Change Your Zip Code to Avoid Seizures?

[Geomagman]

“Location, Location, and Location” It’s not much of a surprise to hear a real estate agent repeat this meme but have you ever heard of a Neurologist saying them to their patient? Surprisingly there is ample justification to consider location as a critical element in a seizure management strategy and a wide range of other neurological disorders.

The relatively new science discipline, called “Heliobiology” focuses on the effects of space weather on living organisms, including man. Extremely powerful events on the sun’s surface, frequently make their way to earth and interact with the Earth’s protective magnetic field. Not only does this result in the dazzling displays of the aurora borealis (the northern lights), it can produce tiny currents in our bodies and brains to cause all kinds of unwanted effects, including being a triggering effect for brain seizures.

Generally speaking, the closer you live to the Polar Regions, the stronger the magnetic field of the earth is and the more frequent the number of seizures you might have to endure. While not all seizure activity is caused by geomagnetic activity, the fact remains that space weather is implicated in many illnesses and disorders. Here are a few examples with references:

1. Geomagnetic Activity and the Severity of the Migraine Attack A. Kuritzky M.D. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-4610.1987.hed2702087.x/abstract

2. Geophysical variables and behavior: LXXXV. Sudden infant death, bands of geomagnetic activity, and pc1 (0.2 to 5 HZ) geomagnetic micropulsations. O'Connor RP1, Persinger MA. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10483626


3. Sudden unexpected death in epileptics following sudden, intense, increases in geomagnetic activity: prevalence of effect and potential mechanisms. Persinger MA1, Psych C https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7601551

4. Sudden death in epileptic rats exposed to nocturnal magnetic fields that simulate the shape and the intensity of sudden changes in geomagnetic activity: Persinger MA1, McKay BE, O'Donovan CA, Koren SA https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15726448

5. Correlation between convulsive seizure and geomagnetic activity Mita Rajaram1, S. Mitra2 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0304394081902469

6. Geomagnetic Storms Can Trigger Stroke Evidence From 6 Large Population-Based Studies in Europe and Australasia Valery L. Feigin, et al http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/04/22/STROKEAHA.113.004577


7. Geomagnetic Storms Linked to Increased Stroke Risk Sue Hughes http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/824302

8. Solar and Geomagnetic Activity and Acute Myocardial Infarction Morbidity and Mortality Svetla Dimitrova https://www.researchgate.net/public...Myocardial_Infarction_Morbidity_and_Mortality

Interestingly, while much of these higher energy effects of space weather are harmful, the further away you find yourself from the Polar Regions, the weaker the geomagnetic activity is. Then, not only are you exposed to fewer geomagnetic induced seizure triggers; the lower level geomagnetic activity has a stimulating effect on the brain and may actually work to inhibit runaway neural activity that leads to seizures.

9. Effects of geomagnetic activity variations on the physiological and psychological state of functionally healthy humans by T. K. Breus http://thepowersthatbeat.blogspot.com/2012/06/effects-of-geomagnetic-activity.html

Where then are the safest places to live? If you are US resident considering relocation as a defense against deleterious space weather you might want to consider heading south towards the border. Here you will find lower geomagnetic intensities. Compare the 55,000 nT field intensity found in the Great Lakes region to South Florida with 45,000 nT and much better is Hawaii at 35,000 nT. Outside of the USA, it is hard to do better than South Brazil for under 25,000 nT. You can explore the geomagnetic potentials further at https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/WMM/data/WMM2015/WMM2015_F_MERC.pdf

Is there a way to actually visually see real time differences in space weather in different parts of the USA, to find a more ideal location for health reasons? A useful resource is geomagnetism plots of different USGS magnetic observatories in the USA. You can choose a real time view to look at plots from all the regional data and compare the geomagnetic field intensity for that observatory and the H (horizontal) index, which is used to monitor geomagnetic pulsations. Then you will normally see a trend of lower geomagnetic activity tied to geomagnetic latitude. Here is a typical quiet day in real time recording: https://geomag.usgs.gov/plots/

In conclusion. Geomagnetic storms follow a somewhat predictable time cycle of 11.2 years, although they can happen unpredictably any month. Geomagnetic storms have the most biological effects on children and senior adults. Relocation can be a viable means of protection from most harmful space weather.

 

[Porkette]

Hi Geomagman,

I have a friend who lives in Alaska and she gets wicked migraine headaches do to the solar flares that happen every now and then. I also have a student in jr. high school and each time the moon comes out she will have seizures the day before.

In a way it's similar to how I'm sensitive to cell phones if I'm in a store and a lot of people are using their phones it triggers seizures for me because I'm sensitive to the frequency the cell phones are using. Wishing you only the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[Earthwise]

This is incredible information. Thanks for all the research you've put into this!

 

[Cint]

I do feel there is some validity to this concerning migraines. I get migraines when there is a low air pressure system heading our way. I can feel it the day before. I used to live in the south and the headaches were much worse down there than they are out west for me. The air pressure coming from the gulf seemed intense to me. But none of that seemed to effect my seizures. I started having seizures before I moved to the south and nothing has changed, seizure related. My seizures are more hormonal related.

 

[Geomagman]

Hi Cint

Thanks for your input on this topic. I do have one interesting thing to share with you about your migraines coming from environmental factors. You probably already know that other migraine sufferers likewise lay blame on the changes in weather for the source of their misery but their is evidence that the real source is huge amounts of positive ions created by weather systems.

Here is a NY Times article that suggests a lot of weather based personality changes is likewise caused by positive ions:

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/06/s...s-may-prompt-changes-in-emotional-states.html

A more recent study on the effects of positive ions give more useful information:

http://faculty.uncfsu.edu/grahi/Positive Ion Poisoning.doc

It makes sense then to investigate getting yourself a few high power negative ion generators for your home. I have personally used these Negative Ion generators and they improved my sleep, mood, and I've never had another space weather headache.

 

[Myshkin]

Hm, I can believe this. When I lived in the far north of Scotland there were several occasions I almost died of status. Now that I live further south, things are better. Not a doctor, not a scientist, but I could postulate that Vitamin D deficiency may play a part, similar to how multiple sclerosis is far more common further north because of Vitamin D deficiency from lack of sunlight.