How to Prevent Epilepsy
Obtain proper prenatal care., Remain current with your vaccinations., Follow food safety guidelines., Avoid lead poisoning., Refrain from substance abuse., Prevent strokes and heart disease., Wear a helmet., Drive safely., Improve home safety...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Obtain proper prenatal care.
Expectant mothers can help prevent their children from developing epilepsy by receiving professional prenatal care.
Talk to a doctor about supplements and an appropriate diet.
Quit smoking, and refrain from drinking alcohol during gestation or while breast feeding., Brain infections are one of the more common causes for the development of epilepsy among children.Proper vaccination can often prevent the contraction of diseases that cause epilepsy., Globally, cysticercosis is the most common cause of epilepsy.This infection is passed along in the eggs of intestinal tapeworms.
To prevent the contraction of tapeworms, pork should be cooked thoroughly.
To prevent consumption of the eggs, a person who might have intestinal tapeworms should thoroughly wash hands before touching food.This is a much less common cause of epilepsy in developed nations. , Lead poisoning can often produce seizures and can negatively affect a child's psychological development.
Everyone should take precautions to prevent contact with lead-based products.Be particularly careful to protect young children from lead-based paint.
Most houses built before 1978 will contain some lead-based paint.
If your house was constructed before then, contact your local health department about testing the paint.
Keep your children away from peeling paint.
Wash children’s toys and hands frequently.
Mop floors and wipe windows regularly to prevent exposure to lead dust., Substance abuse, particularly alcoholism, is a major cause of epilepsy.
More than 5,000 people per year suffer from alcohol induced seizures.
These incidents are associated with severe abuse and addiction., The elderly are particularly susceptible to strokes that can cause the onset of epilepsy.Your risk of strokes, however, can be managed with healthier living habits, especially dietary changes.
To keep your cholesterol low, eat more fruits and vegetables.
Limit how much salt you consume.
Restrict your consumption of saturated fats and trans fats.
Major sources of saturated fats include cheese, pizza, dairy desserts, milk, meat, butter, and chips.Adults should get at least two and half hours of moderately intense exercise, like biking or jogging, per week.Stop smoking and limit how much alcohol you drink.
Men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, women one.Have a doctor check your cholesterol regularly and take any medication she prescribes for high blood pressure., Head injuries are a major cause of epilepsy.
Always wear a helmet during high risk activities like riding a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, or ATV, playing contact sports, skating, and horseback riding., To prevent head injuries you should also avoid accidents by following road safety rules, driving sober, and staying off your phone while driving.
Wear a seatbelt and put your child in a safety seat., You should also remove factors from the house likely to cause head injuries.
Use nonslip mats in the bathtub and bathroom floors.
Install grab bars in the shower or tub.
Make sure you have handrails on stairways.
Provide adequate lighting throughout the home.
Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of open windows.
Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs when small children are in the home., Many children are born with a brain structure that causes seizures.
About one third of autistic people naturally have seizures.
Some medical triggers for epilepsy, like brain tumors, cannot be prevented.
In the majority of cases, there is not even an observable cause for the condition.
Simply put, there is often nothing you can do to prevent epilepsy.Those with close relatives who are epileptic, including parents and siblings, are more likely to suffer from the condition. -
Step 2: Remain current with your vaccinations.
-
Step 3: Follow food safety guidelines.
-
Step 4: Avoid lead poisoning.
-
Step 5: Refrain from substance abuse.
-
Step 6: Prevent strokes and heart disease.
-
Step 7: Wear a helmet.
-
Step 8: Drive safely.
-
Step 9: Improve home safety.
-
Step 10: Remember that sometimes there is nothing you can do.
Detailed Guide
Expectant mothers can help prevent their children from developing epilepsy by receiving professional prenatal care.
Talk to a doctor about supplements and an appropriate diet.
Quit smoking, and refrain from drinking alcohol during gestation or while breast feeding., Brain infections are one of the more common causes for the development of epilepsy among children.Proper vaccination can often prevent the contraction of diseases that cause epilepsy., Globally, cysticercosis is the most common cause of epilepsy.This infection is passed along in the eggs of intestinal tapeworms.
To prevent the contraction of tapeworms, pork should be cooked thoroughly.
To prevent consumption of the eggs, a person who might have intestinal tapeworms should thoroughly wash hands before touching food.This is a much less common cause of epilepsy in developed nations. , Lead poisoning can often produce seizures and can negatively affect a child's psychological development.
Everyone should take precautions to prevent contact with lead-based products.Be particularly careful to protect young children from lead-based paint.
Most houses built before 1978 will contain some lead-based paint.
If your house was constructed before then, contact your local health department about testing the paint.
Keep your children away from peeling paint.
Wash children’s toys and hands frequently.
Mop floors and wipe windows regularly to prevent exposure to lead dust., Substance abuse, particularly alcoholism, is a major cause of epilepsy.
More than 5,000 people per year suffer from alcohol induced seizures.
These incidents are associated with severe abuse and addiction., The elderly are particularly susceptible to strokes that can cause the onset of epilepsy.Your risk of strokes, however, can be managed with healthier living habits, especially dietary changes.
To keep your cholesterol low, eat more fruits and vegetables.
Limit how much salt you consume.
Restrict your consumption of saturated fats and trans fats.
Major sources of saturated fats include cheese, pizza, dairy desserts, milk, meat, butter, and chips.Adults should get at least two and half hours of moderately intense exercise, like biking or jogging, per week.Stop smoking and limit how much alcohol you drink.
Men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, women one.Have a doctor check your cholesterol regularly and take any medication she prescribes for high blood pressure., Head injuries are a major cause of epilepsy.
Always wear a helmet during high risk activities like riding a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, or ATV, playing contact sports, skating, and horseback riding., To prevent head injuries you should also avoid accidents by following road safety rules, driving sober, and staying off your phone while driving.
Wear a seatbelt and put your child in a safety seat., You should also remove factors from the house likely to cause head injuries.
Use nonslip mats in the bathtub and bathroom floors.
Install grab bars in the shower or tub.
Make sure you have handrails on stairways.
Provide adequate lighting throughout the home.
Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of open windows.
Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs when small children are in the home., Many children are born with a brain structure that causes seizures.
About one third of autistic people naturally have seizures.
Some medical triggers for epilepsy, like brain tumors, cannot be prevented.
In the majority of cases, there is not even an observable cause for the condition.
Simply put, there is often nothing you can do to prevent epilepsy.Those with close relatives who are epileptic, including parents and siblings, are more likely to suffer from the condition.
About the Author
Jessica Adams
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
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