Can listening to Mozart help with this?
You’ve maybe heard that certain kinds of classical music can help your mental health. But can it help with something like epilepsy?
Though not the first study on how Mozart’s tunes affect the epileptic brain, an in-depth study by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology found that listening to Mozart daily significantly reduced the participants’ number of epileptic seizures. It also reduced the frequency of epileptiform discharges, which are abnormal brain activities in epileptic individuals.
“Epilepsy is a brain-related condition that causes seizures, and it affects a surprising number of people,” explains Dr. Shawn Whitton, neurologist at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, Wis. “Because there is not a cure for epilepsy, it’s important to find ways to manage it.”
One way to manage it is by increasing your Mozart intake.
“The thought is that the rhythm of Mozart-specific music might be soothing to the epileptic brain,” explains Dr. Whitton. “Of course, we’re always looking for non-invasive methods of treatment, so this is great news.”
In addition to regularly listening to Mozart and taking medication for epilepsy, Dr. Whitton also suggests getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, de-stressing, limiting caffeine, staying active and eating a healthy diet.
If you suspect you may be prone to epileptic episodes, contact your doctor right away, as you shouldn’t let COVID-19 keep you from seeking the health care you need. Read how Advocate Aurora Health is taking additional steps to keep you safe with its Safe Care Promise.
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
