How to prevent epilepsy?

Epilepsy is the most common of brain disorders. It is characterized by repeated

seizures, or "fits", which range from the shortest lapse in attention to severe, frequent
convulsions. They can occur several times a day to once every few months. The
seizures are caused by bursts of excessive electrical activity in the brain. In many
cases, these methods are so successful that people go for years with complete seizure
control. Epileptic seizures can be prevented by regular use of anti-seizure medication,
removal of brain tissue where seizures take place, special diet to produce a change in
body chemistry, and avoidance of special conditions known to trigger seizures in
susceptible people. Effective actions for the prevention of epilepsy include adequate
pre-natal and post-natal care, safe delivery, control of fever in children, control of
parasitic diseases, and prevention of brain injury such as controlling blood pressure or
using safety belts and helmets.

Drug therapy is by far the most often used and is almost always the method
tried first. Sixteen medications to prevent epileptic seizures are currently
approved for use in the U.S., and of these, the following six are used most
frequently: Phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital, ethosuximide (Zarontin),
primidone (Mysoline), valproic acid (Depakene) and carbamazepine (Tegretol).
When taken regularly as prescribed, medication can prevent seizures in about
half of all cases and produce improvement in about 30 percent of all cases. The
remaining patients do not get much relief from existing medications.

When drugs fail to prevent seizures, surgery may be an option, but surgery is
only possible when the seizures begin in one fairly small part of the brain that
can be removed without affecting speech, memory or some other important
brain function. Although surgery is not used as often as drug therapy, the
results are similar - about 70 percent of all patients getting either fully or greatly
improved control of seizures, and the rest have only a slight improvement or
none at all.

Head injuries are responsible for many cases of epilepsy. The patient can
reduce the risk by always wearing a seat belt while riding in a car and by
wearing a helmet while bicycling, skiing, riding a motorcycle, or engaging in
other activities with a high risk of head injury. Stroke and other diseases that
affect vascular system can lead to brain damage that may trigger epilepsy. A
number of steps can be taken to reduce risk of these diseases, including limiting
the womans intake of alcohol, following a healthy diet, managing the womans
weight, exercising regularly and avoiding cigarettes.

In people with an active seizure disorder, it is also important to take precautions

to minimize the risk of injury if a seizure should occur. For this reason, it is
generally recommended that patients do not operate a motor vehicle or other
dangerous machinery for at least six months following the most recent seizure.
People with epilepsy may find it helpful to wear a medical identification bracelet
or other form of identification that describes their illness. This will provide vital
information about.