|
|
Reports in newspapers and on television have heightened public awareness that playing video games can, in rare cases, trigger seizures, but there is no scientific evidence that video games can cause epilepsy. Playing video games is an extremely common pastime for many children, and they often play them for long periods of time. Because epilepsy is a common disorder, it is not surprising that some children will have their seizures while playing video games, just by coincidence. How often this happens, and to what extent the games trigger the seizures, if at all, is not known.
Stress, fatigue, or hyperventilation may trigger seizures during video games in some children who have epilepsy.
Some other children are photosensitive. For them, flashing lights, flickering images, or certain color sequences can trigger seizures or create patterns on the electroencephalogram (EEG) that are typical of epilepsy. These children may have seizures directly associated with playing video games. Photosensitivity occurs in only about 3% of people with epilepsy, however, so almost all children who have epilepsy should be able to play video games without ill effects. Restricting a child from playing video games simply because he or she has epilepsy is not justified.
Parents who are unsure whether a child who has epilepsy is photosensitive should check with the doctor. This can usually be determined from their EEG test. Photosensitive children may be able to play some games quite safely but have problems with others. Medication or blue polarized sunglasses can often prevent seizures caused by photosensitivity.
For parents who are concerned about the possible risk of seizures, it may be helpful to observe the child during the game and watch for signs of possible seizures:
The presence of one or more of these signs does not necessarily mean that a child has epilepsy or is photosensitive, but it would be a good idea to tell the doctor.
The following suggestions, adapted from ways of reducing the risk of seizures in photosensitive children while they watch television, may be helpful with regard to video games:
Topic Editor:James W. Wheless, M.D.
Last Reviewed:10/5/06
Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.
No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.
Children with epilepsy have a higher rate of learning disorders than the general public. However, most children with epilepsy don't have learning problems.
More FAQs
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Faked seizures | Oct 3, 2009 | |
| dfarrell | ||
| I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life... | Aug 17, 2009 | |
| 1nevermore | ||
| Food-Triggered Siezures | Sep 25, 2009 | |
| uberzwitter | ||
| Temporal lobe surgery | Aug 16, 2009 | |
| a_mkelly2000 | ||
| Can exercise induce seizures? | Sep 11, 2009 | |
| MichaelK | ||
| terrified to get pregnant | Sep 19, 2009 | |
| linzysmith323 | ||
| Epilepsy triggers? | Aug 9, 2009 | |
| Black.Pearl | ||
| The Reasons not to consume alcohol or smoke marijuana if you have epilepsy | Jul 30, 2009 | |
| LaurenG1211 | ||
| Do seizures change characteristics over time? | Jul 25, 2009 | |
| Amazon | ||
| Gardasil, car accident, stress, PTSD, seizures? | Sep 9, 2009 | |
| sparkbird | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| EEG's Suck! First timer | Sep 2, 2010 | |
| baggytrousers | ||
| Epilepsy and Life Insurance | Sep 2, 2010 | |
| rw | ||
| After effects from Surgery | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| happygirl | ||
| seizures while sleeping... how do you know? | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| Ashleigh.Ruiz | ||
| How do you change a inconclusive diagnoses to one you believe you have. | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| xwovie | ||
| New to E, New to site. | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| jameskirby | ||
| Afraid of DRIVING | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| funwithsteak | ||
| 24 Months and Not Walking/Cruising or Talking | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| JacksMommy | ||
| Difficulty understanding speech during a seizure (but hearing you!)? | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| snowwoman | ||
| Unable To Work, Memory Loss, Etc! How Do You Cope With It? | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| RenaGrl808 | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,496 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 19,076 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 19,007 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,968 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 13,359 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,231 | |
| George R | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,757 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,156 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,561 | |
| Maggie | ||
| Weight Gain and Depakote | 8,945 | |
| galinda | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| This Isn't Ebay Folks!!!!!!!!! | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Well he has arrived! | Sep 28, 2009 | |
| SassyMindy | ||
| BEEN A LONG.........PROBABLY A LONG PURGING BLOG COMING........I'M BEING FOLLOWED BY A MOONSHADOW.... | Aug 8, 2009 | |
| ROCKNROLL | ||
| A Year Since Surgery | Aug 17, 2009 | |
| SassyMindy | ||
| Ohhhhh Baby! | Sep 5, 2009 | |
| 1sassyhelper | ||
| Drum Roll..... | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Find insurance for Epilepsy | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| mandasuewilson | ||
| AS THE DRUG COMPANY TURNS - THE SOAP OPERA | Aug 1, 2009 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Changing seizures..very scary | Jul 29, 2009 | |
| r_mommy2 | ||
| Quitting medication after brain operation | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| karl34 | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| my seizure history | Sep 2, 2010 | |
| preme | ||
| Booyah releases InCrowd for iPhone and iPod touch | Sep 2, 2010 | |
| imblocker | ||
| An apple iphone app developer’s diary, and some thoughts on Android | Sep 2, 2010 | |
| imblocker | ||
| Redesigned iPhone four Credited out Sept 30? | Sep 2, 2010 | |
| imblocker | ||
| Accessories for iPhone | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| nikoyoung | ||
| What is DRC, DAR, PGC? | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| Moodyxh | ||
| tommrow appt | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| tweety 12 | ||
| WHY? WHY? WHY? | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| Adz | ||
| how life can be | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| aek1985 | ||
| Laura's Blog | Aug 31, 2010 | |
| laurapryor44 | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,024 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,915 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,694 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,478 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,099 | |
| pksmom | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 3,042 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,999 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,843 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,769 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,620 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| support group for individuals w/ epilepsy | Oct 18, 2009 | |
| sunstarr_429 | ||
| Epilepsy and Movies | Sep 10, 2009 | |
| wendyspazzez | ||
| Epilepsy and Memory Loss?? | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| lindseygthatsme | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 12, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| My Epilepsy Diary | Aug 26, 2010 | |
| epi_help | ||
| Controlled adult in Colorado Springs | Jul 31, 2010 | |
| marhank49 | ||
| Chicago Illinois support group and awareness | Jul 25, 2010 | |
| catfish4 | ||
| at work with side effects | Jul 24, 2010 | |
| chezallyn | ||
| epliepsy and how it effects my sex drive | Jul 18, 2010 | |
| melza | ||
| Alaskan Adults Who have Epilepsy | Jul 11, 2010 | |
| akewbc | ||
| Mskhan | Jul 10, 2010 | |
| msokhan2 | ||
| Students who have or think they have epilepsy OR Health Care Professionals | Jul 9, 2010 | |
| flames.above | ||
| Spouses of Epileptics | Jul 8, 2010 | |
| davejohn | ||
| fearless | Jul 7, 2010 | |
| lollipop | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| 36 years epilepsy and seizure free so far after op. | Jul 26, 2009 | |
| karl34 | ||
| giving humans another try ;) | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| bookworm03 | ||
| growning up | Oct 21, 2009 | |
| geenie | ||
| Epilepsy and other goodies | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| LIZARD66 | ||
| Absent Memories | Oct 29, 2009 | |
| BekiP | ||
| Journey of Epilepsy | Aug 6, 2009 | |
| Jensey84 | ||
| Silent Traumatic Epilepsy as a result of a subarachnoid hemorrhage | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| lonepearl | ||
| Epilepsy and my daughter | Aug 12, 2009 | |
| dmeitzen | ||
| Temporal lobe epilepsy | Aug 19, 2009 | |
| dawnieb82 | ||
| Fighting the fight to stop the seizures | Aug 27, 2009 | |
| lahull2000 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Epilepsy with showers and baths | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| sftbllcutie4lft | ||
| Angelia(baby girl)MY LIFE | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| angie1261 | ||
| Lucky to be alive. | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| nookums2000 | ||
| waking up at 42 and what happened | Sep 1, 2010 | |
| judyjudy01985 | ||
| m alana | Aug 31, 2010 | |
| scaredypants19 | ||
| Ed Hardy makes UK trade show debut at Londoncentral | Aug 31, 2010 | |
| guoke | ||
| Epilepsy Journey | Aug 31, 2010 | |
| chiotlune | ||
| VCD, SVCD or DVD? | Aug 31, 2010 | |
| nikoyoung | ||
| Rose's Story | Aug 30, 2010 | |
| Amber Randall | ||
| From the confusion and insanity of epilepsy came insight, awareness, and understanding, with intuitivness | Aug 30, 2010 | |
| manwithepilepsy | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,332 | |
| kroiz | ||
| (TLE) seizures, insurance company denies me for health care due to epilepsy | 911 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 488 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 466 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 438 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 423 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | 395 | |
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 393 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 358 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Life......... | 350 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| View all Stories | ||
