Living With Epilepsy: Triggers and Everyday Safety

Around 50 million people worldwide live with epilepsy, and up to 70% could be seizure-free with the right treatment. Day-to-day habits make a big difference to how well seizures are controlled.

Imagine going a year without a seizure, then having two in a month. Looking back, you’d been missing doses during a hectic house move and sleeping four hours a night. Setting phone reminders and protecting your sleep gets you back on track.

Common seizure triggers

• Missed or late doses of epilepsy medicine
• Lack of sleep or disrupted sleep
• Stress and strong emotions
• Alcohol, especially heavy drinking and hangovers
• Illness and fever
• Hormonal changes, such as around periods
• Flashing or flickering lights, for the small number with photosensitive epilepsy

Everyday safety tips

• Take medicines at the same time every day; use alarms or a pill organiser
• Shower rather than bathe, and never swim alone
• Use guards on fires and cookers, and cook with back rings where possible
• Keep a seizure diary to spot patterns
• Carry ID or medical information
• Follow your country’s driving rules, which usually require a seizure-free period
• Talk to your doctor before pregnancy, as some medicines need changing

But what should others do during a seizure?

• Stay calm and time the seizure
• Move hard objects away and cushion the head
• Don’t restrain them or put anything in their mouth
• When jerking stops, roll them onto their side and stay with them

Call an ambulance if a seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, another follows without recovery in between, the person is injured, has trouble breathing, it happens in water, or it’s their first seizure.

Sources: World Health Organization (Epilepsy), International League Against Epilepsy, Epilepsy Foundation, Epilepsy Society.