Secondary seizures; Reactive seizures; Seizure - secondary; Seizure - reactive
Prevention
Instructions for taking any prescribed medications should be strictly followed. Family members should observe and record any seizure information to make sure the person gets proper treatment.
Good health habits may help to control seizures. Because sleep deprivation, stress, and a poor diet can contribute to increased seizures, good sleep habits, stress reduction, proper exercise, and sound nutrition may help.
There is no specific way to prevent all seizures. Use helmets when appropriate to prevent head injury. This will lessen the likelihood of a brain injury and subsequent seizures. Avoid recreational drugs. People with epilepsy should take medication as directed and avoid excessive amounts of alcohol.
People with uncontrolled seizures should not drive. Each state has a different law that determines which people with a history of seizures are allowed to drive. People with uncontrolled seizures also should avoid activities where loss of awareness would cause great danger, such as climbing to high places, biking, and swimming alone.
References
Duvivier EH, Pollack CV Jr. Seizures. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 100.
Krumholz A, Wiebe S, Gronseth G, et al. Practice parameter: evaluating an apparent unprovoked first seizure in adults (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Neurology. 2007;69(21):1991-2007.
Rubin DH, Kornblau DH, Conway EE Jr, Caplen SM. Neurologic Disorders. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 173.
Walker SP, Permezel M, Berkovic SF. The management of epilepsy in pregnancy. BJOG. 2009 May;116(6):758-67.
Review Date: 03/21/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine; Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy
at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare
Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director,
A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
