leisure

Living a full and active life

sport and leisure activities

including alcohol, flying, skiing

water sports

including scuba diving, swimming

travel and holidays

including insurance, vaccinations

other organisations

Further informaon is available.

You can nd any further updates at

epilepsysociety.org.uk/sport-and-leisure

Call us for a large print version

Monday and Tuesday 9am to 4pm,

Wednesday 9am to 7.30pm. Naonal call rate.

01494 601 400

living a full and active life

To live full and acve lives, and look aer our

physical and emoonal wellbeing, we all need

me to rest, relax and exercise. How we spend

our leisure me is important and individual to

us all, whether or not we have epilepsy.

This leaet looks at some popular leisure

acvies, listed alphabecally, and suggests

how they might be made safer for people with

epilepsy. These are only suggesons, and any

decisions about leisure acvies need to be

made on an individual basis.

Making choices about leisure acvies

Epilepsy is a very individual condion.

How it aects you may be very dierent to

how it aects someone else. Most people

with epilepsy live full and acve lives, and

do the leisure acvies that they want to.

Some people with epilepsy, especially if they

sll have seizures, may have concerns about

the safety of some acvies. If you have

concerns, it may be helpful to consider:

• what your seizures are like;

• when your seizures happen;

• whether you get any warning (know that a

seizure is going to happen); and

• what would help make the acvity safer

for you.

This may help you to make decisions based

on your individual situaon and avoid

unnecessary restricons.

If you are making choices on behalf of someone

else, such as a child or someone with learning

disabilies, it is important to involve them as far

as possible. This helps ensure that they are

able to take part in the leisure acvies they

want to, and are not restricted by their

epilepsy without good reason.

Looking at safety

How epilepsy aects safety depends on you

and your epilepsy. People who have seizures

that are controlled with medicaon may not

need the same safety measures as those who

sll have seizures.

Some acvies do not need to be changed

to make them safer for people with epilepsy.

For others, simple measures might make them

safer. For example, having someone with you

who knows how to help if a seizure happens.

One way to think about safety is to do a risk

assessment. This looks at what the possible

risks are for anyone doing the acvity, what

it is about your epilepsy that may aect these

risks, and what can be done to make the

acvity safer for you.

Visit epilepsysociety.org.uk/risk-assessments

See our leaets safety and risk.

Equality Act 2010

Under the Equality Act 2010 people with a

disability have rights to use leisure facilies.

Epilepsy is a physical, long-term condion

and people with epilepsy are protected under

the Equality Act even if their seizures are

controlled or if they don’t consider themselves

to be ‘disabled’.

Leisure providers may need to make

adjustments to make a service more user-

friendly. If you have specic needs you may

want to talk to the leisure organisaon to see

how they can help.

Visit equalityhumanrights.com for more

informaon about the Equality Act 2010.

sport and leisure activities

Abseiling, climbing and hill walking

Anyone who does abseiling, climbing or hill

walking needs the right expert support and

safety measures. It is important to assess the

possible risks for anyone doing the acvity,

and then think about how your epilepsy may

aect those risks.Having an instructor who

knows about your epilepsy means that they

can help ensure your safety and the safety of

other people with you.

Alcohol

The decision to drink alcohol is a personal

choice. How alcohol aects someone with

epilepsy depends on the individual, whether

they are taking an-epilepc drugs (AEDs), and

how much alcohol they drink. For most people

with epilepsy, the occasional alcoholic drink

does not usually cause a problem. It is usually

recommended that people with epilepsy have

no more than 1 – 2 units of alcohol per day.

The paent informaon leaet that comes with

your AEDs may have informaon about

drinking alcohol with that parcular medicaon.

It may also be useful to consider the following:

• alcohol can make the side eects of AEDs worse;

• AEDs may increase the eects of alcohol;

• alcohol can trigger seizures for some people;

• some people may be more likely to have a

seizure if they are hungover; and

• alcohol can disrupt sleep paerns, which can

make seizures more likely.

Combat sports

Boxing or maral art sports that involve blows

to the head are not recommended for people

with epilepsy due to the high risk of head injury.

Cycling

All cyclists are advised to wear reecve

clothing and a cycle helmet approved by

Brish safety standards. If you have seizures,

it may be safer to avoid cycling on busy roads

and to cycle with someone who can help if

you have a seizure.

DIY and gardening

If you have seizures and would like to do your

own DIY, it may be helpful to think about the

type and frequency of your seizures and the

potenal risks of each job. Knowing your own

abilies may help reduce the risk of accidents

or injuries. If you are in doubt about doing a

job yourself, or the risks involved, you may

want to talk to a professional such as an

electrician, gardener, or plumber.

See our leaet safety.

Extreme sports and adventure sports

Acvies like bungee jumping, hang gliding,

snowboarding and whitewater raing have

high levels of excitement, skill, and danger.

They oen involve speed, height, and a high

level of physical energy. It is a good idea to

talk to your GP or specialist about what the

risks are for you before trying a new sport

or acvity.

Each sport’s governing body can give you

informaon on safety regulaons, but they

may advise you that the acvity is too

dangerous for you to do.

Visit sportengland.org/our-work/naonal-

governing-bodies

Flying a private plane

Flying a private plane is somemes possible

but is usually restricted to smaller aircra and

you will have to meet certain condions. To

apply for a Private Pilot’s Licence you need to

be seizure free without taking AEDs, for the

last ve years. For certain aircra dierent

rules may apply.

Visit the caa.co.uk for more informaon.

Go-karng and ATV quad biking

In the UK, you do not need a driving licence

to drive a go-kart or an ATV (all terrain vehicle)

quad bike on private land.

The Naonal Karng Associaon (NKA)

recommends that you are seizure-free for one

year before karng, and that karng venues

ask people to declare any medical condions

that could aect their driving.

Some venues may have their own policy on

whether people who have seizures are allowed

to drive on their circuits.

The Brish O-Road Driving Associaon (BORDA)

does not have specic guidelines on quad bikes

but most ATV venues would expect you to sign

a form to accept your own liability if you have

an accident.

It is recommended that anyone karng or

quad biking always wears a crash helmet.

Horse riding

It is recommended that everyone wears an

approved Brish Horse Society (BHS) riding

hat for horse riding.

If you have seizures it is also recommended

that you ride with someone who knows what

to do if you have a seizure.

Riding for the Disabled Associaon (RDA) has

local groups around the UK and can oer

special facilies for people with disabilies.

See page 19 for contact details.

Recreaonal drugs

Recreaonal drugs have parcular risks for

people with epilepsy. Amphetamines (speed),

cocaine, ecstasy and heroin have all been

shown to increase the frequency of seizures.

Taking cannabis is also not advised if you have

epilepsy. Some reports claim cannabis is not

harmful, however other research has shown

it can lead to an increase in seizures. This may

be partly because cannabis can be made up

of dierent compounds, and so the eects on

the brain can vary. (In November 2018 a change

in the law meant that specialist doctors in the

UK can now prescribe medicinal cannabis for

some people with epilepsy).

Visit epilepsysociety.org.uk/cannabis-oil-

epilepsy for more about medicinal cannabis.

For some people, using recreaonal drugs

could cause epilepsy to start and may increase

the risk of triggering mental health problems.

Visit talktofrank.com for more about drugs.

Sex and relaonships

Some people with epilepsy have problems

with sex or relaonships. Problems such as

a low sex drive can happen for a number of

dierent reasons: anxiety, depression, and the

side eects of some AEDs can all contribute.

Relaonships can also be aected by how

you or your partner feels about epilepsy.

Talking to your partner and a doctor can help

to nd the right support and treatment.

For example, a doctor may suggest a review

of your medicaon or idenfy where

counselling might be helpful.

See our factsheet relaonships and sex.

Skiing and snowboarding

Snowsport England (the governing body for

English snowsports) believes that snowsports

should be open to everyone, whether or not

they have a disability.

They also have a network of adapve ski clubs

and oer disability awareness training courses.

It might be useful to think about what the risk

to your safety might be if you were to have a

seizure on the slopes or ski li. Snowsport

England suggest this might include wearing a

harness and ‘clipping on’ to chair lis for safety

in the event of a seizure. Other consideraons

include light ickering through trees, altude,

redness, excitement levels and making

adjustments when in a dierent me zone. It

may be safer to ski with someone who knows

how to help you if you have a seizure.

Team sports

Team sports such as football or rugby do not

necessarily need extra safety measures for

someone with epilepsy. However, with any

sport that involves contact with other people,

there may be a risk of head injuries, which

could aect your epilepsy.

It’s a good idea if someone on the team or a

coach knows about your epilepsy, and how

they can help you if you have a seizure.

Television and computer games

Epilepc seizures can somemes be triggered

by certain speeds of ashing or ickering lights,

and by some geometric paerns. This is called

photosensive epilepsy and it aects up to

3% of people with epilepsy. For someone with

photosensive epilepsy, triggers can include:

• playing video games or watching moving

computer graphics;

• watching a faulty television or other light

source that ickers ; and strobe lights.

The common rate for a ashing light to

trigger seizures is between 3 and 30 hertz

(ashes per second).

It is a good idea to take regular breaks when

watching TV or using a computer, and to

watch TV from a distance in a well-lit room.

TV programmes, lms, and theatre

performances oen have a warning if they

have ashing lights or images.

Video and computer games that have fast

moving or ickering images may carry a

warning on the packaging. Strobe lighng

may be used in nightclubs too.

If you are suddenly exposed to a trigger,

covering one eye completely with your hand

may help reduce the photosensive eect.

See our factsheet photosensive epilepsy.

Theme parks

Many people with epilepsy can go on rides

depending on how their epilepsy aects them.

For some people with epilepsy, excitement or

stress due to the rides, noise, or crowds could

trigger a seizure. Theme parks need to let

people know if anything during a ride could

make a medical or physical condion worse

and have details on their websites, and at the

entrance to rides, for disabled guests. For

example, some rides may not be suitable for

riders with photosensive epilepsy.

Yoga

Yoga can have a number of benets including

improving your tness. The deep breathing

involved in many forms of yoga aims to be

relaxing. Some forms of yoga involve extreme

breathing techniques and may need extra care.

See our factsheet complementary therapies

for more about relaxaon therapies.

water sports

Many water sports can be made safer for

people with epilepsy by taking the right safety

measures. This means considering what risk

the acvity involves and how your epilepsy

aects you.

For example, there may be dierent risks for

water-skiing than for dinghy sailing if you have

seizures where you lose consciousness.

Wearing a lifejacket is recommended for most

water sports. It is also important to have

someone with you who knows how to help if

you have a seizure, like a friend or instructor.

Kayaking and canoeing

There can be addional risks for people with

epilepsy, if they have a seizure, when paddling

a kayak or canoe.

If a kayak overturns when someone has a

seizure they could be trapped underneath, and

their buoyancy aid could keep them pressed

up under the kayak. Although this is a risk for

anyone who ps over a kayak, it is more of a

risk for someone having a seizure as they may

be unconscious or partly conscious at the me.

Whether you have epilepsy or not, the most

important thing is to learn how to paddle

under qualied and experienced coaches.

Brish Canoeing has a network of clubs,

outdoor centres, and qualied coaches.

Visit brishcanoeing.org.uk

Scuba diving

Scuba diving carries risks including drowning,

as well as condions caused by breathing

dierent levels of oxygen or nitrogen at depth.

Scuba diving is not recommended for people

who have seizures because of the risk of

having a seizure underwater. Having a seizure

underwater can be life-threatening, and may

also endanger the life of the diving buddy or

other companions.

Once somebody has well-controlled seizures

on medicaon the risk of further seizures is

reduced, but is never removed completely.

The Brish Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) recommends

that people must be seizure-free for ve years

without taking AEDs, before they consider

scuba diving. (Where seizures only happen

during sleep, this can be considered on an

individual basis).

See page 18 for BSAC contact details.

Swimming

If you have seizures, seek advice from your

doctor or epilepsy nurse about factors that

could aect your safety when swimming. It is

a good idea to swim with someone who knows

about the type of seizures you have, and that

they know how to help you if you have a

seizure in the water.

Swimming in the sea, a river, or other open

water is more risky than in a swimming pool

because of currents, des, sudden changes in

depth, and colder water temperatures, even in

summer. If you have a seizure in open water, it

may also be harder for someone to see that you

are having a seizure, or to be able to help you.

Some pools, such as hotel pools, may not have

lifeguards and so these have extra risk.

At a swimming pool, you could tell the

lifeguards how they can help you if you have

a seizure. Some people swim during quieter

swimming sessions so it is easier for the

lifeguards to see them.

If you have a seizure in the water, lifeguards or

a friend can help you by supporng your head

above the water, and gently towing you to a

depth where they can stand up, or to the

poolside. They can then support you in the

water unl the seizure stops. If you are near

the poolside, they may need to protect you

from hing the side and injuring yourself.

You may need medical aenon to check that

you have not inhaled water during the seizure,

even if you feel ne. It is also important for

someone to stay with you aerwards and check

that your breathing has returned to normal.

travel and holidays

Organised holidays

The organisaon Phab runs holiday schemes

around the UK, which bring people with and

without disabilies together.

See page 19 for contact details.

Travelling by air

Having epilepsy does not usually prevent

people from being able to travel by air.

However, some people’s seizures are triggered

by being very red (which could happen

because of long journeys or ‘jet lag’). Seizures

can also be triggered by anxiety or excitement,

which can aect some people when they

are ying.

If there is a chance that you might have a

seizure on the plane, it is useful for someone

travelling with you to know about your epilepsy

and how to help if you have a seizure.

Telling the airline about your epilepsy when

you book means that they can let the cabin

crew know about your seizures, and can tell

them anything about your epilepsy that you

think may be important for them to know.

It is a good idea to take enough medicaon in

its original packaging with you for your enre

holiday. Some drugs may not be available or

may have a dierent name in other countries.

Your GP or the drug company may be able to

tell you more about this.

Airport security regulaons allow you to carry

tablets, capsules or liquids up to 100ml in your

hand luggage in case your main luggage is lost.

If your medicine is in a container larger than

100ml you will need to contact the airline

before you y. You may need to have a leer

from your GP or specialist explaining about

your epilepsy and the medicaon you take.

If you are travelling to a dierent me zone

you may want to gradually adjust when you

take your medicaon, so that you can take it

at a manageable me of the day.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance companies look at each

individual’s circumstances before giving a

quote. Having epilepsy may mean that there

is an increase in the premium you pay but

this will depend on the type, frequency and

severity of your seizures. Giving as much

informaon as possible about your epilepsy

may help the insurance company to give you

an accurate and fair quote.

As with taking out any insurance policy, it is

worth contacng a number of companies to

get the best quote for your situaon.

Contact our helpline for details of travel

insurance companies.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

Most UK residents are entled to free or

reduced cost emergency medical treatment

during short visits to other European Union

countries (plus Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway

and Switzerland). You will need a European

Health Insurance Card (EHIC). An EHIC card

does not replace the need for travel insurance.

If the country you are vising charges for GP

consultaons, prescripons or stays in

hospital, you will need to pay for these.

Visit the NHS website below for a country by

country guide and details on how to apply.

Visit nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad

to apply for an EHIC card online or call the

EHIC enquiry line on 0300 330 1350.

Travel vaccinaons

Travel vaccinaons can protect against

infecous diseases when vising some

countries. Most vaccines will not aect a

person’s epilepsy, an-epilepc drugs or

seizure control. However some an-malarial

medicaons can trigger seizures and are not

suitable for people with epilepsy.

Visit epilepsyresearch.org.uk for details.

If you need to use an-malarial medicaon,

your GP can advise you which medicaon will

suit you best.

The Department of Health also has general

travel advice and useful travel links.

Visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

further information

Epilepsy Society informaon

Complementary therapies

Photosensive epilepsy

Relaonships and sex

Risk

Risk assessments

Safety

other organisations

Brish Canoeing

0300 011 9500

brishcanoeing.org.uk

Brish Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC)

0151 350 6200

bsac.com

Civil Aviaon Authority (CAA)

caa.co.uk

Equality Advisory Support Service

Helpline: 0808 800 0082

equalityadvisoryservice.com

Informaon on the Equality Act 2010.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

equalityhumanrights.com/airtravel

Informaon on rights for disabled people and

those of limited mobility when travelling by air.

Frank

Helpline 0800 77 66 00

talktofrank.com

Condenal helpline providing informaon

and counselling about drugs.

Phab

0208 667 9443

phab.org.uk

Runs holidays and acvies for people

with or without a disability.

Riding for the Disabled Associaon

01926 492 915

rda.org.uk

Oers horse riding facilies for people

with disabilies all over the UK.

Every eort is made to ensure that all informaon is correct at the me of

prinng. Please note that informaon is intended for a UK audience.

This informaon is not a substute for advice from your own doctors.

Epilepsy Society is not responsible for any acons taken as a result of using

this informaon.

www.epilepsysociety.org.uk

leaet 6

A full life for everyone aected by epilepsy.

research

Pioneering medical research.

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Individualised medical and care services.

information

Website, leaets, factsheets.

Call 01494 601 392.

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connect with us

Volunteer, become a member, fundraise.

helpline 01494 601 400

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Epilepsy Society

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01494 601 300

Registered charity no. 206186

epilepsysociety.org.uk