What can make seizures worse?

Here are some of the seizure triggers that have been reported by people with epilepsy:
  • Not taking epilepsy medicine as prescribed.
  • Feeling tired and not sleeping well.
  • Stress.
  • Alcohol and recreational drugs.
  • Flashing or flickering lights.
  • Monthly periods.
  • Missing meals.
  • Having an illness which causes a high temperature.
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What causes seizures to get worse?

Fever, the physical stress of being sick, and dehydration (from not drinking or eating normally, or from vomiting) can all bring on seizures. It can also be hard to get a good night's sleep while sick, and lack of sleep can be a trigger. Plus, some of the medications used to treat these ailments may be triggers.
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What can trigger seizure?

What are some commonly reported triggers?
  • Specific time of day or night.
  • Sleep deprivation – overtired, not sleeping well, not getting enough sleep, disrupted sleep.
  • Illness (both with and without fever)
  • Flashing bright lights or patterns.
  • Alcohol - including heavy alcohol use or alcohol withdrawl.
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What must you not do during the seizure?

Do not hold the person down or try to stop his or her movements. Do not put anything in the person's mouth. This can injure teeth or the jaw. A person having a seizure cannot swallow his or her tongue.
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What foods should epileptics avoid?

white bread; non-wholegrain cereals; biscuits and cakes; honey; high-sugar drinks and foods; fruit juices; chips; mashed potatoes; parsnips; dates and watermelon. In general, processed or overcooked foods and over-ripe fruits.
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What Really Causes Epilepsy?



Can sugar trigger seizures?

Stimulants such as tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, sweets, soft drinks, excess salt, spices and animal proteins may trigger seizures by suddenly changing the body's metabolism.
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Can caffeine trigger seizures?

As caffeine is a stimulant, it can trigger seizures in some people. Even drinking large amounts of tea or coffee can give you more than the daily recommended amount of caffeine and this could trigger a seizure if you have already a lower seizure threshold.
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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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What are warning signs of a seizure?

Aura (Late Warning Signs)

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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How long can a seizure last before brain damage?

If convulsive status epilepticus lasts for 30 minutes or longer it can cause permanent brain damage or even death.
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Why do seizures happen at night?

It's believed that sleep seizures are triggered by changes in the electrical activity in your brain during certain stages of sleeping and waking. Nighttime seizures occur most often in the early morning around 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and occur least often shortly after falling asleep.
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Can stress trigger 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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Can anxiety cause a seizure?

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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Can you fight off a seizure?

In cases where the aura is a smell, some people are able to fight off seizures by sniffing a strong odor, such as garlic or roses. When the preliminary signs include depression, irritability, or headache, an extra dose of medication (with a doctor's approval) may help prevent an attack.
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Can being cold trigger a seizure?

Low atmospheric temperature could cause seizures even among patients with less severe epilepsy, he said.
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Do seizures get worse over time?

Seizures can become more severe and happen more often over time. Epilepsy can be caused by tumors or improperly formed blood vessels.
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Can you feel a seizure coming?

Prodrome: Some people may experience feelings, sensations, or changes in behavior hours or days before a seizure. These feelings are generally not part of the seizure, but may warn a person that a seizure may come.
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Can seizures damage brain?

Most types of seizures do not cause damage to the brain. However, having a prolonged, uncontrolled seizure can cause harm. Because of this, treat any seizure lasting over 5 minutes as a medical emergency.
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Are there warnings before seizures?

Some people with seizures have noticed an aura or unusual sensation that serves as a warning signal before a seizure begins. This can come in the form of a visual disturbance, sound, or feeling of anxiety. Auras are sometimes a type of focal, or petit mal, seizure, and can be followed by a grand mal seizure.
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What are the chances of having a second seizure?

The chance of another seizure can range from 16% to 61%, depending on the circumstances surrounding the seizure and results of a neurological exam or other tests.
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What do hospitals do for seizures?

Antiseizure medicine may be used to treat a seizure lasting longer than five minutes or for multiple seizures. For a person with epilepsy, a Dignity Health neurologist will prescribe medications to prevent or reduce the frequency of seizures. For more severe conditions, electrical stimulation or surgery may be needed.
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Should you go to the hospital after a seizure?

Most seizures last between 30 seconds and two minutes and will not require any emergency medical attention. However, if someone is experiencing a seizure that lasts longer than two minutes, or they lose consciousness and it does not come back right after the seizure, you should call 911 right away.
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What foods are good for seizures?

A low glycemic index diet focuses on foods with a low glycemic index, meaning they affect blood glucose levels slowly, if at all. Although it's not understood why, low blood glucose levels control seizures in some people. Foods on this diet include meat, cheese, and most high-fiber vegetables.
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Is banana good for epilepsy?

The 2018 study was published in the ”Pharmacognosy Research”. The researchers tested the water extracts of banana stem on animals and found that it was able to reduce the onset and duration of seizures in animals with some forms of epilepsy under laboratory conditions.
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What is the best vitamin for epilepsy?

Vitamin D May Help Seizure Control

Supplemental vitamin D may be necessary for people who have these risk factors to maintain normal blood levels. A study published in 2012 showed that correcting vitamin D deficiency reduced seizures in people with epilepsy.
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