On the 6 February 2015 the British Heart Foundation are running a campaign to "Wear Red" in aid of raising money for the charity.

This is a brilliant appeal as over 2.3 million people are living in the UK after suffering a heart attack and 2 million suffer from angina.

You may already know that we will be launching our new designs of wristband towards the end of January 2015.  These new designs come in red, purple, white, black, blue and pink and include a wider range of sizes than our current range.

So we are doing our own bit for the British Heart Foundation appeal.  We have now displayed our new red bands on our website (see http://www.tap2tag.me/medical-tags/red-teardrop-medical-alert-wristband.html) for pre-orders.  With every red band we sell to our on-line customers we will be donating £1 to the British Heart Foundation.  Orders taken and paid for will be shipped in the week commencing the 2 February 2015.

So why not treat yourself to a new red tap2tag medical alert wristband and raise a bit of money for a worthy charity?

We have just kicked off a great little competition using our Twitter account.  We are giving away five tap2tag medical alert wristbands as part of our January promotion.  All you have to do is follow us on Twitter and re-tweet as many of our tweets as you like.  Our twitter account is @tap2tag or you can find it at https://twitter.com/tap2tag.  There is no cost of entry although some restrictions do apply (see below).

There are eight different colours to choose from and three different sizes.  If you need to know what tap2tag is all about just have a look at our "How Tap2Tag Medical Works" on our website or just click here.  Good luck and keep tweeting.

The winner will be chosen on the 1 February 2015 and the decision of the directors of Tap2Tag Limited will be final.  All successful winners must have a delivery address in the UK and be aged 18 or over.

On 2 December 2014 we accepted an invitation from Helen Hodgson to attend the Bristol Epilepsy Support Group.  Helen is an Epilepsy Specialist/Sapphire Nurse at Southmead Hospital, Bristol and had been introduced to Tap2Tag by one of her patients.

This Christmas meeting was attended by around 20 people who were interested to hear about our products and we were given an extremely warm welcome...we even brought food!

These local support groups are an essential way in which people with epilepsy and their family can get together, socialise and discuss how living with epilepsy affects their lives.  In addition they have a great website at www.bristolepilepsy.org.uk, which has some great articles and, rather unusually, podcasts that can be downloaded.

As far as the meeting went, well, no-one fell asleep.  We learned a lot and we think that those attending were impressed with our wristbands.

The Specialist

As a director of the Mount Sinai Epilepsy Center, Dr. Lara Marcuse oversees the care of thousands of patients with epilepsy. November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.

WHO’S AT RISK

Over two million Americans are currently living with epilepsy — including celebrity musicians Lil Wayne, Neil Young, and Prince. “There are many causes of epilepsy, which is an enduring predisposition to having a seizure,” says Marcuse. “Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity of the brain, which can cause the typical seizure with falling down, shaking and foaming at the mouth. Or a seizure can manifest as a feeling of fear, ringing in the ears, or even a sense of deja vu.” Doctors estimate that fully 1% of the general public has epilepsy, and some people may not know it.

A small seizure with a feeling of fear can be misdiagnosed as a panic attack. “One way to tell the difference is that panic attacks last for over 15 minutes, whereas small seizures tend to be very brief, just a few seconds to a minute,” says Marcuse. “Sometimes, once patients have their first big seizure, they realize they’ve been having small seizures for years, they just didn’t recognize them as such.” The type of seizure you have depends on where in the brain it originates.

Some but not all cases of epilepsy are due to a genetic cause. “Rarely the genetics are straightforward, and the patient gets it from one of his parents,” says Marcuse. “Other times, the genetics are more complicated, so you might not see many cases in the immediate family.” Any type of brain lesion can also cause epilepsy, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and brain tumors. And in most cases, doctors still don’t know what causes an individual patient’s epilepsy.

People from all walks of life are affected by epilepsy. “It’s a pretty egalitarian perpetrator — everyone can get epilepsy, and men and women are nearly equally affected,” says Marcuse. “It exists in every culture and has since ancient times.”

The onset of epilepsy can fall anywhere in the lifespan. “There are two peaks when most people begin to develop symptoms for the first time — either as newborns or children, or later in life, over age 60,” says Marcuse. “Most of the time, epilepsy is treatable and patients can have the same quality of life as anyone else; however, in some cases it can be fatal. A woman recently had an epileptic seizure in her jail cell in Brooklyn, and she died from it.”

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Patients can experience a whole range of seizures, from mild to severe, depending on whether part of all of the brain is affected. “The biggest type of seizures, called generalized tonic-clonic seizures, start on both sides of the brain and are dramatic — individuals lose awareness, stiffen, fall down, shake all over, might bite their tongue, or urinate on themselves,” says Marcuse. “Afterwards, people report that their muscles are sore and that they feel confused.” Sometimes these seizures happen at night, and the individual might not realize that it has happened.

Partial seizures — which affect only part of the brain — can cause of a number of symptoms depending on which part of the brain is affected.

“A partial seizure can take the form of a feeling, like deja vu, or a movement, like the jerking of the hand or jaw,” says Marcuse. “If a partial seizure spreads, the individual will lose awareness but the eyes usually remain open and the individual may engage in bizarre behavior, likely picking movements and strange chewing motions. Finally if the partial seizure spreads further, it can lead to a generalized tonic clonic seizure.” If you’re having some type of experience that you’re not sure what to make of, it’s reasonable to consult a neurologist.

TRADITIONAL TREATMENT

The first step toward getting the right treatment entails a comprehensive gathering of information. “One of the most important elements of making the diagnosis of epilepsy is for the doctor to talk to the patient, take a history, and also to talk to other people who have witnessed the events,” says Marcuse. “The next step is to get an image of the brain, usually an MRI, and to record the brain waves using a painless technique called EEG.”

Most patients will opt for treatment once they have had two seizures, at which point the chance of having a third is very high. “Generally we start with medication, and we have over 20 FDA approved drugs,” says Marcuse. “Not every medication works for every person, and some people have side effects — these medicines work on the brain so they can have strong side effects. We need to be very active in responding to what a given individual is feeling.”

The goal of epilepsy treatment is not just to control the seizures. “If the patient isn’t feeling well on a medication, even if she isn’t getting seizures, that’s not successful,” says Marcuse. “The goal is to stop seizures and promote a high quality of life.”

About 30% of patients are not fully controlled with medications. “These patients require a lot of attention and should considered for other treatment options, including epilepsy surgery, which entails removing the part of the brain that causes the seizures,” says Marcuse. “This can be incredibly effective, but not available to some patients, because some parts of the brain can’t be removed.”

Another option is a newly approved device called responsive neuro-stimulation. “This device can actually sense the seizure beginning and stimulate the affected area of the brain to stop the seizure from happening,” says Marcuse. “The ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, can be very effective. Some people add complimentary techniques to their treatment like yoga, meditation or biofeedback.”

RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS

Epilepsy research is booming. “There are many new ideas on the horizon,” says Marcuse. “including the possibility of implanting neurons (brain cells) that can be used to calm the brain and inhibit seizure activity.”

Questions for your doctor

Because there are so many different treatment options, it’s all the more important to be a proactive patient. Every patient should ask the doctor, “Why are you advising this medication for me?” and “What are your goals of care?” If you are a woman in your childbearing years, ask, “How is epilepsy and the medication affecting my hormones and the possibility of becoming pregnant? If I become pregnant, what are the possible effects of the medication?” “If you have epilepsy, and you’re not satisfied either with the level of control you have or how you feel on the meds, seek out a fresh approach,” says Marcuse. "It's important to be hopeful, because there are so many new options, and your doctor should work with you to have a good life by any means possible — medications, surgery, lifestyle, and complementary techniques should all be discussed.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Get informed.

Two digital sources you can trust are the Epilepsy Foundation (epilepsy.com/) and Mount Sinai (mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/neurology/areas-of-care/epilepsy-center).

Know what to do — and not to do — as a bystander.

If you see someone having a seizure on the subway, don’t put something in their mouth. “They can choke on it, and it doesn’t help with the tongue biting,” says Marcuse. “Instead, look for a medic alert bracelet, try to get sharp objects out of the environment, and once their body is loose, roll them on their side. And call 999.”

Educate yourself.

“This is a really common disorder, and unfortunately, it still carries significant stigma,” says Marcuse. “It’s frightening to watch someone have a seizure, and in the past it was often thought of as being possessed by the devil. But it's just a chronic medical condition like any other.”

Don’t avoid the topic.

If you know someone with epilepsy, ask if there is anything they might need from you.

This post has been reproduced from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/daily-checkup-coping-epilepsy-article-1.2022202 by Katie Charles

We have worked very closely with Epilepsy charities in the UK since we launched Tap2Tag back in May 2014.  Interest has spread across the Irish Sea and we having been discussing Tap2Tag with Epilepsy Ireland for a few months.  As a result the Irish charity has now launched a trial of Tap2Tag within the Republic of Ireland and are seeking volunteers.

Tap2Tag donated around 20 wristbands to the charity and these are being used in the trial.

Epilepsy Ireland said "We think the device could be a very useful alternative to the Epi-alert bracelet and other similar devices that have been on the market for some time. We're considering offering Tap2Tag as a membership benefit to all new members from 2015 (as an alternative to the free Epi-Alert or Safety pillow). But first we'd like to hear YOUR thoughts on the device."

If you are following us in Ireland and want to take part in the trial please check out the full article here.

It is not often that you find a new business that is trying to expand into a market that already

has a wide range of high street names to compete with.  The Independent Pharmacy is a newly developed website that enables shoppers to buy many of the pharmacy products you would expect but at prices that are below their high street alternatives.

In our high speed world where we expect everything and everyone to be on call 24 hours a day the on-line store enables you to shop at leisure but also get great advice through their on-line chat facility.  Linger on the site for a minute or more and a friendly window pops up to see how they can help.

The business is run by qualified pharmacists so you know that the advice you get will be of the highest standard.

We have used their services before, trying to find bandages that we could not find in the high street.  Their service was exceptional and the goods were ordered that day.  So if you need something for a holiday, some first aid equipment or a tonic for that hacking cough then have a look at www.tiph.co.uk and see if they can help.  Best of all they even stock Tap2Tag wristbands!

For more information call 0117 9711603 for UK sales

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiphuk

Twitter: @TIPh_uk

We have launched our section on products and innovations that we like and think you will like too.  Since we launched Tap2Tag in May 2014 we have come across a number of businesses that have some unique ways of helping people that need a little more publicity.  Take a look at our list below and see if there is something that takes your fancy.

This is a great company, based in our home town of Bristol, that has created many new and beautiful designs for simply holding a UK disabled sticker.  Their wallets come in a wide range of designs and colours and could provide an excellent gift for someone you love.  Read more by clicking here

The Independent Pharmacy is an on-line shop that allows you to buy an extensive range of pharmacy products from the comfort of your sofa and below high street prices.  The advice you can get from their on-line chat is excellent and they even have an on-line doctor.  Read more here.

At the other end of the scale to Hypoglycaemia is hyperglycaemia or hypers. This happens when your blood glucose levels are too high – usually above 7mmol/l before a meal and above 8.5mmol/l two hours after a meal. There are several reasons why this may happen. It may be that you:

• Have missed a dose of your medication
• Have eaten more carbohydrate than your body and/or medication can cope with
• Are stressed
• Are unwell from an infection
• Or from over-treating a hypo.

Symptoms may include:

• Passing more urine than normal, especially at night
• Being very thirsty
• Headaches
• Tiredness and lethargy.

Treating hyperglycaemia

Treatment of hypers will depend on what caused them. If they are a regular occurrence, contact your diabetes healthcare team for a review of your medications and/or lifestyle. If your blood glucose level is high for a short time, emergency treatment won’t be necessary. But if it stays high you need to take action:

• Drink plenty of sugar-free fluids.
• If you are on insulin, you may need to take extra insulin.
• If you are feeling unwell, especially if you are vomiting, you must contact your diabetes healthcare team for advice.

How to prevent a hyper

• Be aware of your carbohydrate portions and how they may be affecting your blood glucose levels.
• When you are ill, continue taking your diabetes medication even if you are not eating, and contact your diabetes healthcare team if you need more information.
• Be as active as possible.
• Remember to take your insulin and diabetes medication, and always take them correctly.
• You may need more medication – discuss this with your diabetes healthcare team.

Treatment

If your blood glucose level is high for just a short time, emergency treatment won’t be necessary. But if it stays high you need to take action to avoid developing diabetic ketoacidosis.

Check your blood or urine for ketones if your blood glucose level is 15mmol/l or more. If ketones are present it is likely that you do not have enough insulin in your body, so you may need to increase the dose or give an extra dose. Talk to your diabetes team about how to do this. Make sure you drink plenty of sugar-free fluids. If you have ketones and are unwell, especially if you are vomiting, you must contact your diabetes team for advice.

Note: The best way to avoid hypos and hypers is by checking your blood glucose level regularly, and even more closely if:

• you have not eaten as well as expected
• you have done a lot of physical activity
• you are unwell
• there has been any change in the routine that might upset your diabetes management.

Keep something to treat a hypo or hyper with you at all times. Carry diabetes ID to alert people to your diabetes and help them to help you if you are having a hypo. Make sure people close to you know what your hypo symptoms are and how to treat a hypo or hyper.

*Millimoles per litre: a measure of the concentration of a substance in a specified amount of liquid.

Tap2Tag Comment

The difference between someone suffering a Hypo or a Hyper attack is a fine line, which makes it even more important that first responders are aware of your diagnosis so that the correct treatment can be provided.

More information can be found at www.diabetes.org.uk

Diabetes is a manageable condition, but key to successfully living with diabetes is balancing medication and insulin injections with food and activity. When that balance isn’t right, one of two things will happen: either blood glucose drops too low and hypoglycaemia (a hypo) results, or blood glucose rises too high and hyperglycaemia (a hyper) occurs.

No matter how much you know about diabetes or how careful you are, if your diabetes is treated, you are likely to experience some hypos or hypers. Check with your diabetes healthcare team if you are not sure if the treatment you are on is likely to cause hypos or hypers.

Hypoglycaemia (hypo)

Hypoglycaemia means ‘low blood glucose levels’ – less than 4 mmol/l*. This is too low to provide enough energy for your body’s activities.

Symptoms

Hypos can come on quickly and everyone has different symptoms, but common ones are: feeling shaky, sweating, hunger, tiredness, blurred vision, lack of concentration, headaches, feeling tearful, stroppy or moody, going pale.

Why do hypos happen?

There’s no rule as to why they happen, but some things make it more likely: excess insulin, delayed or missed meal or snack, not enough carbs, unplanned physical activity, and drinking large quantities of alcohol or alcohol without food. Sometimes there just is no obvious cause.

How to prevent a hypo

• Don’t miss a meal.
• Eat enough carbohydrate.
• Eat extra carbohydrate if you are more active than normal.
• Take your tablets and/or insulin injections correctly.
• Don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach or drink too much alcohol.

Treating a hypo

If you are conscious, treat your hypo immediately with 15–20g of fast-acting carbohydrate:

• Small glass of sugary (non-diet) drink
• At least three glucose tablets
• Five sweets, such as jelly babies
• Small carton of pure fruit juice
• Glucose gel.

Glucose gel may be used if you are feeling drowsy and someone can help you, but it should not be used if you are unconscious. Glucose gel is available on prescription if you are treated with insulin. Some people may need to follow this treatment with a snack of 15–20g of slower-acting carbohydrate to prevent their blood glucose levels getting low again. This snack could be a sandwich, piece of fruit, cereal or some biscuits and milk – or even your next meal, if it’s due.

It’s recommended that you retest your blood glucose levels after 15–20 minutes and re-treat if your blood glucose levels are still less than 4mmol/l.

The choice of hypo treatment is up to you, so you’ll need to decide how much and which treatment works best for you.

Note: Don’t treat your hypo with foods that are high in fat such as chocolate and biscuits because the fat will delay the absorption of the glucose and won’t treat the hypo quickly enough.

If you become unconscious

If you have a severe hypo and become unconscious you will need help from someone to treat the hypo. They will need to:

• Put you into the recovery position (on your side with your head tilted back and knees bent)
• Give you a glucagon injection - some people with insulin treated diabetes are prescribed glucagon injections. Ask your diabetes healthcare team if you need one
• Call an ambulance if you don’t have a glucagon kit available or you have not recovered within ten minutes of receiving the glucagon injection. If no one is trained to give a glucagon injection an ambulance should be called immediately.

Note: Make sure your family and friends are aware that they must not give you anything by mouth if you are unconscious or unable to swallow. Always tell your diabetes healthcare team if you have a severe hypo.

Should I keep my blood glucose levels high to avoid hypos?

No. It can be harmful for you if you try to run your blood glucose levels consistently very high. You may start to feel thirsty, go to the toilet frequently and feel tired. In the long term, prolonged high blood glucose levels can lead to complications such as blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and lower limb amputations.

How do hypos affect my blood glucose levels?

After you have had a hypo, your blood glucose level may actually rise. If you are on insulin, don’t be tempted to increase your dose. The rise may happen because you felt incredibly hungry during the hypo and ate to correct this. Your levels may also rise because hypos cause the body to mobilise its own glucose stores.

Why do some people have severe hypos without any warnings?

Research suggests that people who keep their diabetes very tightly controlled may have problems in recognising hypo warnings, and that if they have one severe hypo without warning, they’re more likely to have repeated episodes. People who’ve had diabetes for a long time may also lose their hypo warnings signs; however, they can often regain them by adjusting their diabetes treatment. If you’re having problems, talk them through with your diabetes healthcare team.

Things to remember: hypos

• Keep hypo treatments with you at all times.
• If you’re having night-time hypos, test your glucose levels before you go to bed and during the night – ask your healthcare team about the best times to test.
• Make sure you carry some form of identification – such as an identity card, bracelet or necklace – so that if you ever become unwell and are unable to communicate, people are aware that you have diabetes and can help.

Severe hypos

If a hypo is untreated there is a risk of losing consciousness and/or having a fit. While this is not common, if someone you are with has a severe hypo there are some key things to remember:

• Never give food or drink by mouth because there is a danger of choking. Place them in the recovery position (on their side with their head tilted back).
• If you have been given a glucagon injection and shown how to use it, inject it as you have been instructed. If not, or the person with diabetes has not recovered within 10 minutes of giving the glucagon injection, phone an ambulance.
• We recommend that all parents of children with diabetes should have glucagon and be trained how to use it.
• Call an ambulance if you don't have a glucagon kit available.

Will hypos affect my quality of life?

Hypos should not be frequent or severe. If they are, contact your diabetes healthcare team. Try to build a picture of any hypos you have to see if there are any trends and patterns. If there is, you may need to alter your diabetes treatment with the help of your diabetes healthcare team.

Night-time hypos

Low blood glucose levels do happen at night, and some people with diabetes may not be woken by the mild symptoms of a hypo. This means that your blood glucose level may drop further and the hypo may become more severe. If the hypo hasn’t woken you, you may feel very tired the next morning, or have a headache (a bit like a hangover).

The best way to confirm if night-time hypos are happening is to do a blood test during the course of the night. If a night-time blood test appears to shows night-time hypos your insulin dose may need to be adjusted.

Tap2Tag Comment

The difference between someone suffering a Hypo or a Hyper attack is a fine line, which makes it even more important that first responders are aware of your diagnosis so that the correct treatment can be provided.

For more information please access http://www.diabetes.org.uk/ for a comprehensive source of information on managing and treating your diabetes.

Tonic-Clonic seizures

The person goes stiff, loses consciousness and then falls to the ground. This is followed by jerking movements. A blue tinge around the mouth is likely. This is due to irregular breathing. Loss of bladder and/or bowel control may happen. After a minute or two the jerking movements should stop and consciousness may slowly return.

Do...

• Protect the person from injury - (remove harmful objects from nearby)
• Cushion their head
• Look for an epilepsy identity card or identity jewellery
• Aid breathing by gently placing them in the recovery position once the seizure has finished (see pictures)
• Stay with the person until recovery is complete
• Be calmly reassuring

Don't...

• Restrain the person’s movements
• Put anything in the person’s mouth
• Try to move them unless they are in danger
• Give them anything to eat or drink until they are fully recovered
• Attempt to bring them round

Call for an ambulance if...

• You know it is the person’s first seizure, or
• The seizure continues for more than five minutes, or
• One tonic-clonic seizure follows another without the person regaining consciousness between seizures, or
• The person is injured during the seizure, or
• You believe the person needs urgent medical attention

Focal (partial) seizures

Sometimes the person may not be aware of their surroundings or what they are doing. They may pluck at their clothes, smack their lips, swallow repeatedly, and wander around.

Do...

• Guide the person from danger
• Stay with the person until recovery is complete
• Be calmly reassuring
• Explain anything that they may have missed

Don't...

• Restrain the person
• Act in a way that could frighten them, such as making abrupt movements or shouting at them
• Assume the person is aware of what is happening, or what has happened
• Give the person anything to eat or drink until they are fully recovered
• Attempt to bring them round

Call for an ambulance if...

• You know it is the person's first seizure
• The seizure continues for more than five minutes
• The person is injured during the seizure
• You believe the person needs urgent medical attention

First aid for people who use a wheelchair

If you use a wheelchair, or you have other mobility problems, speak to your GP or epilepsy specialist. They should give you a care plan, which includes advice on how people should help you if you have a seizure.

Here are some general first aid guidelines for people who have a seizure in a wheelchair.

Do...

• Put the brakes on, to stop the chair from moving
• Allow the person to remain seated in the chair during the seizure (unless they have a care plan which says to move them). Moving the person could possibly lead to injuries for the person having the seizure and the carer
• If the person has a seatbelt or harness on, leave it fastened
• if the person doesn’t have a seatbelt or harness, support them gently, so they don’t fall out of the chair
• Cushion the person’s head and support it gently. A head rest, cushion or rolled up coat can be helpful

The person’s care plan should give advice on what to do after the seizure has finished. For example, whether it is safe to move the person from the chair to put them in the recovery position.

Don't...

• Restrain the person’s movements
• Put anything in the person’s mouth
• Give them anything to eat or drink until they are fully recovered
• Attempt to bring them round

Reproduced from the Epilepsy Action website.  For more information please visit www.epilepsy.org.uk