Head injury is a major risk for all bicyclists. For those without a seizure disorder, a head injury suffered in a bicycling accident could cause epilepsy. For cyclists with epilepsy, a head injury could aggravate a seizure disorder. A helmet provides valuable protection for the person with epilepsy, should a seizure occur while bicycling.
Helmets act as shock absorbers, spreading and absorbing the impact energy when the head hits something. Cyclists need to ensure a helmet fits properly, has a label indicating approval by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and that it has never absorbed an impact before. After a bicycling accident, the helmet liner is damaged and the entire helmet must be replaced.