(also referred to as) Seizure
Description The second most common neurological disorder after stroke is epilepsy, which affects about 1% of the population. Symptoms and Signs: Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent episodes of motor, sensory, or psychological malfunction that called epileptic seizures.
Causes: Epileptic seizures are induced by abnormal, synchronous electrical discharges from millions of neurons in the cerebral cortex of the brain. Most epilepsy is of unknown cause, it may sometimes be associated with cerebral trauma, intracranial infection, brain tumor, vascular disturbances, intoxication, or chemical imbalance. The frequency of attacks may range from many times a day to intervals of several years, in people who are predisposed, seizures may be triggered by the light, noise, smell, emotional disturbances, or they can come without any stimulant. Most epileptic attacks are short in duration and are often followed by drowsiness and confusion. Epilepsy almost never affects intelligence. Diagnosis is made by observation of the pattern of seizures and abnormalities on an electroencephalogram. There are two different types of seizures: 1) partial seizures, seizures that begin focally, then spread to other brain area; 2) generalized seizures which begin deep in the brain and impair consciousness.
What to Expect:
During an attack the person should be protected from injury without being severely strained.
Remedies When taking anti-convulsant drugs, some nutrients may not be adequately absorbed. And even with nutritional supplementation, anti-seizure drugs may still be required. Hopefully, it will be possible to reduce the dosage. All anti-seizure medications have side effects, making dosage reduction an ideal worth pursuing.
Amino Acids Taurine is a neuroinhibitory amino acid that can help deal with epilepsy. Dosage can range from 500 to 1,500 mg daily.
Herbs Hops, Lobelia, Scullcap, and Wild Yam may all prove helpful. Consult with your herbalist, naturopath, or other health practitioner to determine the appropriateness of these herbs for your needs.
Lifestyle A ketogenic diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates helps control epileptic seizures. The high protein intake forces the body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. Metabolizing fat produces ketone bodies in the body and they can be detected in the urine with a simple test strip. It is not known why, but high levels of ketone bodies in the blood help control seizures. The brain obtains energy from ketone bodies and it is also more readily absorbed than glucose. Consult with your nutritionist to determine the most appropriate diet to meet your needs. Possible risks of a ketone diet include nutritional deficiencies, calcium loss, constipation, higher cholesterol levels, and increased susceptibility to gout.
Minerals It is quite common for epileptics to be deficient in magnesium and the "Catch-22" is that such a deficiency is known to cause seizures. Dosage can start at 400 mg daily and can be doubled after a few weeks. However, this should only be under the supervision of a naturopath or other health practitioner. Therapies, Healing Aids, & More A nutritionist can determine the most appropriate way to incorporate a ketogenic diet (see Lifestyle, above).
Vitamins Vitamin B6 is similar to magnesium in terms of importance of adequate intake. Dosage can start at 100 to 200 mg daily. A B-Complex vitamin will also complement the individual B vitamin supplements. Many other nutrients may be beneficial in dealing with seizure disorders. These include folic acid, vitamins B1, D, and E, calcium, copper, manganese, selenium, glutamic acid, and dimethyl glycine (DMG). Supplementing with these nutrients should be discussed with your naturopath or other health practitioner.
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