1 in 20 Hong Kong people has had epilepsy, but 4 adults refuse to help due to lack of awareness

Abnormal brain waves, the body is out of control, and suddenly falls to the ground and twitches, which may be a symptom of "epilepsy".

This type of brain disease is quite common. It is estimated that there are about 70,000 patients in Hong Kong, and one in 20 people will have a brain attack in their lifetime.

However, Hong Kong people lacked awareness of epilepsy, and some patients encountered many misunderstandings from childhood to adulthood. They described it as a "nightmare" at the time. They even had a prospective employer who was afraid that she would get sick when she was working. There is employment.

The Hong Kong Epilepsy Association collected a total of 315 public questionnaires and 101 questionnaires from patients or their family members in January this year. It was found that most of the respondents mistakenly believed that epilepsy was rare, and half of them mistakenly thought that "when a patient with epilepsy has a seizure, put the object in its mouth" is the right thing to do.

In addition, the number of respondents willing to help people suffering from epilepsy has also dropped from 20 years ago.

Several concerned organizations believe that public education should be strengthened, and suggested that epilepsy-related content should be added to the curriculum of primary and secondary schools.

In the event of someone having a seizure, the first aid method of "watch, watch, see, and help" can be used.

(Photo of "International Epilepsy Day, Hong Kong")

Half of the respondents mistakenly believe that "plugging the entrance" is the correct way to deal with seizures in patients with epilepsy

Xiong Defeng, vice-chairman of the Western Pacific Region of the International Bureau of Epilepsy, pointed out that when a patient with epilepsy has a seizure, they should never put objects in their mouths. However, the survey shows that half of the respondents still mistakenly believe that "plugging objects into the mouth" is the correct way to deal with it. people pay attention.

Next Monday (14th) is the International Epilepsy Day 2022. This year in Hong Kong, the theme of "You and I are 1/20: Knowing Epilepsy and Helping Each Other".

In fact, the lack of knowledge about the management of epilepsy also affects the public's willingness to help patients.

In the public questionnaire, about 40% of the respondents said that they would not help the patients with seizures, which is about double the number of people who said they would not lend a hand in a similar study in 2002, mainly because they had no relevant knowledge.

Comparing the results of the questionnaires answered by patients or their family members, more than half of the patients hoped that others could lend a helping hand in public.

The Hong Kong Epilepsy Foundation advocates the inclusion of epilepsy content in primary and secondary school curricula.

The Hong Kong Epilepsy Foundation advocates the inclusion of epilepsy content in primary and secondary school curricula

Kwan Chung-han, a committee member of the Hong Kong Society of Epilepsy, pointed out that if a patient with epilepsy has a seizure, he should be allowed to lie down, and when he has convulsed, he should be turned back to the horizontal position, and a soft object should be placed under his head.

Fong Chung-yen, chairman of the Hong Kong Epilepsy Foundation, suggested that the survey shows that Hong Kong people do not know much about epilepsy, and basic public education should be carried out, including the inclusion of epilepsy-related content in primary and secondary school curricula.

Only 35% of patients surveyed have full-time employment

The survey also found that only 35% of the interviewed patients had full-time jobs, and many of them said they were discriminated against or isolated by colleagues, failed in job hunting, or were dismissed.

32-year-old female patient's job search is a nightmare, employers refuse to hire for fear of attack at work

Miss Kwong, 32, was diagnosed with refractory epilepsy when she was 9 years old. The teachers and classmates at the school she was studying at that time did not know much about the disease, and there were many misunderstandings and misunderstandings. She described it as "a nightmare". .

After entering the society, she also arranged for a job through a non-profit-making organization. She had interviewed twice for a job, but the employer was always afraid that she would get sick while working, so she was not formally hired.

Zhao Kangjie, chairman of the Hong Kong Association for Epilepsy, mentioned that many patients with epilepsy have no problem with their work ability, but it is not easy to find a job. He believes that employers have many worries, such as worrying about affecting the company's image and bringing potential dangers. In addition, some patients need Some employers are unwilling to cooperate with regular leave of absence for follow-up visits.

He hopes that employers can adjust the work content of employees suffering from epilepsy, such as doing more logistics, clerical work, etc., and try to allow employees to follow up on schedule.

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