nintendo ds and seizures?

[tabbycat]

i haven't figured out where to ask questions etc? so i post it here! perhaps "someone" can move it to the right category if it's wrong!

since my last seizure, i've been thinking of what might have caused it. (10 years since the last one before that.) i understand that i might never know but still..!

the only new/different thing i've been doing lately is playing nintendo ds for at least (!) 1 hour each night. for the first time in my life i've tried computer games and i became addicted after a day! i bought the thingie about 6 weeks ago. and i've used it alot since then.

does any of you have an idea if that could be a reason? i read on the internet about computers / computergames etc and i only found 'articles' saying that no, not such small screens etc. but who knows?! i've used computers for many, many hours every day and never experienced any discomfort or seizurelike episodes so i rule that out.

i'll definitely get rid of it if it's a trigger! although it's so fun!

[dfwtexas]

It is possible...see this link on the nineteno site that warns about seizures
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/man...ds_english.jsp

I am photosentive, but there doesn't seem to be a logical reason why some lights, etc can trigger a seizure for me while others don't. It seems to vary from person to person also.
I recall someone on here posting about the sunglasses that helps with photosentivity...I think they said Walmart sells them.

[tabbycat]

thanks for your reply! i've seen the warnings on the booklets that come with the games. it says one should consult a dr if having / having had epilepsy. so that's what i'll do!

[skillefer]

Yes, video games can trigger seizures. It's not necessarily the size of the screen..It's the flickering of the lights and the patterns that tend to trigger them in people who are photosensitive. If you are photosensitive, or if you think you might be, than you need to make sure that you stay away from things that might trigger that same response such as strobe lights, the lights on emergency vehicles, flickering light effects in movies and TV shows. also, you can try wearing blue polarized lenses. They've been known to help reduce the number of seizures in people who are photosensitive.

[tabbycat]

i've never reacted to these things before (screens, ligths, tv/films etc) maybe i'm just looking for far-fetched explanations for what happened...! on the other hand, they wouldn't have the warnings if it was totally safe, would they...

[skillefer]

precisely. Also, just because you haven't reacted up to this point in time doesn't mean that you can't develop that reaction. For example, you can eat the standard american diet all your life and then suddenly develop a sensitivity to MSG or some other chemical typically found in prepackaged food. Your body, and it's reaction to things can change over time. So I would say try staying away from the game for about 2 weeks to see if it's that that is triggering you. If you don't have any more seizures, or you see a drastic reduction, then you know that for some reason, it's triggering you. It might not be the light itself, it might be that it just stimulates your brain too much. (Tooo much excitement...)

[tabbycat]

could well be! haha! i've spent many hours in professor layton + the curious village! and i've spent many nights at "hotel dusk"! i'll leave the game for a while + see what happens!

[Meetz1064]

Also, you might think about the fact that your brain is NOT used to playing those games, and maybe you have been photosensitive, but didn't know it. Playing the games brought it to the forefront, and the games could be considered a trigger.

As Skilly pointed out, your body doesn't react the same day to day for your entire life. It does change, which I agree is a pain, but oh well. (I'm a good example. I used to be able to eat anything with wheat in it. Now that I'm a diagnosed celiac as of a couple months ago, that idea has totally gone out the door...)

Good luck!

Meetz

[skillefer]

*chuckle* If your getting less then 7.5 hours of sleep due to the games, it might help to get more sleep too. (This coming from someone who can easily surf the net till the wee hours of the night....)

[Nakamova]

Since lack of sleep can be a seizure trigger, it's definitely a possibility that your recent heavy computer usage might be a factor. Studies show that the light emitted by computer and television screens can interfere with the ability to sleep, and with the quality of sleep. If you've been staring at a computer or television for a long chunk of time, it's recommended that you take at least a half hour break before trying to go to sleep. This "winding down" period can make a big difference.

[RobinN]

i'll leave the game for a while + see what happens!

yes, I was going to recommend an elimination diet, only this time.... make changes in your activity choices.

Hope you see positive improvements.

[tabbycat]

thank you all so much for your responses + tips!

[vapour]

Unfortunatly I am also a video game addict (Halo 3 and World Of Warcraft) I was not affected by video games until 2 months ago and then for whatever reason it hit me and I was r ushed to the ER (dont mean to scare you)

Since that incident.. at first I could not even sit at a PC for 5 mins.. without getting the warning signs (tingling crawling skin etc) ... I was pretty miffed, since Im not a very sociable person video games are my pleasure and hobbies.

Overtime since my meds have increased and Ive become more stable since this incident I have been able to have limited use....but nowhere near what I used to play.

I understand how you feel.