Environmental Causes for Childhood & Adult Seizures

A seizure is caused by an electrical disturbance in the brain waves. Symptoms of a seizure can include convulsions, sudden weakness of one or more extremities, partial paralysis of the face or other muscles, a disturbance of thought, "spacing out" and other minor physical changes in the way your body normally feels or behaves. Although some seizure disorders in children and adults are genetic in origin, episodes may also be triggered by exposure to environmental allergens, stimuli or toxins.

Seafood

• If you know an adult or child who is experiencing a seizure shortly after consuming shellfish or pufferfish, he or she may be suffering from a neurotoxic syndrome due to an allergy or sensitivity to the tetrodotoxin or saxitoxin within the fish, and you should take him or her to the hospital to be treated immediately. Because reactions to shellfish that have fed on sea organisms containing these toxins can be fatal, prompt medical attention is required to ensure that the patient's respiratory functions do not become paralyzed.

Mushrooms

• A seizure that occurs shortly after consuming mushrooms may be caused by ingesting poisons that are inherent in certain wild mushrooms and should be treated immediately by a medical professional. In addition to seizures, other symptoms of wild mushroom poisoning can include extreme sudden irritability, drowsiness, hallucinations, ataxia, restlessness or generalized, unexplained sedation. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning may occur between 30 and 180 minutes after ingesting the toxin and may be treated successfully with anticonvulsant medications.

Toxic Plant Ingestion

• If you or someone you know experiences an unexplained seizure after spending time outdoors, it could be caused by the accidental ingestion of one of several types of toxic plants, and you should call your local poison control center immediately. Plants that can induce seizures when consumed include hemlock, cowbane, beaver poison, wild carrot, wild parsnip, fake parsley, five-finger root or other members of the plant genus Cicuta. Other symptoms of plant poisoning may include severe cramping, nausea, dilated pupils or unconsciousness. Other toxic plants that may induce seizures include Phoradendron, azalea, nightshade, wild berries, bleeding hearts and Christmas rose, as well as an over-ingestion of Jimsonweed.

Heavy Metals

• Heavy metals found in the soil, leached from cooking and eating utensils, emitted in industrial areas and created in the production of certain pesticides and antimicrobial agents may combine with reactive substances in the body and cause toxicity leading to seizure disorder. If your child suffers from seizures, he or she may have been exposed to lead, mercury or other heavy metals in the environment and should be evaluated by a physician. Other signs that your child may be suffering from heavy metal poisoning include clumsiness, frequent falling, irritability, insomnia, headaches, restlessness, vertigo and ataxia.

  If you suffer from seizures and work around machinery, solder, lead glass, gasoline, jewelry, paint or ceramics, you may have toxic amounts of heavy metals in your bloodstream and should ask your doctor to perform a series of blood tests to determine whether or not your seizures might be caused by heavy metal toxicity.

Precautions

• If you witness an adult or child experiencing a seizure, take measures to protect the person from harming himself or herself during the episode. Remove all objects from the area around the person having a seizure to reduce the chance of injury. Place the person having the seizure on his or her side, head resting on his or her forearm. This will keep the airways open and prevent the person from ingesting saliva or vomit, which could block the airways. Do not attempt to restrain the individual or prop his or her mouth open. This could result in further injury to yourself or the seizure victim. Call 911, and stay with the patient until help arrives. Most seizures do not last for more than five minutes, but you should keep the patient calm and still after the seizure is over until medical personnel arrive to assess his or her condition.