Medications and side effects always come together. The most important goal is to control the seizures. If medication is prescribed, the goal must be to control the seizures with the fewest side effects possible! One must weigh the benefits of controlling seizures with the risks posed by side effects of anti-seizure medications. This is largely depend on how many seizures the child is having.

Once a diagnosis of epilepsy is made, the next step is to decide how to treat it. These days, there are several treatment options for epilepsy.

In a few cases, avoiding a known trigger for seizures may prevent them. However, you may not be able to avoid all seizure triggers—and avoiding them may not completely eliminate seizures. Many factors that can trigger seizures include:

Epilepsy statistics in the US and Canada reveal that it affects about 1% of the population. In the US, that’s nearly 3 million people and more than 300,000 in Canada. Every year, more than 200,000 US citizens and 14,000 Canadians learn they have this condition.

In both Canada and the US, one calendar month each year is designated as National Epilepsy Awareness Month. In March, Canadians wear a lavender ribbon and fragrant flower to draw attention to a disorder that affects more than 300,000 of their fellow citizens. In the States, November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, a tradition that began in 1970. Nearly 2.5 million Americans have epilepsy.

When you or someone you love has had a seizure for the first time, it can be frightening. Naturally, you want to know as soon as possible what caused it. But making a diagnosis of epilepsy often isn’t a quick process. Finding answers usually involves several exams and tests.

Injuries to the brain from trauma are a common cause of seizure disorders. When it comes to head injuries and epilepsy, the more severe the injury, the greater the likelihood of seizures.

Injuries to the front and sides of the brain are more likely to result in epilepsy. Between five and ten percent of people with traumatic brain injuries develop seizures as a result.

One of the best ways to help your child at school is to treat her seizure disorder like any one of a number of other conditions that children have. Here are some specific strategies for helping a child with epilepsy succeed in the classroom.

Some epilepsy news is sobering. Seizures and learning problems often go hand in hand. One expert estimates that nearly 50% of people with epilepsy also have a learning disability. According to The Hospital for Sick Children, both seizures and the medications used to treat them can cause learning problems.

Following a strict diet isn’t easy—but it helps reduce seizures. More and more evidence shows that a high fat, low carbohydrate ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for seizure disorders. This kind of epilepsy news is welcome, indeed!

How effective is changing what you eat at preventing seizures?