Some people find that seizures may occur in a pattern or are more likely to occur in certain situations or under certain conditions. In an earlier section, we stressed the importance of keeping track of any factors that may precipitate a seizure in you (also called seizure triggers). This is important, because avoiding or managing seizure triggers is something you and only you can do to lessen the chance that a seizure may occur under those circumstances. Parents can also do this for their children with epilepsy.

Remember that not all people with epilepsy have seizure triggers, and for those that do, triggers might be different from person to person. In other words, not all persons whose seizures can be triggered have the same seizure triggers. That’s why it’s important for you to keep accurate records of your seizures and possible triggers so that you can figure out what may bring on your seizures. One great way to do this is by using a seizure diary. For instance, for some people, seizures may occur only during sleep or when waking up. Some women may notice that they are more susceptible to their seizures during certain parts of their menstrual cycle, while other people may notice seizures more often at times of high stress.

In this section, you will find information on how to identify seizure triggers and how to include ways of including trigger management in your seizure preparedness plans.

For more information:

• Missed medicine
• Sleep deprivation
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Drug abuse
• Menstrual cycle
• Nutritional factors
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Flashing lights

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Last Reviewed: 9/30/08