Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

Every once in a while I come across someone out in the community who asks me how my son, Landon, is doing and if he is still having seizures.

Landon has had seizures since he was 7 days old, and though things are probably better controlled now than they have been in a long time, he does still occasionally have them — though the type and impact are much less severe than they used to be.

For so long, I waited to see if he would outgrow the seizures as he got older. I had a friend whose son outgrew his seizures, and we had a doctor once that told us there was the possibility, though if he still had seizures through puberty, he probably always would.

Well, Landon is in the middle of puberty right now, and so far, we’ve noticed no change to his seizures. We’ll see what the next few years bring.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more people living with epilepsy in the United States than ever before, with at least 3.4 million people living with seizures, including 470,000 children.

One in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.

I write about this during the month of November for Epilepsy Awareness Month to remind the community of the impacts of seizures but also to bring a little bit of education about the subject and alleviate any myths that exist about it.

First and foremost, if you see someone having a seizure, and the person is not awake and aware, get them to the ground and turn them on their side. Do not restrain them and do not put anything in their mouth. Protect the person’s head, and begin timing the seizure.

For Landon, once he reaches a certain amount of time, we administer his emergency medication. Then, if that does not stop the seizure, we call 911. The Epilepsy Foundation suggests calling 911 if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, if there are repeated seizures, if the person is having difficulty breathing, if the seizure occurs in water, if the person is injured, pregnant or sick, if it is their first seizure or if the person does not return to their usual state.

Remember, epilepsy is not contagious, and it cannot be transferred to someone else like a cold or the flu, so please do not be afraid to step in and offer aid as directed if you see someone having a seizure.

People from all walks of life can have epilepsy, and seizures can take place at any stage in life.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Wednesday.