation. In addition, work and social activities reinforce the therapeutic effect. A person who is engaged in an interesting activity develops new dominants in the brain. These are positive foci of excitation that suppress the effects of pathological ones. Experts note that those patients who work have seizures during periods of wakefulness much less frequently than those who are unemployed.

In addition, at work or school, people with epilepsy prefer to look up to healthy people and adhere to their lifestyle. Thanks to this, manifestations of the disease such as severe irritability, excitability, and selfish tendencies are smoothed out. In return, endurance, the ability to overcome troubles, and self-control are developed.

Myth No. 8. A woman suffering from epilepsy will never be able to become a mother.

In fact . Today, among all patients with epilepsy, 25-40% are women of reproductive age. Most of them, with the exception of those who suffer from severe forms of the disease, thanks to modern drug therapy, manage to give birth to healthy children, without putting their health at great risk.

It is only important to strictly follow the conditions: plan a pregnancy only against the background of a stable drug remission (attacks should not last for more than a year) and, during pregnancy, be regularly monitored by both an obstetrician-gynecologist and a neurologist-epileptologist. The health of expectant mothers with epilepsy is monitored using international registries. The selection of medications (effective in a minimal dose and not having a harmful effect on the fetus) is very important.

Epilepsy attack: how to provide first aid? Infographics Read more

Exacerbation of the disease

Epilepsy is a disease that can cause exacerbations. Then the seizures become more frequent or severe. In such cases, it is better for patients to temporarily change their job to an easier one, or go on vacation. An exacerbation of the disease is not a reason to remove a person from work if it is not contraindicated for epilepsy. People around you should pay attention to a person suffering from this disease. His future condition depends on how employees and relatives perceive what is happening to a person.

What should you not do if you have epilepsy?

If a person is susceptible to epileptic seizures, he should carefully consider the arrangement of his own living space:

• You should not keep kitchen utensils made of ceramics and glass; plastic utensils are a safe alternative. Sausages, cheese, bread and other products are bought sliced. It is advisable to use knives less often and keep them in a closed place. It is better to abandon the gas stove, choosing instead a multicooker or microwave oven. As a last resort, you can use a gas stove if there are other people in the apartment.
• It is prohibited to furnish rooms with furniture with sharp corners. The floor must be covered with carpet or soft carpet. There should be no furniture or accessories made of glass.
• It is dangerous to keep a hairdryer or other electrical appliances in the bathroom, or leave cutting objects in the public domain (even nail scissors).
• It is prohibited to install radiators and heaters where they are likely to fall.
• You cannot live in a house with two or more floors if there is no elevator. Stepladders and ladders are extremely dangerous for a person who suffers from epileptic seizures.

But besides this, for safety reasons it is prohibited:

• It is prohibited to engage in all sports that pose the slightest threat of injury - horse riding, acrobatics, mountaineering, boxing. It is dangerous to allow yourself excessive stress (not only physical, but also mental).
• No smoking. Cigarettes not only negatively affect the condition of a person suffering from epilepsy. An attack that occurs while smoking is fraught with fire.
• It is dangerous to lock yourself in the bathroom or restroom. It is best to replace the latch with a “busy” sign. It is advisable to avoid bathing in the bathroom in favor of a shower, as there is a danger of choking during a seizure. Hot water is contraindicated, as is going to the sauna and bathhouse. Exposure to high temperatures for a long time leads to a real threat of an attack.
• You should not drink alcohol, alcohol can intensify a seizure and has a negative effect on the patient’s condition. As a last resort, men can have no more than 2 glasses of wine, women – one.
• It is dangerous to hide a problem from your work colleagues. They must be aware of the possibility of a seizure and clearly understand the process of providing assistance during a seizure. It is advisable to provide yourself with a set of clean clothes at work.

Work at home

If the health condition does not allow a person with epilepsy to work in production, simple work can be done at home. Work as a knitter, embroiderer, or computer typing operator is suitable for epileptics.

In addition, you should not remove the patient from home work. He is quite capable of buying groceries, washing dishes, preparing dinner, and cleaning. The exception is during periods of exacerbation, when seizures occur suddenly and are often repeated. At such times, people with epilepsy should not cook food, iron clothes (due to the risk of burns), or wash windows (to avoid falling). In short, you should not leave patients with epilepsy alone near turned on electrical appliances or a gas stove during periods of exacerbation of the disease.

Tips for choosing a profession

Some tips for people who suffer from epilepsy and want to get a job:

1. The best option is a job that has a shift schedule. Why? The fact is that such a work routine, firstly, helps to maintain adequate sleep, and, secondly, allows you to regularly and on time take medications prescribed by your doctor.
2. When searching, you should not focus on your illness. Epilepsy is not a death sentence.
3. When communicating with an employer, you must describe your illness as clearly as possible, especially its degree.

In conclusion, I would like to say that epilepsy is not an obstacle to finding a job or getting an education. A person with epilepsy, like other people, can choose the right profession to their liking and begin to develop qualitatively in it.

Surgical methods of treatment

Surgery is acceptable in patients in whom drug therapy is ineffective. It is preceded by a detailed examination of the patient and an assessment of the risks of the recommended manipulation. In most cases, the task of the operating specialist is to resect the epileptogenic part of the brain.

When performing a surgical operation, it is important to preserve significant areas of the brain responsible for speech, movement, sensitivity, etc. In cases where removal of the lesion is impossible, methods are used aimed at blocking signals from the epileptogenic zone.

If there are multiple foci of epilepsy and a low probability of success of standard surgical interventions, the patient may be recommended neuromodulatory operations (stimulation of the vagus nerve or stimulation of deep brain structures).

The main indication for surgical intervention is complete resistance to existing medications or a complicated medical history of the patient. Surgery may be recommended for the following concomitant diagnoses:

• brain tumors;
• mesial temporal sclerosis.

Surgical treatment of epilepsy also has a number of contraindications, which include the presence of aggressive progressive tumors, serious cardiovascular diseases and primary generalized seizures with loss of consciousness.