Stress is your physique’s response to a demanding state of affairs. In small doses, stress is usually a constructive factor. It could possibly show you how to end your mission with a burst of power, or to keep away from a harmful state of affairs.
In giant doses, nonetheless, stress may cause a cascade of problems — even seizures.
For individuals who have epilepsy or seizures, this stress might do greater than have an effect on their psychological well being. It could even put them at an elevated threat of getting seizures.
Learn the way stress can set off seizures, and what you are able to do to assist forestall them.
Epilepsy is normally recognized when you’ve a number of seizures in a sure time frame. Epilepsy is taken into account a spectrum, and people with epilepsy can have wherever from
Seizures are recognized by way of a mix of bodily evaluation, medical historical past, and imaging research. Your physician will ask about:
- household historical past of seizures
- prior seizures
- drugs you’re taking
- drug or alcohol use
- head traumas
- historical past of stroke
- metabolic problems like diabetes or kidney illness
- fevers
- current confusion or change in habits
- sleep habits
After taking your historical past and doing a bodily examination, your physician might order a number of of the next assessments to be taught extra about your seizure exercise:
Sustaining good total bodily well being and psychological wellbeing might assist cut back your threat of experiencing a seizure if stress impacts you.
Some examples of things you can do embrace:
- take any seizure remedy as prescribed
- cut back alcohol consumption
- keep away from taking unlawful medicine
- discuss with a pal or therapist
- keep a day by day routine
- comply with a daily sleep schedule
- train
- eat a nutritious diet
- maintain a journal of issues that hassle you or result in stress seizures
- take part in hobbies or different shops for stress
- apply leisure actions like yoga, tai chi, or meditation
Stress is usually a troublesome threat issue to measure or quantify. What’s irritating to 1 particular person might not be to a different, and we are able to’t all tolerate the identical stage of stress.
There are lots of methods stress can manifest, and numerous issues that may make it worse. Threat elements that would result in a stress-triggered seizures embrace:
- sleep deprivation
- melancholy and nervousness
- sickness
- an excessive amount of caffeine
- alcohol or drug use
- skipping meals or having a poor weight loss program
Seizure signs differ based mostly on the kind of seizure you’ve. The signs can vary in severity, and differ based mostly on what a part of your mind is being affected throughout the seizure episode.
Examples of symptoms throughout a seizure embrace:
- uncommon sensations
- staring off into house
- nausea
- headache
- dizziness
- repeating phrases
- noticing unusual smells (olfactory hallucinations)
- visible disturbances
- making odd or repetitive actions
- uncontrollable shaking or jerking of 1 physique half or the entire physique
- drooling or foaming on the mouth
- lack of bowel or bladder management
When you’ve got epilepsy and your seizures are being triggered by stress, you need to contemplate working to lower or keep away from irritating conditions. You may additionally take into consideration working along with your physician to search out an efficient remedy routine.
There are a selection of medications that can be utilized to manage seizures, and extra drugs could also be applicable that can assist you take care of stress, depression, or anxiety. Discuss along with your physician or a psychological well being skilled if you happen to’re having hassle dealing with seizures or day by day stress.
In case you don’t have epilepsy however are experiencing non-epileptic seizures introduced on by stress, there are a selection of therapies that will assist. These embrace:
- drugs to deal with nervousness or melancholy
- ruling out bodily issues that may very well be rising stress
- counseling measures like cognitive behavioral therapy
- way of life modifications
When you’ve got seizures, stress could also be a possible set off. There isn’t enough research to assist stress-reduction strategies as a approach to management seizures; nonetheless, there’s
Making positive lifestyle changes can enhance your high quality of life and show you how to deal with power epilepsy and different medical circumstances. Discuss along with your physician if you happen to want extra assist managing seizures or your stress ranges.
Whereas stress might not trigger seizures, it might play a job in each epileptic and non-epileptic seizures. Managing stress is a crucial a part of managing your seizures and enhancing your total well being.
Life-style modifications like getting sufficient sleep, sustaining a nutritious diet and common train, and meditation, can all assist management stress and should cut back seizure frequency.