September 14, 2014
Wives Tales that are the Real Deal #23: Seizures and the Moon
The moon has always been credited for things like vampirism and werewolves, but science has proven that the wives' tale below is actually true--unlike most of the other superstitions:
You're more likely to suffer seizures during a full moon.
One doctor, Dr. Sallie Baxendale, conducted a study in 2009, examining the effects of the full moon on seizures. The results were fascinating: seizures did increase during the full moon period, though only when people could actually see the moon.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Source: wikimedia.org[/caption]
Remember in the movie "Van Helsing" when the clouds drift over the moon and the werewolf turns back into a human? If there is cloud covering the moon, the likelihood of seizures doesn't increase during full moon. However, if the moon is shining bright, seizures are triggered.
The evidence suggests that it's the brilliance of the full moon that triggers the fits, similar to the way bright lights or strobe lights can cause seizures. The phenomenon is not fully understood, but at least it has been proven to be fairly true!
Source: wikimedia.org[/caption]
Remember in the movie "Van Helsing" when the clouds drift over the moon and the werewolf turns back into a human? If there is cloud covering the moon, the likelihood of seizures doesn't increase during full moon. However, if the moon is shining bright, seizures are triggered.
The evidence suggests that it's the brilliance of the full moon that triggers the fits, similar to the way bright lights or strobe lights can cause seizures. The phenomenon is not fully understood, but at least it has been proven to be fairly true!