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| Epilepsy - Symptoms, Diagnosis |
Sometimes, children are placed on a special diet to help prevent seizures. The most popular one is the ketogenic diet. A diet low in carbohydrates, such as the Atkins diet, may also be helpful in some adults.
Lifestyle or medical changes can increase the risk for a seizure in a person with epilepsy. Talk with your doctor about:
New prescribed medications, vitamins, or supplements
Emotional stress
Illness, especially infection
Lack of sleep
Pregnancy
Skipping doses of epilepsy medications
Use of alcohol or other recreational drugs
Other considerations:
Persons with epilepsy should wear medical alert jewelry so that prompt medical treatment can be obtained if a seizure occurs.
Persons with poorly controlled epilepsy should not drive. Each state has a different law about which people with a history of seizures are allowed to drive.
Also avoid machinery or activities where loss of awareness would cause great danger, such as climbing to high places, biking, and swimming alone.
