ABOUT EPILEPSY
Precipitating Factors
What causes seizures?
Medication
Not taking one’s anti-epileptic medication.
Other medications that are taken in addition to anti-epileptic medication.
Internal Factors
Stress, excitement, emotional upset and infections with high body temperatures or fevers.
This type of over-stimulation may lower the person’s resistance to seizures by affecting sleeping or eating habits.
Boredom: Research shows that individuals who are happily occupied are less likely to have a seizure.
Lack of sleep can change the brain’s patterns of electrical activity and can trigger seizures.
High fevers may precipitate convulsions or seizures in children.
Menstrual cycle: Some women with epilepsy may have an increase in seizures during their menstruation. This is referred to as catamenial epilepsy and is due to changes in hormone levels, increased fluid retention, and changes in anti-epileptic drug levels in the blood
External Factors
Alcohol: can affect the rate at which the liver breaks down anti-epileptic medication. This may decrease the blood levels of anti-epileptic medications, affecting an individual’s seizure control.
Poor diet: Many seizures take place when blood sugar is low. 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.
Parents have reported that allergic reactions to certain foods (e.g. white flour) seem to trigger seizures in some children.
Certain nutrient shortages, such as a lack of calcium, have also been found to trigger seizures.
Very warm weather, hot baths, or showers, especially when there is a sudden change in temperature.
Television, videos, and flashing lights.
The “strobe effect” from fast scene changes on a bright screen, rapidly changing colours, or fast-moving shadows or patterns can all be trigger factors.