Recognizing Seizure Triggers
Some people who have epilepsy have no special seizure triggers, while others are able to recognize things in their lives that do affect their seizures.
Keep in mind, however, that just because two events happen around the same time doesn't mean that one is the cause of the other.
Generally, the most frequent cause of an unexpected seizure is failure to take the medication as prescribed. That's the most common trigger of all.
However, lack of sleep is a common cause of increased frequency of seizures. Illness or fever may also trigger them. Excessive use of alcohol and withdrawal from alcohol may precipitate seizures as well. Illegal drugs, especially cocaine, may cause seizures.
Occasionally, a person will feel that eating a certain food or food containing certain substances will trigger seizures. There's no evidence that any food substance produces this reaction in large numbers of people who have epilepsy. However, if you feel sure something has that effect on you, it makes sense to avoid it.
Extreme stress affects seizures in most people. You may want to try to reduce your level of stress and learn simple relaxation techniques. There are several books about how to relax and manage stress that you can find at your local library or bookstore, or in the Marketplace section of the Epilepsy Foundation's website.
Contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage of people with epilepsy are especially sensitive to flickering light patterns, such as sunlight, strobe lights or computer screen flicker. Wearing polarized sunglasses may help when the flicker of sunlight is a problem. Sitting back from the TV or computer screen, keeping the room brightly lit, covering one eye when approaching the set, and taking frequent breaks may also help.
Sensitivity to flashing strobe lights is a seizure trigger that runs in families and may be discovered during an EEG (electroencephalogram) test. Occasionally, video games, especially the ones with flashing lights, or alternating patterns of light and dark, may cause seizures in people who have this sensitivity to flickering lights.
Women's Issues
Some women with epilepsy find that their seizures are more frequent at specific times during their menstrual cycles. Others may notice changes in seizures during times of hormonal change during puberty, pregnancy or menopause. If you notice hormone-linked changes, keep a chart of your seizures and your cycle over a period of time and share it with your doctor.
