Seizures: Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Seizures are rapid, uncontrolled electrical impulse overdrive in your brain that often causes abnormal emotions, sensations, a state of consciousness, and even convulsions, which are irregular movements of the muscles. If any of these physical states are observed, it is advised to consult a doctor immediately.

Seizures can occur either once or repeatedly. If they occur repeatedly, then there is a chance to develop epilepsy. However, the chances of developing epilepsy are scientifically pretty low.?

Types of Seizures

There are two main types of seizures, and doctors like to classify them based on the area of the brain where they occur and a specific cause. There is one more type of seizure where the cause or trigger is unknown, called unknown onset seizures.

Focal Seizures

Focal seizures occur at a single point in the brain, hence, they are also called partial seizures. There are also two types based on the presence and absence of consciousness.

Focal Aware Seizure

In this seizure, the person will be aware of what is happening to them and will be able to feel abnormal sensations occurring due to seizures. It can alter the sense of taste and smell as well.

Focally Impaired Awareness of Seizure

In this seizure, the person will experience a loss of consciousness and will show repetitive movements and speech. They will also show unusual facial expressions and movements beyond their awareness and control.

?There is another type of seizure, where the person first experiences a focal seizure that develops into a generalized seizure. In this case, abnormal electrical activity spreads from a single point to other parts of the brain as well.

Generalized Seizures

Unlike focal seizures, electrical overdrive occurs in all parts of the brain simultaneously in generalized seizures. They are sub-classified into the following types.

• Tonic: This type of seizure will make the muscles in the limbs and back go stiff. It may lead to injuries due to impaired balance.?
• Atonic: Contrasting Tonic seizures, Atonic seizures will make your muscles go limp where the body may lose the ability to stand upright and fall to the ground. The head also doesn’t stay upright. Atonic seizures are also called "Drop seizures."
• Clonic: Clonic seizures cause periodic jerks and movements of the muscles of the face, neck, and arms.?
• Tonic-clonic: Tonic-clonic seizures (previously called grand mal seizures) may cause sudden unconsciousness and loss of muscle control. It includes the symptoms of both tonic and clonic seizures.
• Myoclonic: Myoclonic seizures are brief and pass quickly, so there is no loss of consciousness. However, the muscles of the limbs and neck may experience sudden spasms.
• Absence: Absence seizures (previously called petit mal seizures) are more prevalent in children than in adults. It causes rapid blinking of the eyelids and staring blankly into space.

Unknown Onset Seizures

If it is impossible to pinpoint a definitive root cause of a seizure, such seizures are often called "unknown onset seizures." It may also be observed in people sleeping or living alone.

Causes of Seizures

Seizures occur due to various underlying health conditions that may affect the nerve impulse transport in the electrical neuron channels. Seizures are the identifying symptom of epilepsy. However, having seizures does not mean that a person is suffering from epilepsy.

Various other causes of seizures include the following and more:

• Head trauma or injury caused by an accident
• Stroke
• Withdrawals from alcohol and other narcotic substances
• Brain tumor
• Infections in the brain and blood vessels present in the brain
• Irregular sleep patterns
• Low electrolyte levels

Symptoms of Seizures

Symptoms of seizures often range from mild to severe, depending upon the type and intensity of the seizure. Various symptoms include:?

• Loss of consciousness
• Confusion
• Muscle Spasms
• Falling to the ground due to loss of muscle control
• Biting of the tongue
• Clenching of the jaw
• Emotional states of fear, anxiety, or deja vu
• Nausea
• Sweating, and so on.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Seizures

Diagnosis of seizures generally starts with doctors asking about the medical and genetic health history, along with some tests to identify the cause and create an appropriate treatment plan to treat the condition. The tests are recommended in order to make sure that the patient receives the right treatment for their conditions.?

The tests include:

• Imaging tests like CT or MRI scans to identify the issue.
• Spinal tap test to look for possible infections
• Blood tests to identify if unbalanced electrolyte levels are present.

Doctors will recommend appropriate treatment plans based on the patient’s condition. Various methods like medication, brain surgery, vagus nerve stimulation, and appropriate diet plans are often used by doctors to treat seizures.

Let’s take a look at some of our case studies and doctor talks:

Corpus Callosotomy for Atonic Seizures | Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad

Epilepsy Treatment and Surgery Options | Causes and Symptoms of Epilepsy | Yashoda Hospitals

Health Talk on "Stroke: Time is Brain" by Dr. R.N Komal Kumar | Yashoda Hospitals

Neuro Critical Care and Neuro Monitoring | Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad

Are You Experiencing Any of the Above Symptoms?

Appropriate treatment is necessary, as it ensures that your life goes on as normally as possible. And given the potentially life-changing consequences of treatment and surgery, it is always critical to seek a Second Opinion from a medical professional.??

Get a free expert second opinion from Yashoda Hospitals.

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