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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Management & Prevention

Contact the Epilepsy Program

Management 

Taking an active role in your epilepsy can be an important part of helping to reduce your seizures and feel more in control of your condition. Learning about how your epilepsy affects you, being able to get involved and able to make informed choices about managing your treatment, is all part of this.

Having a good relationship with your healthcare professionals can also help, including neurologist and epilepsy nurse (if you have one), and pharmacist. The link below will redirect you to the Epilepsy Foundation which offers a plethora of management tools and resources to effectively manage your epilepsy.

 

Managing Epilepsy Well Checklist 

You can learn how to manage your epilepsy to feel better and have a more active and full life. Practice these self-management strategies to better control your seizures and your health. Self-management is what you do to take care of yourself.

You manage your epilepsy well if you*:

  • Know about your condition.
  • Take your seizure medicines as prescribed.
  • Check with your doctor before taking other medicines or supplements.
  • Keep a record of your seizures and seizure triggers to track patterns and learn how to avoid seizure triggers.
  • Get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.
  • Exercise regularly and safely each day.
  • Follow a well-balanced diet and keep a healthy weight.
  • Don’t use tobacco, drink alcohol excessively, or abuse other substances.
  • Practice ways to lower stress.
  • Keep in touch with friends and family for support.
  • Talk to your doctor about health concerns.
  • Keep other health conditions in check.
  • Get help for emotional problems.
  • Use memory strategies to help with memory problems.

Prevention 

  • Seek assistance for traumatic brain injuries, if they happen. Taking good care of the injury may help to avoid epilepsy.
  • Getting regular health checkups may help you prevent and find diseases.
  • Lower the chances of stroke and heart disease.
  • Stay healthy during your pregnancy. Some health issues during pregnancy and childbirth can lead to epilepsy.

For additional information on preventive measures visit CDC.gov.