Have you ever noticed that your seizures happen more often in relation to the weather? Well you are not alone. In Australia, many people report that their seizures are often related to hot weather conditions. Whilst this topic has not been studied in Australia, research in the northern hemisphere, limited studies have shown:
- that in spring, autumn and winter, unstable weather conditions cause an increase in seizures in almost half of the people with epilepsy they studied, and but only in 7 percent had an increase in seizures in summer[i].
- an increase in seizures in winter conditions – lower ambient temperatures, higher atmospheric pressure, higher humidity, and reduced sunlight exposure[ii].
- that low atmospheric pressure and high relative air humidity may also increase epileptic seizure risk[iii].
- that weather-dependent seizure risk may be heightened in people with less severe epilepsy, that is, those taking a single antiepileptic drug. However, these studies had an under-representation of people with severe epilepsy.
Obviously, as with many seizure triggers, this is individual for everyone and clearly the effect of weather on seizure risk is still not fully understood.
Seizure Triggers
Most epileptic seizures occur unexpectedly and independently of known risk factors. There are many risk factors identified, and we also call them triggers. People with epilepsy report weather to be a major risk factor for epileptic seizures. [iv]
Triggers are circumstances that can bring on a seizure in some people with epilepsy. They differ from person to person, but not all people with epilepsy have seizure triggers.
And what triggers one person’s seizures might not affect someone else with epilepsy in the same way.
Some commonly reported seizure triggers also include:
- Missed medication
- Lack of sleep
- Physical fatigue and exhaustion
- Stress, excitement, emotional upset
- Menstruation and hormonal changes
- Illness or fever
- Poor diet
- Medications other than prescribed seizure medications
- Flickering lights or geometric patterns
- Alcohol or drug use
For some people, knowing their seizure triggers, means they may be able to avoid them and lessen the risk of having a seizure.
What’s the difference between triggers and causes?
Triggers for seizures are not the same as causes for epilepsy. A trigger for someone to have their first seizure may be a stressful situation, but the underlying cause for that person to start having seizures may be quite different. Causes can be genetic or because of structural damage to the brain.
Research: Temperature induced seizures
The latest epilepsy research carried out by experts in the US has looked into the issue of temperature-induced seizures, which remains a problem for many people around the world. They found that inserting a mutation into the genes of fruit flies that was similar to those found in people who experience febrile seizures led to the flies also having seizures. These experts have discovered new insights into the issue of heat-related seizures.
“What happens is the mutant neural (nerve) channels don’t open and close properly. This effect is amplified at high temperature and this changes the ability of neurons to generate the appropriate electrical signals, leading to hyperactivity in the brain circuits”.
“With this knowledge, the next step is to use this model to look for drugs that might reduce or eliminate heat-induced seizures.”
