How to Prevent Seizures

While any person can have a seizure, people who have had two or more seizures without an identifiable cause are at higher risk of having additional seizures. Other conditions may also increase the risk of seizures. If you are at high risk for seizures or you have a child who is considered high-risk for seizures, you may be seeking information on how to prevent seizures in New Jersey. Not all measures work for all people, and you may only be able to reduce the number of seizures rather than eliminate them. However, many people find the following things help reduce the number of seizures that they have.

Take All Medication as Prescribed

Learning how to stop a seizure from happening can be crucial in providing timely assistance and ensuring the well-being of individuals experiencing seizures. Anti-epileptic medications can be very effective at helping some people reduce or even eliminate seizures. The problem is that, once the seizures stop happening people often stop taking their medicines. That can actually cause withdrawal seizures. Trying to self-medicate by increasing dosages can also cause toxicity. That is why it is important to take the prescribed dose at the same time or times each day, and to follow your doctor’s instructions about what to do if you miss a dose.

Sleep

Lack of sleep is a big contributing factor to seizures. Getting enough sleep can help you avoid seizures and reduce overall stress. Helping your kid get enough sleep can be difficult, especially for older kids who naturally want to stay up later but have to wake up early for school days. Enforcing an early bedtime for you or your kids may seem difficult, but it could help reduce seizures.

Eat Regular Meals

Skipping meals can lead to hypoglycemia, which can trigger seizures in some people. Eating meals at regular times and having healthy snacks between meals can help with seizure prevention.

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs

When your children are small, it is easy to keep them from drinking or taking recreational drugs. However, as much as parents may want to ignore it, drugs and alcohol are often part of teenage life. You need to make sure your children are aware that alcohol and drug use can contribute to seizures. In addition, they may have negative interactions with anti-seizure medications. Even for adults, avoiding these triggers can be difficult. However, they simply are not worth risking triggering a seizure.

Exercise

Exercise may be the single most-effective “medicine” that a doctor can suggest. It has overall health benefits that can tackle a variety of different conditions. While exercise is not directly linked to a reduction in seizures, it is linked to reducing stress levels. Stress is a known trigger for seizures, so incorporating regular exercise can help you manage that stress and avoid seizures.

Pay Attention to Fevers

While epilepsy and seizure disorders put people at high risk of having seizures, many children are at risk of having seizures if they have high fevers. If your child is experiencing a high fever, contact a medical professional for help on how to bring down body temperature.

Avoid Flashing Lights

Flashing lights are a commonly known seizure symptom trigger. However, they actually only impact about 3% of people with epilepsy. If you have photosensitive epilepsy, you need to limit exposure to flashing lights. That can include video games.

Find a Good Neurologist

If you have epilepsy or another seizure-disorder, you need a pediatric neurologist to manage your care. A neurologist can investigate why the seizures are happening and help create a treatment protocol for you. This is one of the key ways to prevent seizures and how to stop seizures in adults.

FAQs

What are the symptoms of a seizure?

Seizure symptoms can vary but often include a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety, uncontrollable muscle spasms, loss of consciousness, and confusion after regaining consciousness.

What lifestyle changes can help in preventing seizures?

Lifestyle changes such as getting regular sleep, maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding triggers like stress, alcohol, and drugs are some effective ways to prevent seizures.

How can I prevent a seizure from happening?

Learning how to stop a seizure from happening mainly involves managing triggers and taking prescribed medications consistently. If you have been prescribed anti-seizure medication, it is crucial to take it exactly as directed by your doctor. If possible, avoid common triggers such as flashing lights, lack of sleep, stress, and alcohol.

What are some strategies on managing and preventing seizures?

There are several solutions for those who want to find out how to stop seizures. The first step is usually prescription medication. However, some people may also benefit from alternative therapies such as acupuncture or biofeedback. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and avoiding triggers like lack of sleep and excessive alcohol consumption may also help prevent seizures.

What is the importance of a neurologist in seizure prevention?

A neurologist plays a crucial role in seizure prevention by investigating the cause of the seizures and creating a personalized treatment plan.