What Is a Seizure?
A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This can cause changes in movement, sensation, awareness, or behavior, depending on which part of the brain is affected. Seizures can happen to anyone under certain circumstances, such as high fever, low blood sugar, or head injury.
What Is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition marked by a tendency to have recurrent, unprovoked seizures. A single seizure doesn’t necessarily mean someone has epilepsy — the diagnosis is generally considered when a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, or one seizure with a high risk of recurrence.
Types of Seizures
- Focal (partial) seizures: Begin in one area of the brain. May cause unusual sensations, movements, or brief lapses in awareness, depending on the region involved.
- Generalized seizures: Involve both sides of the brain from the onset.
Includes:
- Tonic-clonic (grand mal): Body stiffens, followed by jerking movements, and loss of consciousness.
- Absence (petit mal): Brief lapses in awareness, often mistaken for daydreaming, common in children.
- Myoclonic: Sudden brief muscle jerks.
- Atonic: Sudden loss of muscle tone, causing a fall (“drop attacks”).
Common Causes
- Genetic factors
- Brain injury or trauma
- Stroke
- Brain infections (meningitis, encephalitis)
- Brain tumors or structural abnormalities
- Developmental conditions
- In many cases, no clear cause is identified
Recognizing a Seizure
Signs can include:
- Staring spells or brief loss of awareness
- Uncontrolled jerking movements
- Stiffening of the body
- Sudden confusion
- Temporary loss of consciousness
- Unusual sensations, such as tingling, strange smells, or a senseof déjà vu (aura)
What to Do During a Seizure
- Stay calm and stay with the person
- Ease them to the floor and clear the area of hard or sharp objects
- Turn them onto their side to keep the airway clear
- Place something soft under their head
- Do not hold them down or put anything in their mouth
- Time the seizure
- Call emergency services if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, if another seizure follows without recovery, if the person is injured,pregnant, or has difficulty breathing, or if this is their first seizure
Living with Epilepsy
Many people with epilepsy manage their condition well with:
- Antiseizure medications
- Identifying and avoiding personal triggers (lack of sleep, stress, flashing lights, alcohol)
- Regular follow-up with a neurologist
- In some cases, dietary therapy, devices, or surgery for drugresistant epilepsy
With proper management, many people with epilepsy lead full, active lives.
When to See a Doctor
Consult a doctor promptly if you or someone else experiences a first-time seizure, a change in seizure pattern or frequency, or any seizure lasting more than a few minutes.