Epilepsy awareness to 'save lives'

Jade Dolby was diagnosed with epilepsy two years ago, speaking to Daybreak she said having the condition affects her independence.

Being unable to drive, she lost her job, and after going back to University she found that her seizures affected her work, making it hard to keep up.

A new study out today, has shown that most people would have no idea what to do if they came across someone having an epileptic seizure.

Read: Two thirds did not know epilepsy can kill

• Move the person away from anything that could cause injury, such as a busy road or hot cooker
• Cushion their head if they're on the ground
• Loosen any tight clothing around their neck, such as a collar or tie, to aid breathing
• When their convulsions stop, turn them so that they are lying on their side

• Stay with them and talk to them calmly until they have recovered
• Note the time the seizure starts and finishes
• Do not put anything in the persons mouth, including your fingers as they may choke
• As the person is coming round, they may be confused, so try to comfort them

Epilepsy is a tendency to have repeated seizures caused by a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain, around 600,000 people in the UK live with the condition.

Young Epilepsy are calling for a greater awareness with a new campaign launched today 'Everyone Knows Someone'.

• Almost two thirds of the public say they would try and assist someone having a seizure, but admit that they would not know what to do
• One in eight people said they would place a spoon or ruler in the mouth to stop the person biting their tongue, but though this could risk serious injury or choking

• Under a third of people know you should speak calmly to the person
• Less than half of people would protect the head, despite this being best practice
• Sixty per cent of us did not know that you could die from epilepsy

• Nearly half of epilepsy related deaths are avoidable and lives could be saved if there was a greater awareness of what to do, the charity said

A new study has shown that most people would have no idea what to do if they came across someone having an epileptic seizure.

The report from Young Epilepsy has said that thousands of lives are at risk because of the lack of understanding about the condition.

Around 600,000 people in the UK have epilepsy, with 1000 epilepsy-related deaths per year.

A new campaign, 'Everyone Knows Someone' is being launched by the charity today to educate the public.