Reducing Your Risk of Epilepsy
There are steps you can take to lower your risk of epilepsy.
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Prevent seizures that happen from head injuries by:
- Wearing seat belts and bicycle helmets
- Putting children in car seats
- Get help right away if you think you have had a seizure.
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Get prenatal care to help prevent brain damage to a growing fetus:
- Eat a healthy diet and get enough vitamins.
- Do not drink alcohol.
- Do not smoke cigarettes or use illegal drugs.
- Treat high fevers (especially in children) with medicine
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Take steps to prevent or control health problems, such as:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Infections
- Any health problem that may affect or injure your brain
REFERENCES:
Epilepsy in adults. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T115086/Epilepsy-in-adults. Updated November 9, 2018. Accessed March 26, 2019.
Epilepsy in children. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T900174/Epilepsy-in-children. Updated March 22, 2018. Accessed March 26, 2019.
Epilepsy information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Epilepsy-Information-Page. Updated June 18, 2018. Accessed March 26, 2019.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The epilepsies: the diagnosis and management of the epilepsies in adults and children in primary and secondary care. NICE 2012 Jan:CG137.
Seizure disorders. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/seizure-disorders/seizure-disorders. Updated November 2018. Accessed March 26, 2019.
Last reviewed March 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD Last Updated: 3/26/2019