The two most common forms of epilepsy are petit mal and grand mal. Petit mal seizures are mild and characterized by a blank stare. During these seizures children are unaware of their surroundings. Grand mal are more extreme and is characterized by sudden cries, a fall, rigidity, and muscle jerks, shallow breathing, and bluish skin. Loss of bladder control is possible. The actual seizure lasts 2-5 minutes, and is followed by confusion, fatigue, or memory loss. Seventy-five percent of the seizures begin in childhood and are characterized by staring spells and a few seconds of mental absence. Twenty-five percent (25%) of seizures have their initial onset late in life.
Known contributing factors to seizures are head injury or infection (e.g., meningitis), metal dental materials, lead poisoning, arteriosclerosis, malnutrition, hypoglycemia, lack of oxygen, or fever. Other factors may precipitate a seizure, includinge fatigue, emotional tension or excitement, environmental stresses, and menstruation.
Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment
1. Avoid processed foods (e.g., white flour products), refined foods (e.g., white sugar products), and dairy products. Abstain from fried foods, animal fat, and heat-processed oils. Use only cold-pressed oils.
2. Reduce your use of socially accepted poisons such as coffee, alcohol, and smoking (See “Smoking Addiction”), which adds to your body’s stress level. Eliminate junk foods altogether. NutraSweet has been associated with seizures in susceptible individuals and should be avoided.
3. Consuming excessive amounts of food or fluid at a single time may induce an attack.
4. Eat soured milk products like yogurt and kefir. Drink juices made from green vegetables, peas, green beans, seaweed, beets, carrots, and red grapes. Include raw nuts, seeds, chard, beet tops, soybeans, green leafy vegetables, eggs, raw mil, and raw cheese.
5. Find alternatives to theophylline-containing drugs, which inhibit adenosine, a natural anticonvulsant.
6. Increase your activity level. A brisk walk in which the heart rate is increased by approximately 10 beats will improve circulation to the body organs. Do this for 20-30 minutes at least three times weekly. Exercise helps to oxygenation of the brain.
7. Get your hormone levels checked. This includes estradiol, testosterone, thyroid (See “Hypothyroidism”), and DHEA. Natural hormones are available from plants, without the side effects of synthetic medicines, and can help promote normal nerve and glandular functions.
8. Get your allergies checked. (See “Allergy—Food.”) The allergy evaluation should screen for foods, molds, and pollens. At the very least, begin eliminating some of the common food allergens (e.g., chocolate, corn, eggs, milk, sugar, and wheat) until a more definitive diagnosis can be made. Eliminate sodas, junk food, and products containing food coloring and dyes.
9. Consider an evaluation for free radical damage from environmental pollutants such as lead and aluminum. Both of these have been found to cause seizures. (See “Chelation Therapy.”) Mercury should also be evaluated if you have amalgam fillings in your teeth. If elevated, heavy metal detoxification therapy is indicated.
10. Meditation, stretching, auto-suggestion tapes, and breathing exercises can help you to feel more relaxed and peaceful. You can stop and deep breathe anywhere. Do this by closing your eyes and slowly inhaling for 10 to 20 seconds. Use your diaphragm by allowing your stomach to expand outward with each inhalation. Hold your breath for 10 to 20 seconds. Then, exhale by forcing your stomach inward for 10 to 20 seconds. With each breath, allow your shoulder to droop, you jaw to drop and your body to relax. Repeat this three times or whenever you begin to feel stress building. (See “Stress.”)
11. Heart rate variability testing, an assessment of heart rhythm, can reveal if an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system exists. An imbalance in the ANS can now be treated with non-cognitive biofeedback (i.e., recycling of heart rate variations).
12. Supplements should include: the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E (to protect against free radicals), B-vitamins (which are helpful for the nervous system) the amino acids L-Taurine and L-Tyrosine (both of which are important for proper brain function), and the mineral magnesium (which is a natural relaxant). Additional B6 (known as “pyridoxine”) should also be taken, as a deficiency of B6 and magnesium is associated with convulsions. The mineral zinc is essential for protein metabolism and has a mild chelating effect against certain metals such as mercury. The mineral manganese has been found to be deficient in mothers who give birth to epileptic children and should also be taken.
13. Herbs found to be beneficial in epilepsy are black cohosh, hyssop, and lobelia.
14. Homeopathics helpful for the treatment of seizure disorders are: Belladonna (if sudden, violent spasms are followed by nausea and vomiting), Bufo (when convulsions occur at night), Cuprum Metallicum (for spasmodic muscle contractions), Silicea (if nutrition and/or assimilation is inadequate), Tarantula (when epilepsy is precipitated by stress), and Zincum Metallicum (if epilepsy occurs from fright or steroid-suppressed skin eruptions).
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