7 Possible Triggers Of Seizure Activity

Taking medicine that is prescribed by your doctor is important. Don’t try and self-manage your condition. If you’re concerned about your medication, talk to your doctor and don’t do anything without their advice and guidance.

Taking epilepsy medicines regularly, as prescribed by the doctor, will help to keep a steady level of the medicine in your blood. Several studies have shown that missing a dose of your epilepsy medicine increases the risk of you having a seizure.

Understanding your body is important. When your body is tired – your brain is too. It’s good to have a rest at this point, as feeling tired can lead to a seizure. Many people with epilepsy say that feeling tired or not sleeping well can trigger seizures.

Epilepsy Action has more information about the importance of getting enough sleep.

Stress comes in many different forms, but learning how to manage your stress can help.

It’s not known exactly why stress might trigger seizures, but many people with epilepsy say that if they are feeling stressed, they are more likely to have a seizure.

For some people, feeling stressed can lead to other things, such as changing sleeping or eating habits, drinking more alcohol, and feeling anxious or depressed. All of these can increase your risk of having a seizure.

If you decide to drink alcohol, bear in mind that this can make seizures more likely.

Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol in 24 hours can increase the risk of having seizures. After heavy drinking, the risk is highest when the alcohol is leaving your body. This risk is usually between 6 and 48 hours after you’ve stopped drinking.

Some people with epilepsy have seizures that are triggered by flashing or flickering lights, or some patterns. This is called photosensitive epilepsy.

If you have photosensitive epilepsy, both natural and artificial light may trigger seizures. Some patterns, like stripes or checks, can also trigger seizures. You would usually have a seizure when you are looking at the trigger, or shortly after.

For all young people with epilepsy who are going through puberty, your medication may need to be reviewed due to growth spurts. Please discuss this with your GP.

Young people who have epilepsy need to manage their food intake to ensure they aren’t missing meals.

Take a look at our information on fasting, food rumours and healthy weight for more advice and guidance on this.

 

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