Reducing the Risk of Seizures Part 1 - What You Can Do

A fashionable alternative to having a medical alert bracelet. Courtesy of Flickr.com by Lauren's Hope.

If you have Epilepsy, you may find yourself wondering if there are certain things you do each day that trigger your seizures, and if there are ways to reduce the amount of seizures that you may have daily, weekly, monthly, etc. The answer for most people is YES, you can. Here are a few things you can do each day to help lessen the occurrence of your seizures:

1. Your body may be low on electrolytes. Try drinking Gatorade a few times a week. Many people with  Epilepsy are low on things like sodium, magnesium and calcium. Invest in a good supplement of these things. A very good supplement to buy is Mag-Cal (Magnesium & Calcium). It is very important to keep these things level.

2. Altered sleep patterns play a big role in causing seizures. As I have mentioned in previous blog entries, lack of sleep is horrible for a person with Epilepsy. Try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep at the least. This means no staying out late!!!

3. Avoid things that make you stressed. Stress comes along with almost everything in your life, so it is hard to avoid. However, there are certain types of stress that can be avoided. Try to plan out your days using a daily planner. This will help let you know how much free time you have, and what things you need to get done. Always make space on your agenda for down-time or naps. Try meditation, yoga, aroma-therapy, and exercise (in moderation) to help relieve whatever stress is left over after that.

4. As I mentioned in tip #3, Exercise is key to relieving stress... but don't push your body to the limit. Many people with Epilepsy (including myself) are very exhausted each day, even when we haven't done merely anything. Exhaustion can put more stress on the body, thus causing seizures. If you find yourself too exhausted to exercise, try lifting 5-10 lbs weights while watching tv or doing small sessions of cardio in the morning when you have the most amount of energy. Other small things you can do are walking your dog, pilates, and yoga. Medicine balls are great to keep you toned, and do not tire you out as much as running and jogging.

5. Tip #4 leads us to weight gain. Exercise helps keep down the risk of gaining weight from your medications. Weight gain and sometimes weight loss can induce seizures, so it is important to stay at a steady weight. If you are trying to lose weight, do it slowly and steadily.

6. Limit video games, computer use, and TV watching. This may be hard for some people, especially those who spend most of their days at home. These three things are one of the biggest no-no's for anyone who has seizures. The bright colors, special effects, and sudden color/screen changes have been scientifically proven to cause seizures. The healthy amount of TV/Computer/Video Games hours per day is 2 hours at the most for non-epileptic people. This means people with Epilepsy should limit their usage to less than or equal to 1.5 hours per day.

7. The Ketogenic Diet. This diet is very controversial to many doctors, but has shown great results for some people. This diet is very high in fat, but low in carbs. It sounds unhealthy, but many people actually lose weight on this diet. If you are interested and would like to know more, visit this link. When you are sure, ask your doctor to help assist you. This diet should not be tried without the help of your doctor as it can have dangerous results for some people.

8. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS Therapy). A unique non-drug treatment for certain types of intractable epilepsy (and/or major depression). VNS Therapy uses an implanted stimulator that sends electric impulses to the left vagus nerve in the neck via a lead wire implanted under the skin. The surgery lasts about 1-2 hours and has a recovery time of 1 to 2 weeks for most people. About 1/3 of patients have had the number of their seizures reduced by half or more; less than 5% of patients become seizure free. About 1/3 have shown benefit but have had their seizure frequency reduced by less than half. About 1/3 have had no worthwhile benefit. This is based on studies done in 2004. Since then, many new models of the device have been developed, thus changing the success rate slightly. Visit this site to learn more.

9. NO Drug and Alcohol use! Alcohol can be dangerous when mixed with sedative drugs, such as phenobarbital, or anti-epileptic drugs. It can cause a coma, or even death. Alcohol use by itself is thought by many doctors to raise the risk of having seizures. Many street drugs, along with other drugs on the market can cause seizures in non-epileptic people. However, this risk is much higher on Epileptics, and the seizures are much worse. Many teenagers feel the need to experiment with drugs and alcohol, so it is important to talk to your kids and let them know that their lives are literally on the line... especially being Epileptic.

10. Take your medicine on time! This is one of the biggest things you can do to reduce your seizures. Skipping doses or taking medications off schedule can throw off your brain activity, so it's very important to be accurate and on time. Sometimes it is hard to remember correct dosage or when to take your medications. Try to buy a weekly pill container. You can use this simple tool to separate your doses ahead of time, and it will help you keep track of your medications. You can also set your alarm on your phone or have medication reminder text messages sent to you by visiting Free Rx Reminder. If you don't have a cell phone, invest in a good alarm clock, or have a loved one help remind you.

These are 10 somewhat simple things that you can do to reduce the risk of having seizures. Follow these rules and you might be able to live a more active seizure-free life.