How to Treat Epilepsy Without Medicine

Epilepsy is a nervous system disorder that is caused when electrical "wiring" in your brain cells becomes abnormal. Contributing factors to this troubling condition include extreme fatigue, bright lights, sensitivities to certain foods, heredity, dementia and head trauma. Individuals who suffer from epilepsy experience seizures, characterized by jerking body movements, shaking, blank stares and, in some severe cases, a lapse of consciousness. If you have been diagnosed with epilepsy, your doctor may want to prescribe an antiepileptic medication. You may, however, want to seek other options for treating your condition.

Instructions

• 1

  Use the Ketogenic diet. While a few adult epileptics may be able to benefit from it, it seems to be most beneficial to children who suffer from epilepsy. It involves eating foods that are high in fat and low in carbs. This causes fats to be burned and ketones to be increased, which keep the nervous system from being irritated. This can result in fewer occurrences of seizures. Some of the foods that can eaten include eggs, heavy cream and butter; vegetables with little sugar, such as cabbage, celery and broccoli; fish and shellfish such as shrimp and tuna; and limited amounts of meats like hamburger, chicken and bacon. Since a ketogenic diet requires strict adherence and can cause side effects like kidney stones and diarrhea, medical supervision and monitoring is required.

• 2

  Exercise every day for at least 30-40 minutes. This aids in better circulation getting to your brain, which can help reduce epileptic symptoms. Do moderate, rather than strenuous activities, however, such as light aerobic exercises.

• 3

  Avoid stress as much as possible. Stress may actually trigger seizures, so keeping it to a minimum may help reduce epileptic symptoms. Try relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing. To do this, slowly inhale through your nostrils, then exhale forcefully through pursed lips, then relax your diaphragm. This can aid in releasing tension and reducing stress.

• 4

  Consult an acupuncturist. Acupuncture, a long-practiced Chinese medical treatment that involves the use of tiny, very thin needles inserted into specific body points, can help to reduce epileptic seizures.

• 5

  Consider hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This treatment helps to increase oxygen levels to the brain and other organs. You are placed inside a pressure chamber where you breathe in therapeutic amounts of oxygen during treatments. You should have this kind of therapy administered by an experienced professional for optimal safety. Speak to your neurologist about how and where to receive this form of treatment.