About 70 percent of people with epilepsy can reach seizure control with the right treatment. Effective seizure control often means understanding what raises your risk. It also means managing that risk consistently, through medication, daily habits, and knowing your own triggers.

“I always worry a seizure could happen at the worst possible moment,” one MyEpilepsyTeam member said. “It’s hard to relax when you don’t know what might set one off.”

Seizures can’t always be prevented entirely, and triggers look different for everyone. What sets off a seizure for one person might not affect another at all. But identifying your own patterns is one of the most useful ways to lower your risk.

This article covers how to track your triggers and the practical, everyday steps that can help you prevent seizures.

Why Seizures Can’t Always Be Prevented but Risk Can Be Reduced

Seizures happen when brain cells send out bursts of abnormal electrical activity. This can affect one part of the brain, causing a focal seizure. It can also spread across both sides, causing a generalized seizure.

When a seizure results from another medical problem, such as a stroke, bleeding in the brain, head trauma, or alcohol intoxication, treatment focuses on the underlying cause to help prevent future seizures.

However, for most people with epilepsy, there’s no single cause. Genetics, brain injury, and infection may play a role. In fact, the exact cause may never be identified.

This is why seizures, especially epileptic seizures, can’t always be fully prevented. Instead, treatment focuses on keeping your seizure threshold high. A seizure threshold describes how easily a seizure can happen. A higher threshold means a seizure is less likely, while a lower threshold means it is more likely.

Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are the mainstay for managing seizures. They work by calming the brain’s electrical activity so seizures are less likely to happen.

For most people with epilepsy, ASMs are the foundation of a seizure prevention plan, and taking them consistently is one of the most effective ways to lower your risk.

Common Seizure Triggers and How To Manage Them

Seizure triggers are factors that can reduce your seizure threshold and make your brain more prone to a seizure. The most commonly reported seizure triggers are discussed below.

Missed Medications

Skipping a dose is one of the most common causes of breakthrough seizures. This is especially true if you take your medication once a day. Stopping medication suddenly can also trigger withdrawal seizures. It’s important not to change doses or switch to generics before talking with your neurologist.

Tip: Pill organizers and daily phone alarms can help you stay on schedule. If side effects are making it hard to keep up with your regimen, talk to your neurologist.

Sleep and Stress

Lack of sleep is one of the most consistently reported seizure triggers. Physical and emotional stress can also affect your brain’s electrical activity.

“The last time I had any major seizure activity was from continuous lack of sleep,” one MyEpilepsyTeam member said. “Anytime I don’t get enough sleep, I feel like one is just waiting to pop up.” Another member added, “Stress and lack of sleep are my main triggers too.”

Tip: Aim for seven to nine hours a night, and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. Ask your doctor about stress‑management techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation, to help with both sleep and stress. Counseling or therapy may also help for significant stress or mood disorders.

If you have poor sleep patterns or suspect a separate sleep disorder, mention it to your doctor.

Alcohol and Substance Use

Alcohol and recreational drugs can affect brain activity directly, and seizures can also follow once the effects wear off. Withdrawal, especially after heavy drinking, is a well-documented trigger. Alcohol can also interact with seizure medications and lower their effectiveness.

“I cut out alcohol completely a few years ago, and I’m so glad I did,” one MyEpilepsyTeam member said. “It’s made a difference in how many seizures I have.”

Tip: If you drink, talk to your doctor first. Your doctor can help you understand what amount, if any, is safe for you.

Missed Meals

Going long stretches without eating can lower your blood sugar. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is linked to a higher seizure risk, particularly for people with other metabolic conditions like diabetes.

“Not eating regularly is a huge trigger for me,” one MyEpilepsyTeam member said, “especially if I have too much coffee and not enough food in my system.”

Tip: Eating regular, balanced meals can help keep your blood sugar steadier throughout the day.

Illness and Treatments

Infections, fevers, and other illnesses are well-documented seizure triggers for many people with epilepsy. Poor sleep, dehydration, and the general stress illness puts on the body may all play a role.

Tip: Staying hydrated and treating illness or fever promptly can help limit this effect. It’s especially important to immediately treat fevers in children.

Hormonal Changes

For some people, hormonal shifts during the menstrual cycle can raise seizure frequency, a pattern known as catamenial epilepsy. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, about half of women of childbearing age with epilepsy report more seizures around their period.

“Ninety percent of my seizure activity happens three to five days before my cycle starts,” one MyEpilepsyTeam member said. “It’s the only constant I’ve found in tracking my seizures.”

Hormonal treatments like progesterone have been tried for catamenial epilepsy, and some people report benefits. But controlled studies haven’t consistently shown it to be more effective. It isn’t a guaranteed fix, though some people report it helps.

“I’ve been using progesterone cream during days 15 to 25 of my cycle, and it’s helped a lot,” another member said. “I wish I’d known about it sooner.”

Tip: Tracking your cycle alongside your seizures can help your doctor spot your pattern and adjust your treatment plan if needed.

Photosensitive Triggers

For a small share of people with epilepsy, exposure to flashing lights or certain high-contrast patterns can trigger seizures. This is known as photosensitive epilepsy, and it’s more common in children and teens than adults.

Tip: If you have photosensitive epilepsy, look for warning labels on video content and consider tinted glasses designed to reduce this sensitivity.

Over-the-Counter Medications and Supplements

Some common over-the-counter (OTC) medications that may raise seizure risk include:

• Cold and flu medications
• Cough medicines
• Certain allergy medications
• Pain medications with caffeine
• Certain sleeping pills
• Preworkout supplements
• Certain antidepressants
• Herbal supplements
• Products containing camphor
• Certain weight-loss medications

Tip: Always read the label and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking a new OTC medicine or supplement if you have epilepsy.

Additional Strategies

Staying physically active is linked to better seizure control and improved mood and sleep for many people with epilepsy. Most people with well-controlled seizures can safely participate in exercise and sports. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Specialized eating plans like the ketogenic diet might also help, especially for people with drug-resistant epilepsy. Because these diets require careful planning and ongoing medical supervision, discuss them with your neurologist before starting one.

Track Your Triggers To Spot Your Own Patterns

Since triggers vary from person to person, a seizure diary is one of the most useful tools you have. It gives your doctor concrete data to confirm your diagnosis, adjust your medication, and evaluate how well your treatment is working. Keeping a seizure diary can also help you spot your own hidden patterns and triggers.

Each time you have a seizure, log a few key details:

• Timing — The date, time of day, and how long the seizure lasted
• Activity — What you were doing right before, like eating, exercising, or using a screen
• Sleep and stress — How well you slept the night before and any stressful events that day
• Diet and habits — What you ate, how hydrated you were, and any caffeine, alcohol, or medication changes
• Hormones — The phase of your menstrual cycle if relevant
• Environment — Environmental changes, loud noises, or sudden temperature changes

A simple notebook or spreadsheet works fine for this. Digital seizure-tracking apps are also available if you prefer to log entries on your phone. Regardless of the format, remember to bring your notes to all your appointments.

Talk to Your Doctor

Using the right medical treatment consistently and controlling personal triggers and lifestyle factors that lower the seizure threshold can help prevent seizures.

However, reach out to your doctor if:

• Your seizures continue despite taking your medication as prescribed
• You’ve noticed a new seizure type or pattern
• Side effects are making treatment hard to stick with
• You’re considering a change to your medication, diet, or routine

If two different medications haven’t controlled your seizures, ask about a specialist evaluation at a comprehensive epilepsy center.

Join the Conversation

On MyEpilepsyTeam, people share their experiences with epilepsy, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

What’s helped you most in managing your seizure triggers? Let others know in the comments below.