Genetics and Epilepsy

[RobinN]

Some types of epilepsy are. Epilepsy is not a single disorder, but a collection of many disorders that all have in common the tendency to cause a person to have seizures. When individual characteristics are caused by single genes, they are called "simple" genetic traits. Only a few rare types of epilepsy are caused by alterations in single genes. Most seem to be caused by a complex interaction among multiple genes and environmental influences.

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/types/causes/genetics.cfm

Consider the fact that you do have control over many of your environmental influences, and you might be able to raise your seizure threshold.
Don't get locked into the mindset that because you were given the diagnosis of "genetic epilepsy" that proactive therapies won't work for you.

 

[Nakamova]

Great point Robin. I believe that a lot of genetic disorders have environmental triggers or components. The amount of environmental toxins we are exposed to is increasing steadily. And because of agricultural and economic pressures, the average nutritional content of the food we eat has dropped by a huge amount since the 1970s. Both things may cause subtle (or not-so-subtle) physiological damage.

 

[Molly97]

Robin,
I watched a science show that focused on the six degrees of separation theory as an overall way that nature organizes itself. What was interesting is that the scientists are building a model of the inter-relatedness of disease. They are looking at the commonalities between all the diseases known to man. They are hoping to find a cure for cancer in this model they're building.

I mention this because I find it interesting that there is a complex relationship between disease processes, environmental influences, and nutrition. I think that it is simplistic thinking to accept the "it's genetic" explanation for any health issue. Just as you cannot introduce a non-native species of any plant or animal into any given habitat and expect it to "play well with others," you cannot have the expectation that our bodies will take whatever we throw at them and remain healthy. The human body, like it or not, is an ecosystem unto itself.

Off my soapbox.

 

[RobinN]

Great Post Molly. Please don't get off of your soapbox. We need people to promote these ideas, to stand against a lot of the gobble-de-gook

 

[Molly97]

:bigsmile:

I often feel like I'm over-zealous, particularly when I talk to family and friends. And I think I wear my husband out on the subject of health/nutrition.