Epilepsy in itself is somewhat rare and there are different types of this condition that are even stranger to find, but can ultimately lead to sudden death following random attacks, up until now entirely unpredictable - but the recently launched epilepsy app could save thousands of lives in the long term.
The new epilepsy app comes from the Sudep Action charity under the name Epilepsy Self Monitor (EpSMon), and it's being launched this July 14, and it was designed specifically to help those people at risk of sudden death in epilepsy, a rare phenomenon that takes the lives of one in 1,000 patients of the illness every year.
According to Edinburgh News, the way EpSMon works is this: users write all the medicines they take as well as their daily activities, and the epilepsy app measures further risks as well as specifying advice for the taker, hopefully that way preventing sudden death from epilepsy (Sudep).
The questionnaire about life habits (called SUDEP and Seizure Safety Check List) includes things like whether the user smokes, how often do their seizures occur, for how long they've had epilepsy and whether they're currently pregnant.
Gloucestershire Echo reports that there are many parents of Sudep victims involved in the epilepsy app campaign, including Rachel Sumaria from Hawling, who has been working with SUDEP Action for the past few years to raise awareness of the risks of epilepsy attacks, after her 19 year-old daughter Emily was found dead in December 2012.
According to Herald Series, the epilepsy app has been in development since the past January, and its primary focus is pointing out the higher risks and getting patients to stop doing everyday activities that might put them in danger, prompting patients to answer the questions every three months - and, if the risk has increased since, they're prompted to visit the doctor.
The epilepsy app is currently available at the UK App Store for £1.49.
