💡 Spiritual or Scientific? Ghana’s Truth About ‘Fits’ & Fainting ⚖️🔎

Understanding Epilepsy, Seizures, Fainting (Syncope), and “Fits” in Ghana

In Ghana, when someone collapses, shakes, or faints, many people think of spiritual causes — curses, witchcraft, or ancestral punishment. These beliefs often prevent people from getting the right help. But conditions like epilepsy, seizures, and fainting are medical problems that can be treated.

Let’s separate myths from facts and learn what really causes these conditions and how to handle them safely.

Image: Abnormal brain activity

1. Key Terms and What They Mean

1. Epilepsy: A condition where someone has repeated seizures due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It is not contagious and can be managed with medication [1][2].
2. Seizures (Fits): Sudden bursts of brain activity that cause changes in movement, behavior, or awareness. They can look like shaking, staring, or confusion [1].
3. Fainting (Syncope): A short loss of consciousness due to reduced blood flow to the brain—often from heat, hunger, or standing too fast [3].
4. Convulsions: A term for strong shaking of the body during some seizures.
5. Fits: A local Ghanaian word often used for seizures or convulsions [2].

Image: Fit, seizure or convulsion

2. What Causes These Conditions?

Causes of Seizures and Epilepsy:

1. Brain injury (at birth or later)
2. Infections like cerebral malaria or meningitis [2][4]
3. Genetics (family history)
4. High fever in children (febrile seizures)
5. Low blood sugar (especially in diabetics)
6. Flashing lights, stress, missed medication, or lack of sleep

Causes of Fainting:

1. Standing up quickly
2. Dehydration (common in Ghana’s heat)
3. Sudden fear or emotional stress
4. Heart problems or hunger [3]

🔍 Note: A faint usually ends quickly, but a seizure may last longer and leave the person confused.

Image: Brain injury

3. Warning Signs

During a Seizure:

1. Sudden collapse or falling
2. Jerking movements of arms or legs
3. Staring or being unresponsive
4. Feeling confused or sleepy afterward
5. Unusual smells or feelings before the seizure (called “auras”) [1][2]

During a Faint:

1. Dizziness
2. Sweating or blurry vision
3. Weakness before falling
4. Quick recovery after lying down [3]

Image: Dizziness

4. What to Do (First Aid)

If Someone Has a Seizure:

1. Stay calm and protect them from injury
2. Do not put anything in their mouth
3. Place something soft under their head
4. Roll them to their side after the seizure
5. Call for help if seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or happens again quickly [2][4]

If Someone Faints:

1. Lay them flat and raise their legs
2. Loosen tight clothes
3. Check breathing
4. Offer water after they wake up
5. See a doctor if it keeps happening

Image: Protect from injury; call for help

5. Treatment Options

1. Medication: Anti-seizure medicines help control epilepsy (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital). They must be taken every day [2][5].
2. Lifestyle changes: Get enough sleep, avoid triggers like flashing lights or alcohol.
3. Fever management: Reduce high fever in children to prevent febrile seizures [4].
4. Treat underlying causes: E.g., manage heart problems in fainting cases.

🏥 Epilepsy drugs are available in many government hospitals and some CHPS compounds under NHIS [5].

Image: Myths vs facts

6. Myths vs. Facts (Especially in Ghana)

1 Myth: It's a spiritual attack or witchcraft

Fact: Epilepsy is a medical condition, not caused by spirits [2]

2 Myth: Put a spoon in their mouth during a seizure

Fact: This is dangerous—it can break their teeth or block breathing [2][4]

3 Myth: You can catch epilepsy by touching someone

Fact: Epilepsy is not contagious

4 Myth: Herbal/spiritual cures are enough

Fact: Medical treatment is necessary and backed by science

5 Myth: Seizures always lead to brain damage

Fact: Many people with epilepsy live normal lives if treated [1]

7. Dangers If Untreated

1. Injuries from falling or hitting objects
2. Drowning (if seizures happen during bathing)
3. Status epilepticus – a life-threatening state with long or repeated seizures
4. Social stigma — being called "possessed" or "cursed" stops people from getting help [2]

Image: Talk to your doctor

8. When to See a Doctor

1. Seizures that last more than 5 minutes
2. Fainting that happens often
3. Chest pain or confusion with fainting
4. Head injuries after collapsing
5. Repeated “fever fits” in children

🎓 In Ghana, hospitals like Korle Bu, Pantang, Komfo Anokye, and Tamale Teaching Hospital have neurology or psychiatry units that help diagnose and treat epilepsy [5].

9. Advice for Ghanaians

1. Get tested: A test called EEG can check for epilepsy.
2. Stick to your medicine: Don’t stop even if you feel better.
3. Drink enough water: Avoid fainting in the heat.
4. Avoid seizure triggers: Like alcohol, loud music, or tiredness.
5. Educate your family: Share what you know to fight the stigma.
6. Be ready: Teach someone close to you what to do if you faint or seize.

Conclusion

Epilepsy, seizures, and fainting are not curses or signs of madness. They are health conditions that can happen to anyone—and they can be treated. Let's stop the fear and help our friends and family get the right care.

References

1. World Health Organization (2023). Epilepsy Fact Sheet. https://www.who.int
2. Mental Health Authority Ghana (2022). Public Health Education Manual – Epilepsy Awareness in Ghana.
3. Ghana Health Service (2021). Fainting and Syncope: Primary Care Guidelines.
4. Pantang Psychiatric Hospital (2020). First Aid for Seizures and Epilepsy in Ghanaian Communities.
5. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (2023). Neurology and Psychiatry Unit Annual Report.