Seizures

What is a Seizure?

A seizure occurs when there is a sudden electrical disturbance in the brain. Depending on the type of seizure, a person may temporarily have involuntary muscle movements and lose awareness or consciousness. The type of seizure a person experiences depends on where the seizure begins in the brain.

Generally, a person is diagnosed with epilepsy after two or more unprovoked seizures, or after a high risk of having another seizure is identified after an initial seizure. Provoked seizures—also known as acute symptomatic seizures—have a clear, immediate cause, such as a stroke or brain injury. 

Generalized Seizures

• Absence seizures cause a very brief (a few seconds) loss of consciousness. They begin with little or no warning and may occur several times per day. They are more common in children.
• Myoclonic seizures cause rapid jerks or twitches, which usually affect both sides of the body. These jerks and twitches are often described as being like an electrical shock.
• Clonic seizures cause repetitive, rhythmic jerks and involuntary body movements.
• Tonic seizures cause stiffening of the muscles, which results in the body becoming inflexible or rigid.
• Atonic seizures cause unexpected loss of muscle tone, usually in the arms and legs. This can sometimes result in falls and other accidents.
• Tonic-clonic seizures (formerly known as grand mal seizures) cause loss of consciousness, 30-60 seconds of stiffening of the body (including the arms and legs), followed by 30-60 seconds of involuntary muscle jerking of the arms and legs. After the seizure, most people fall into a deep sleep and may wake up after several minutes disoriented or confused.

Focal Seizures

• Focal aware seizures cause a variety of symptoms depending on where they originate in the brain. Some symptoms include a funny feeling in the stomach, anxiety, déjà vu, or involuntary movements of the body. They do not involve a loss of consciousness.
• Focal seizures with impaired awareness cause a loss of consciousness or awareness. Though a person’s eyes usually remain open, the person seems “out of it” and may stare into the distance. They also may perform repetitive actions, like lip smacking and hand waving.
• Sometimes focal seizures evolve into tonic-clonic seizures.

Please seek the help of a licensed medical professional if you are concerned about your health, and call 911 if you are experiencing an emergency.