There are many things a provider and person with epilepsy can do to stop or lessen seizures.

The most common treatments for epilepsy are:

• Medicine. Anti-seizure drugs are medicines that limit the spread of seizures in the brain. A health care provider will change the amount of the medicine or prescribe a new drug if needed to find the best treatment plan. Medicines work for about 2 in 3 people with epilepsy.
• Surgery. seizures come from a single area of the brain (focal seizures), surgery to remove that area may stop future seizures or make them easier to control with medicine. Epilepsy surgery is mostly used when the seizure focus is located in the temporal lobe of the brain.
• Other treatments. When medicines do not work and surgery is not possible, other treatments can help. These include vagus nerve stimulation, where an electrical device is placed, or implanted, under the skin on the upper chest to send signals to a large nerve in the neck. Another option is the ketogenic diet, a high fat, low carbohydrate diet with limited calories.

Self-management is what you do to take care of yourself. You can learn how to manage seizures and keep an active and full life. Begin with these tips:

• Take your medicine.
• Talk with your doctor or nurse when you have questions.
• Recognize seizure triggers (such as flashing or bright lights).
• Keep a record of your seizures.
• Get enough sleep.
• Lower stress.

Sometimes we can prevent epilepsy. These are some of the most common ways to reduce your risk of developing epilepsy:

• Have a healthy pregnancy. Some problems during pregnancy and childbirth may lead to epilepsy. Follow a prenatal care plan with your health care provider to keep you and your baby healthy.
• Prevent head injuries
• Lower the chances of stroke and heart disease.
• Be up-to-date on your vaccinations.
• Wash your hands and prepare food safely to prevent worm infections such as cysticercosis