Epilepsy doesn’t distinguish based on gender, age, or race. It is the fourth most prevalent neurological disorder, affecting around 70 million people worldwide, and it can start at any point in life. But what is it?
Epilepsy is exhibited by seizures, which is defined as an agitation of the brain’s electrical communication between neurons.
What happens when individuals have a seizure varies between sufferers, but when they hit, of course, they are incredibly disruptive to almost all aspects of life. You can have one without any specific reason and then go on with your life, but what makes for a determination of epilepsy is when you have two or more distributed by at least 24 hours, or you have one major one with reason to consider you are at high risk for more.
It is estimated that between nine in every 1000 people with the disorder live with intense seizures. There are various ways that this can affect a person: Normal onset seizures hit both sides of the brain (or an assortment of cells on both sides of the brain) simultaneously. Tonic-clonic, absence, and atonic are a few subcategories of this type of seizure. There are also seizures called focal onset, where it starts in one area or group of cells on one side of the brain. This type can be divided into aware focal onset. The person is aware of the seizure and focal onset impaired awareness, which means the person is frustrated and confused and has no idea it’s happening or is asleep when it transpires.
Sadly, one-third of all epileptic people live with insurgent seizures because no available therapy works for them.
There is hope, however, for many sufferers as there are many distinct treatment options available. Usually, anti-convulsant drugs will change how the brain cells work and how they communicate with each other. There are several types of these drugs, and usually, someone with epilepsy will have to try a few to find the best fit for them. Another way to combat the ailment is with diet, as some say the ketogenic diet, which is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, contributes to lowering the instances of seizures.
There are also stimulation options that aim to stop a breakdown in its tracks and operational options, including cutting out the part of the brain responsible for seizures entirely, thus eradicating the problem.
Now that I have summarised everything regarding epilepsy, let’s see three Natural Epilepsy treatments.
Vitamins
Specific vitamins may help decrease the number of seizures caused by some kinds of epilepsy. But remember that vitamins alone don’t work. They may help some medications work more efficiently or reduce your required dosage. Vitamin B-6 is used to handle a rare form of epilepsy associated with pyridoxine-dependent seizures. This kind of epilepsy usually occurs in the womb or soon after birth. It’s caused by your body’s failure to metabolize vitamin B-6 correctly. Severe magnesium scarcity may increase seizure risk.
Dietary changes
Certain nutritional changes may also help reduce seizures. The best-known diet is the ketogenic diet, which centers on eating a larger ratio of fats. The keto diet is deemed a low-protein, low-carb diet. This eating pattern is thought to help reduce seizures, although experts don’t know exactly why.
Self-control
Some people with epilepsy try to check their brain activity to reduce the frequency of seizures. The theory is that if you can identify impending seizure symptoms, you may stop it.
Many people with epilepsy undergo aura symptoms about 15 minutes before a seizure happens. You may see strange lights, notice abnormal smells, or have blurry vision.
You may feel symptoms for many days leading up to the event. These symptoms include:
- depression
- anxiety
- bad headaches
- fatigue
Self-control methods are used to stop or reduce the intensity of the seizure once it occurs. There are many methods, all of which require the right focus.
Examples are:
- walking
- meditation
- yoga
- sniffing a strong odor
- immersing yourself in a task
