Self-Managing Your Epilepsy Through Maintaining a Proper Diet:
Maintaining proper nutrition through eating a well-balanced diet is another way that you can work towards achieving a healthy lifestyle which can help you reduce the frequency and/or severity of your epileptic seizures.
What is a "well-balanced diet"?
Eating a "well-balanced diet" means following Health Canada's "Food Guide to Healthy Eating" (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/nutrition/pube/foodguid/index.html). Furthermore, it is probably best for those with epilepsy to limit how much they consume of the following foods which may possibly trigger seizures: caffeine, artificial sweeteners, excessive sugar, processed foods, and chocolate.
Is it safe for me to consume alcohol?
Generally, it is not recommended that those with epilepsy consume alcohol. While the pressure to drink may be considerably high, especially in social situations, it is important to remember that alcohol can have adverse effects on those who experience seizures and on those who take anti-convulsant medication. Because each individual and his or her situation is unique, it is probably best to consult with your physician before consuming alcohol.
What are some of the common effects that alcohol may have on those who experience epilepsy?
The effects can be briefly summarized as follows:
- alcohol can influence the rate at which anti-convulsant medications are absorbed within, and/or eliminated from, the body, thereby adversely affecting the strength and potency of the anti-epileptic medication;
- alcohol may worsen the existing side effects of certain anti-convulsant medication;
- there is a higher likelihood of seizures occurring during the "withdrawal period," that is (??) during the hours following drinking, when the blood alcohol content begins to fall;
- even small quantities of alcohol can trigger seizures in those individuals who are having difficulty controlling their seizures with their existing anti-convulsant medication;
- because alcohol can impair people's judgement, motor ability and perception, it is possible that an individual who consumes alcohol may forget to take his/her seizure medication.
Is it safe for me to smoke?
While nicotine is not generally thought to trigger seizures in those with epilepsy (with some exceptions), there is much scientific research available to suggest that smoking can contribute to various other health-related illnesses and diseases including: cancer, stroke, and heart disease.
Furthermore, if a person who was smoking was to experience a seizure and lose consciousness and/or motor control over him/herself, thereby possibly causing his/her cigarette to fall away from him/her without any awareness of such, this creates a potential fire hazard.
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