“Working together with individuals, families and medical professionals to offer support and information on Syncope and Reflex Anoxic Seizures”
Contact Details
PHONE: +44(0)1789 450564
FAX:+44(0)1789 450682
Email: info@stars.org.uk
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What is RAS?
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What is RAS?
REFLEX ANOXIC SEIZURES occur mainly in young children but can occur at any age. Any unexpected stimulus, such as pain, shock, fright, causes the heart and breathing to stop, the eyes to roll up into the head, the complexion to become deathly white/grey, often blue around the mouth and under the eyes, the jaw to clench and the body to stiffen, sometimes the arms and legs jerk. After 30 seconds or so, the body relaxes, the heart and breathing resume and the person is unconscious. One or two minutes later the person may regain consciousness but can remain unconscious for well over an hour. Upon recovery the person may be very emotional and then fall into a deep sleep for two to three hours and looks extremely pale. RAS attacks may occur several times per day/ week/ month. The attacks appear to come in batches.
Unfortunately, because of the symptoms, it is known that RAS is often mis-diagnosed as temper tantrums, breath holding or as epilepsy. It is, therefore, one of the aims of the Group to bring about both professional and public awareness of RAS.
Living with RAS
“I just wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool , sit and play jigsaws all day, knowing that she was unlikely to have an attack if she didn’t move”.
Such a response to caring for a child with RAS is natural. However parents need to balance the understandable need to protect their child from harm against the long term problems this can cause. Excluding children from everyday activities and risks can stunt their normal emotional and psychological development. Discipline and limit setting is particularly hard for families of these children but remain essential for the child’s healthy development.
