Seizures result from abnormal brain activity, causing changes in awareness and muscle control. Effects from seizures can affect behaviour and senses, and they can be very distressing to you and your loved ones. There are several causes, making it challenging to identify risk factors and avoid them to prevent seizures.
Working with a healthcare professional to determine the root cause of your seizures increases the chance of being able to effectively treat and prevent them. Today, we’ll explore how to prevent seizures, symptoms and causes, and effective management strategies.
What are seizures?
A seizure is a surge of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that triggers a range of symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is sudden convulsions of the body and loss of consciousness. However, not all seizures look the same. Some may appear as if the individual is staring off into space for a few seconds. Others are noticeable through involuntary arm jerks or muscle twitches.
There are two types of seizures:
- Generalised seizures
The brain’s electrical activity starts on both sides at the same time. Common symptoms include shaking on one side of the body, both sides, or simply stopping what you’re doing to stare off into the distance. Generalised seizures often affect children or young adults, but they can occur at any age.
- Focal seizures
The electrical activity starts on one side of the brain, or a specific ‘focus’. Symptoms typically affect one side of the body, and these seizures don’t always impair awareness. This means you might be able to remember the seizure. The electrical activity may remain focal to one area of the brain or spread to cover a larger surface area.
What causes a seizure?
Neurons, or nerve cells, communicate by sending electrical signals to different parts of the brain. When a seizure occurs, it affects specific brain cells, which then fire signals uncontrollably to neighbouring cells. This causes an electrical activity overload in the affected areas of the brain, leading to seizure symptoms.
Seizures can be provoked (non-epileptic) or unprovoked (epileptic). The former is where a trigger, such as a temporary condition or specific circumstance, causes seizure symptoms. The latter is where seizures happen spontaneously and more frequently. Idiopathic seizures are those without a known cause.
Witnessing a seizure can be distressing, especially if you don’t know how to help. Read our helpful guide on what to do if someone has a seizure to ensure you’re prepared.
Preventing seizures by avoiding triggers
Seizure triggers are factors that increase the likelihood of electrical activity in the brain surging, thereby increasing the likelihood of a seizure. Both provoked and unprovoked seizures can be triggered by certain factors, and they’re usually very individual to each person.
Many people with seizures find keeping a seizure diary beneficial to record what they were doing at the time of an episode, which can help them figure out their triggers. Over time, patterns might emerge to indicate similar feelings or activities that trigger symptoms.
Here are several potential triggers and how to prevent seizures by avoiding them:
Not taking medication properly
Some seizures can be controlled with medication, but only if you take it as directed by your doctor. Missing doses or taking them at inconsistent times may lead to fluctuating levels of medication in your body, allowing times when seizures are more likely. Failing to take medication properly is one of the most common seizure triggers.
The good news is that this trigger is avoidable through consistent, reliable medication tracking. Set alarms on your phone for when you need to take your medication, and choose a set time each day when you can reliably take it without being interrupted by other responsibilities or plans. Make sure to take it as frequently as required to prevent the medicine from being eliminated from your body before it can be replenished.
Alcohol use
Many people who experience seizures can have one or two alcoholic drinks on occasion without experiencing any worrying symptoms. However, drinking larger amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of a seizure, especially after you stop drinking. Alcohol can also affect your sleep and stop you from taking your medication, heightening your seizure risk in multiple ways.
Talk to your healthcare provider about alcohol and seizures. They may advise you on how to consume alcohol safely or recommend avoiding it altogether. If you’re on medication to control seizure activity, check that alcohol doesn’t diminish or alter its effectiveness.
Poor sleep schedule
Many people who experience frequent seizures report that feeling tired or not sleeping well is a common trigger. The seizure will then cause you to have another bad night’s sleep, increasing the likelihood of another seizure and creating a cycle. A lack of sleep seems to be a trigger for both generalised and focal seizures.
To prevent a bad sleep cycle or get out of one you’ve already become accustomed to, always start the night with a wind-down routine. Turn screens off an hour before bed, instead practising meditation, journaling or listening to music. Practice good sleep hygiene and prioritise rest over distractions.
Recreational drug use
Recreational drugs aren’t standardised, meaning there’s no control over what goes into them while being manufactured. They can be dangerous for a number of reasons, including triggering seizures. Recreational drugs can also interfere with your sleep pattern or make you forget to take your medicine.
To avoid this trigger, avoid using illegal drugs and ‘legal highs’. This includes recreational cannabis, as this hasn’t been regulated in the way medical marijuana has. If your doctor has prescribed cannabis, they will have weighed up the pros and cons of using it alongside your history of seizures.
Stress
While it’s not known exactly why stress can trigger seizures, many people who experience them report this as a common influence on their condition. Some people find that feeling stressed can lead to other negative changes in their daily routine. For example, stress may make you feel anxious and depressed, which can influence eating and sleeping habits.
To prevent seizures, try to lead a stress-free life whenever possible. While it may often be easier said than done, implementing stress management techniques can be beneficial. Deep breathing, yoga, physical exercise and managing time effectively are just a few ways to reduce stress levels and potentially decrease the likelihood of future seizures.
Flashing and flickering lights
Flashing lights are a very common trigger for epileptic seizures (3-5% of sufferers respond negatively to this stimulus). This is known as photosensitive epilepsy and can be triggered by both natural and artificial light, including screens such as TVs, phones and gaming consoles. Seizures usually occur when looking at the trigger or shortly afterwards.
If flashing lights are one of your triggers, avoid them as much as possible. Many video creators and broadcasters mention when flashing lights are used in their media, but this isn’t required by law. Be vigilant, especially with online content, and practice screen-free time to limit the potential trigger exposure.
Illnesses that cause high temperatures
High temperatures can trigger seizures, especially if this change is due to an infection. This is a common trigger for seizures in children, which is why it’s so important to get them medical attention if a temperature does not reduce with medication. Febrile seizures are linked with high temperatures, and people with focal seizures seem to be more susceptible to this trigger than those with generalised episodes.
It’s difficult to avoid illnesses that induce high temperatures, especially if you’re surrounded by many people every day. However, practising good hygiene and keeping your distance from people exhibiting symptoms can help reduce the chance of you catching it. If you notice your temperature rising, take OTC medications like paracetamol to reduce it.
Lifestyle and environmental triggers
There are several other factors that we experience in everyday life that may contribute to increased seizure activity, including:
- Exercise: Research has indicated that regular exercise can help reduce the chance of having seizures.
- Missing meals: Some people who experience seizures have reported missing meals as a trigger for their episodes.
- Smoking and vaping: Nicotine, or other compounds found in cigarette smoke and vape fluids, could trigger seizures.
- Essential oils: There have been reports of essential oils, often used in complementary therapies, causing seizures.
- Caffeine: Some seizure sufferers note that caffeine is a trigger for their episodes, while others believe it protects against seizures.
- Weather: Changes in weather and extreme temperatures have been reported as triggers for seizures in some cases.
Seizure risk factors
There are also several risk factors for developing seizures. These are not the same as triggers, which cause seizure activity soon after exposure. Risk factors increase an individual’s likelihood of experiencing symptoms in the future.
You might be at higher risk of experiencing a seizure if you:
- Have an underlying condition
- Have a biological family history of seizures
- Are under 18 years of age
- Are over 50 years of age
While your age cannot be amended to lower your seizure risk, you may be able to affect your future risk by keeping on top of treatment for your underlying health condition. You can also work with your healthcare provider to manage the risk of seizures if you have a strong family history. For example, you may be prescribed anti-seizure medication to use in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle.
When is professional care required?
Most people who experience seizures manage them effectively on their own, living fulfilling and independent lives. However, problems may start to arise for older people living with seizures, especially if forgetfulness and confusion prevent them from managing their medication effectively or remembering triggers to avoid.
If your loved one is experiencing seizures along with a decline in cognitive health, it may be beneficial to consider neurological care. At Trinity Homecare, we’re committed to providing bespoke support through fully trained, experienced carers. We offer both visiting and live-in support, tailored to the level of assistance required. Not only will the carer matched with your loved one assist with daily activities and routines, but they can also help with trigger diaries, manage exposure and assess risk factors.
Talk to our team today
If your loved one requires home care, chat with one of our friendly care team today. We offer a free, no-obligation enquiry and assessment service and are happy to offer information and advice to help you find the perfect home care solution.
Call us on 020 4572 5583 in confidence for a free, no-obligation quotation. If you are enquiring outside of our opening hours, please complete our online form and we will contact you the next business day.
