Article Surfing Archive

Indeed, some of the causes of epilepsy are preventable. Utmost care should be taken at the time of delivery so that brain/ skull injury to the newborn is avoided.

However, head injuries, at all ages, should be avoided, so as to prevent the occurrence of traumatic epilepsy, both following the injury or later. The use of helmets is advisable, especially while traveling on two-wheelers. However, while driving cars or any other vehicle, all precautions must be taken to safeguard against accidents.

Since the disease also occurs following the intake of infected pork, either one should abstain from taking pork, or take it when it is absolutely safe, and has been cooked properly and thoroughly.

Consumption of alcohol should be avoided. Epilepsy is said to be three times more common among alcoholics than in non-alcoholics. Both excessive drinking or even moderate drinking of alcohol may precipitate an attack of. epilepsy.

There is a word of advice for alcoholics. For those who are addicted to alcohol for a long time, in such cases, alcohol must be withdrawn very gradually, otherwise it is very likely that an attack of epilepsy may be precipitated.

The same is true when someone is addicted to a sedative as a result of drug abuse. Such drugs should also be reduced gradually.

In all cases of diabetes, a strict control of blood sugar is required. It is seen sometimes, when a patient takes antidiabetic drugs in more than the required quantity, or takes reduced diet with the usual dose of the antidiabetic drug, there occurs a sudden fall in blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), which may cause in a small percentage of cases, generalized epileptic convulsions. Hence a proper control of diabetes is essential for the prevention of convulsions. In such cases, there will be no aura, i.e., warning signals/symptoms, before an attack of epilepsy is precipitated.

Fever in children should be controlled as a prevention of epilepsy. Convulsions as a result of fever constitute an important precipitating factor, and may necessitate a long-term course of antiepileptic drugs, especially in children who have a positive family history of epilepsy, and/or whose EEG findings are suggestive of the disease. Hence all care must be taken to control high fever in children as a preventive measure against epilepsy.

There are yet a few more precipitating conditions. An epileptic may be sensitive to light stimuli; therefore, as a preventive measure, such a patient should not face strong flashes/flickers. Great">All epileptics recall that when their EEG was recorded, at one stage, the technician must have shown them a strong flash and recorded the EEG. The idea is to evoke epileptic response in the patient so that a positive reading can be obtained for the diagnosis of the disease. Photosensitive epilepsy is a common one and is found in almost 5-10% of all cases of epilepsy.

For the same reasons, an epileptic should be cautious while watching TV. He should not view it at a stretch, and the room should not be dark. A light in the room, preferably near the TV set, must be on so that the effect of a flash, if any, can be minimized. Besides flash, the patient may be sensitive to different intensity/shades of light repeatedly appearing on the television screen. However, the brightness/shades, etc. can be adjusted in any television set, the one suitable/pleasing for the patient should be used, and all the family members must co operate with the patient who is watching TV at the same time.

Likewise, a child suffering from epilepsy may have difficulty in reading a book, and thus a proper light must be adjusted for the purpose. And if some print pattern in the book does not suit the child, or any epileptic, irrespective of age, it should be avoided, and the patient should be advised to read the book in bold print. If possible, the pattern of the print should suit him/her most. In other words, if a definite print pattern does not suit an epileptic, that should be preferably avoided so that an attack of epilepsy may not be precipitated. Parents have a vital role to play to guide their children in such matters. Similarly, if the patient is sensitive to a particular sound, rough, loud or pleasant, it should be avoided.