Can you prevent epilepsy?

Take steps everyday to lower your chances of stroke and heart disease. These include eating well, exercising, and not smoking. These health actions may prevent epilepsy later in life.
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How can epilepsy be prevented permanently?

Treatments include:
  1. medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)
  2. surgery to remove a small part of the brain that's causing the seizures.
  3. a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures.
  4. a special diet (ketogenic diet) that can help control seizures.
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What are the main causes of epilepsy?

Causes of epilepsy
  • a stroke.
  • a brain tumour.
  • a severe head injury.
  • drug abuse or alcohol misuse.
  • a brain infection.
  • a lack of oxygen during birth.
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Can a person live a normal life with epilepsy?

Most people with epilepsy live a full life. However, the risk of early death is higher for some. We know that the best possible seizure control and living safely can reduce the risk of epilepsy-related death.
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What are the warning signs of epilepsy?

Epilepsy: Seizure Triggers, Warning Signs, and Symptoms
  • Temporary confusion—often described as a “fuzzy” feeling.
  • A staring spell.
  • Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs.
  • Loss of consciousness or awareness.
  • Psychic symptoms—out-of-body feelings or not feeling “in the moment”
  • Memory lapses.
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3 reminders that can help prevent epileptic seizures



Is epilepsy a death sentence?

Each year, more than 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP. This is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures.
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Can you feel a seizure coming on?

A Déjà vu feeling (you feel like you are experiencing something that has occurred before) Intense fear and panic. 'Pins and needles' sensation in certain parts of your body. Jerky movements in of the arm, leg, or body.
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Can epilepsy be cured permanently?

They can last from a few seconds to several minutes and may cause confusion or loss of consciousness. Afterward, you may have no memory of a seizure happening. There's currently no cure for epilepsy, but it can be managed with medications and other strategies.
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Who is at risk for epilepsy?

Seizures and epilepsy are more common in young children and older people. About 1 in 100 people in the U.S. has had a single unprovoked seizure or has been diagnosed with epilepsy. 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. People with certain conditions may be at greater risk.
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Are you born with epilepsy or does it develop?

It can also happen during birth. You may not get epilepsy until long after your brain injury -- sometimes years later. Brain conditions. Most cases of epilepsy in people older than 35 happen because of brain damage from a stroke or even after brain surgery.
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Can epilepsy be caused by stress?

Stress can sometimes contribute to people developing epilepsy in the first place. This is more likely if your stress is severe, lasts a long time, or has affected you very early in life. In very young children, stress affects the development of the brain.
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Can you stop a seizure once it starts?

There isn't much you can do to stop a seizure once it starts. But you can help protect someone from harm during one. Some seizures are more dangerous than others, but most aren't an emergency. If you want to do something for the person, focus on keeping them safe.
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When does epilepsy usually start?

The seizures usually begin when the infant is about three days old and are brief, lasting one to two minutes. This condition causes generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which affect the entire body, causing muscle rigidity, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. It involves both sides of the brain.
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Can anxiety cause seizures?

However, according to research on the experiences of people with seizures, stress and anxiety can trigger seizures, and current research often underestimates the role they may play. Lack of sleep is a common trigger for seizures, and this can often happen in people who are experiencing overwhelming stress.
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What is the life expectancy for someone with epilepsy?

On average, people with epilepsy live 10–12 years less than those who do not have the condition. Summary: On average, people with epilepsy live 10-12 years fewer than those who do not have the condition. Excess mortality is particularly pronounced among people with epilepsy and mental disorders.
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How do people become seizure free?

Outlook in the First Year for People Newly Diagnosed with Seizures
  1. About 50 to 60% (5 to 6 out of every 10 people) will be seizure free after using the first seizure medication tried. ( ...
  2. A second seizure medication may help 11 to 20 out of every 100 people become seizure free.
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Does epilepsy go away with age?

Some people require lifelong treatment to control seizures, but for others, the seizures eventually go away. Some children with epilepsy may outgrow the condition with age.
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Does epilepsy worsen with age?

Factors affecting prognosis

Age: Adults over the age of 60 may experience an increased risk for epileptic seizures, as well as related complications.
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Are seizures preventable?

An estimated 25% of epilepsy cases are preventable. Preventing head injury is the most effective way to prevent post-traumatic epilepsy. Adequate perinatal care can reduce new cases of epilepsy caused by birth injury.
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Can overthinking cause seizures?

Emotional stress also can lead to seizures. Emotional stress is usually related to a situation or event that has personal meaning to you. It may be a situation in which you feel a loss of control. In particular, the kind of emotional stress that leads to most seizures is worry or fear.
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Is it OK to sleep after a seizure?

After the seizure: they may feel tired and want to sleep. It might be helpful to remind them where they are. stay with them until they recover and can safely return to what they had been doing before.
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Is having a seizure painful?

Generally, the experience of having a seizure does not hurt. That's because some seizures cause unconsciousness, so you're unaware of what is happening. However, you might have a headache before or after a seizure.
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Does epilepsy affect memory?

The epilepsy may cause difficulties with being able to store memories. Research has shown that people with epilepsy are prone to forget things more quickly than others.
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What is it like living with epilepsy?

People with epilepsy often experience changes in their quality of life such as less mobility, as well as the impact on learning, school attendance, employment, relationships, and social interactions.
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How does a seizure feel?

Some seizures cause the body to jerk and shake (a "fit"), while others cause problems like loss of awareness or unusual sensations. They typically pass in a few seconds or minutes. Seizures can occur when you're awake or asleep. Sometimes they can be triggered by something, such as feeling very tired.
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