The first seizure you experience can be traumatic. And if diagnosed with epilepsy, it can take some time to accept the consequences of living with it. People should learn epilepsy emergency management effectively with lifestyle modifications.
Loss of physical and mental control, which can be frightening, is one of the biggest differences between managing epilepsy and other illnesses. A person with epilepsy must adjust their lifestyle accordingly.
What are the triggering factors of epilepsy?
One way to keep the condition under control is to find out what causes a seizure. Even though there may not be a single reason. You will learn over time to avoid things like:
- Stress
- Bright colors
- Specific foods
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Flashy lights
- Sleeplessness
To understand the triggering factors and how to control them, contact the best neurology hospital in Coimbatore for the best advice.
What lifestyle changes can be made for the management of epilepsy?
As with many long-term health problems, epilepsy can be helped by changing how you live. Epilepsy can affect people differently based on how bad the disorder is if they have other medical or neurological problems, and how hard it is to get along with others.
Know that it can take a long time for you and your doctor to handle getting rid of your seizures. In the meantime, it’s important that you make plans and goals to fit your situation into your daily life. The fact that seizures can back at any time is probably the most annoying thing about epilepsy; it can make people insecure.
The lifestyle modification for epilepsy to help people manage effectively:
Get to know your epilepsy triggers:
Bright, flashing lights, sleeplessness, certain sounds, activity, skipping meals or medication, hormonal changes, stress, drug abuse, and alcohol can all cause seizures. But everyone’s cause is different. How can you know what has triggered your epilepsy? Well, an epilepsy journal can help.
Epilepsy journal or seizure diary:
Keeping your seizures in a diary can help you get a handle on them. A seizure log is just a record of how your seizures are going. Your doctor can help you figure out what to keep track of.
Making changes to the diet that suits your epilepsy:
Some people have seizures when they skip meals. Because of this, people with epilepsy should eat simultaneously every day. Some people can avoid or reduce seizures if they eat, take medicine, and sleep at the same scheduled time every day.
Some people find that a modified Atkins or ketogenic diet helps them control their seizures.
What foods should you avoid for epilepsy?
If your blood sugar goes up or down quickly, it could cause seizures. Because of this, it’s usually best to avoid processed foods with a lot of sugar, like cookies, candy, and white bread.
Quitting alcohol and staying away from drugs:
Some people with epilepsy can drink but only in moderation. Some people cannot drink at all. It is best to avoid drinking when you are at high risk and after surgery. People with epilepsy must avoid illegal drugs because they are especially dangerous.
Perform exercises to help in the management of epilepsy:
People with epilepsy can get a lot out of exercise. Weight-bearing exercises like running, lifting, walking, and lifting strengthen bones and help in muscle growth. People with epilepsy need to exercise even more because some medicines used to treat epilepsy can impact bone health. Additionally, exercise makes you feel better and less anxious.
Manage stress effectively:
Stress is a common reason for seizures. Because of this, one of the first things your doctor will tell you to do to help you deal with epilepsy better is to reduce your worry. But everyone has a different idea of what stress is. What makes one person stressed may help the other person overcome it.
Make healthy changes to sleep pattern:
Sleep and seizures go hand in hand. Not getting enough sleep is one of the main reasons people have seizures. Lack of sleep can also make seizures worse or last longer. Because of this, your doctor may talk to you about “good sleep habits.” Sleep habits are a set of habits that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and sleep better.
What are the treatment approaches for epilepsy?
Most of the time, it starts epileptic seizure treatment with medicine. The doctor might suggest surgery or other methods if the problem can’t be fixed with medicine.
Medications for epilepsy:
Most people with epilepsy can stop having seizures by taking just one anti-seizure or anti-epileptic medicine. Some people may be able to reduce the number and severity of their seizures by taking more than one drug.
Many children with epilepsy who aren’t having seizures can finally stop taking their medicines and live without seizures. After two years or more without seizures, many adults can stop taking their medicines.
Epilepsy surgery:
Surgery might be a choice when medicine doesn’t work effectively to stop seizures. During fy, the part of the brain causing seizures is removed.
Most of the time, the doctors perform surgery when tests show:
- The seizures come from a small, clear spot in the brain.
- The part of the brain that will be operated on doesn’t affect your speaking, language, motor skills, vision, or hearing.
Therapy for epilepsy:
In addition to medications and surgery, these possible treatments could also be used to treat epilepsy:
Vagus nerve stimulation:
In vagus nerve stimulation, a device called a vagus nerve stimulator, similar to a heart pacemaker is put under the skin of the chest. The vagus nerve in your neck is linked to the generator wires.
Important Takeaway:
You need to see your neurology specialist in Coimbatore often to ensure you’re taking the right amount of anti-seizure medicine. Another reason to see your doctor regularly is that taking care of your health will help make sure you don’t have another epilepsy attack.
