Seizure Triggers
Seizure Triggers
ENVIRONMENTAL SEIZURE TRIGGERS
This is a list of seizure triggers compiled from a survey of readers of this website. Please keep in mind the following three things about this list:
A person’s overall health and well-being is a huge factor in seizure activity. For this reason, the top reported seizure triggers, by a large margin, were sleep deprivation, stress, irregular eating and overheating. While some of the items on this list may be called seizure triggers, others may be more accurately classified as things that make a person more susceptible to triggers by “lowering the threshold”.
Sleep issues are a big piece of the puzzle. Getting enough rest is important for our health. For those who suffer from seizures, it is critical. Beyond getting enough rest, there are other issues. For example, blood sugar levels drop while sleeping and this may trigger a seizure. Therefore, some people may need to eat something right before bed, (legumes may help balance blood sugar levels, or a fatty snack may be in order). The process of moving from sleep to waking, or from one sleep state to another, is partly a function of the brain. Our brain waves and electrical processes change and this can lead to seizure activity, especially if the change is abrupt.
This is not a complete, or scientific, survey and list. Several hundred people responded to our survey. The respondents are readers of this website from all over the world. If you are willing to share triggers you’ve discovered that are not this list, nor on the other two lists of triggers (State of Health Triggers and Dietary and Chemical Triggers), please email us and we will add it to the list.
The primary reason we’ve compiled a “seizure trigger” list is to assist people in identifying triggers in their diet- as that is the focus of this website. Please see the list “Dietary and Chemical Seizure Triggers” for this information.
Reported Environmental Seizure Triggers
Too Much Heat (Overheating)
Bright Lights (Sun/Full Moon/Lightning)
Flickering Lights (Fluorescent/TV/Video Games/Sunlight Through Trees/Computer Screens)
Unexpected Touch
Chemicals and/or Smells (Detergent/Soap/Perfume/Candles/Air Fresheners)
Light At Night
Sudden Sounds (Dogs Barking/Thunder)
Optical Distortion (Illusions/Bifocal Glasses/Patterns)
Quick Movements Toward The Face
High Altitude
Certain Sound Frequencies (Shrill/Surround Sound/Some Music)
Weather Extremes (Hot/Cold/Humid/Barometric Pressure)
Immersion In Water
Extreme Pollution
Mine is air freshener
Thank you for sharing!
Extreme pollution and high altitude
Thank you! We will add those to our list.
My 3 year old son has recently had a couple of seizures.
We believe one of his, was caused by sirens that scared him.
This is a whole new world to us.
Thank you for making this list. It makes managing this issue less daunting.
My best friend, Shemel, recently started experiencing seizures. She’s 58 years old and has never had a seizure until 2020, months after moving to Arizona from the East Coast (Virginia/New York). As of today, she’s had a total of 4 seizures since having the first one. They’ve tested her for everything and have given her medication to take twice per day, but she’s still experiencing them. She just had one over the weekend. We’re all very worried about her. Can her seizures be caused by the Arizona weather. It all started when she moved there. She’s a very active and social person, but this issue is robbing her of her freedom and piece of mind.
Any advice you can give would be very appreciated. Thanks.
Hi, There have been studies done where patients experienced an increase in seizures during unusually hot weather. Without knowing all the details, I wouldn’t rule out stress and possible lack of sleep too. (Those are assumptions made because she had such a big move during a pandemic). Sometimes is the perfect storm of multiple elements, which I suspect could be the case with your friend.