Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes
abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of
awareness. Anyone can develop epilepsy. ( www.mayoclinic.org › epilepsy › symptoms-causes ›
syc-20350093.)
Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has recurrent seizures. A seizure is defined as an
abnormal, disorderly discharging of the brain’s nerve cells, resulting in a temporary disturbance
of motor, sensory, or mental function. … Episodes of abnormal electrical activity within the brain
result in seizures. (www.emedicinehealth.com › epilepsy › article_em.)
Click on the following link for a better understanding of what epilepsy is.
https://youtu.be/I7b0WW7Jht4
What happens during a seizure?
Beginning
Some people are aware of the beginning of a seizure, possibly as much as hours or a minute
before it happens. The On the other hand, some people may not be aware of the beginning
and therefore have no warning. These warning signs before a seizure are known as auras but
not everyone has them.
Prodrome
Some people may experience feelings, sensations, or changes in behavior hours or days
before a seizure. These feelings are generally not part of the seizure, but may warn a person
that a seizure may come. Not everyone has these signs, but if they do, the signs can help a
person change their activity, make sure to take their medication, use a rescue treatment,
and take steps to prevent injury.
Aura
An aura or warning is the first symptom of a seizure and is considered part of the seizure.
Often the aura is an indescribable feeling. Other times it’s easy to recognize and may be a
change in feeling, sensation, thought, or behavior that is similar each time a seizure occurs.
The aura can also occur alone and may be called a focal onset aware seizure, simple
partial seizure or partial seizure without change in awareness.
An aura can occur before a change in awareness or consciousness
Yet, many people have no aura or warning; the seizure starts with a loss of
consciousness or awareness.
Common symptoms before a seizure
Awareness, Sensory, Emotional or Thought Changes
Déjà vu (a feeling of being there before but never have)
Jamais vu (a feeling that something is very familiar but it isn’t)
Smells
Sounds
Tastes
Visual loss or blurring
“Strange” feelings
Fear/panic (often negative or scary feelings)
Pleasant feelings
Racing thoughts
Physical Changes
Dizzy or lightheaded
Headache
Nausea or other stomach feelings (often a rising feeling from the stomach to the throat)
Numbness or tingling in part of the body
Middle
The middle of a seizure is often called the octal phase. It’s the period of time from the first
symptoms (including an aura) to the end of the seizure activity, this correlates with the
electrical seizure activity in the brain. Sometimes the visible symptoms last longer than the
seizure activity on an EEG. This is because some of the visible symptoms may be aftereffects
of a seizure or not related to seizure activity at all.
Common symptoms during a seizure
Awareness, Sensory, Emotional or Thought Changes
Loss of awareness (often called “black out”)
Confused, feeling spacey
Periods of forgetfulness or memory lapses
Distracted, daydreaming
Loss of consciousness, unconscious, or “pass out”
Unable to hear
Sounds may be strange or different
Unusual smells (often bad smells like burning rubber)
Unusual tastes
Loss of vision or unable to see
Blurry vision
Flashing lights
Formed visual hallucinations (objects or things are seen that aren’t really there)
Numbness, tingling, or electric shock like feeling in body, arm or leg
Out of body sensations
Feeling detached
Déjà vu (feeling of being there before but never have)
Jamais vu (feeling that something is very familiar but it isn’t)
Body parts feels or looks different
Feeling of panic, fear, impending doom (intense feeling that something bad is going to happen)
Pleasant feelings
Physical Changes
Difficulty talking (may stop talking, make nonsense or garbled sounds, keep talking or speech
may not make sense)
Unable to swallow, drooling
Repeated blinking of eyes, eyes may move to one side or look upward, or staring
Lack of movement or muscle tone (unable to move, loss of tone in neck and head may drop
forward, loss of muscle tone in body and person may slump or fall forward)
Tremors, twitching or jerking movements (may occur on one or both sides of face, arms, legs or
whole body; may start in one area then spread to other areas or stay in one place)
Rigid or tense muscles (part of the body or whole body may feel very tight or tense and if
standing, may fall “like a tree trunk”)
Repeated non-purposeful movements, called automatisms, involve the face, arms or legs, such as
o lip smacking or chewing movements
o repeated movements of hands, like wringing, playing with buttons or objects in hands, waving
o dressing or undressing
o walking or running
Repeated purposeful movements (person may continue activity that was going on before the
seizure)
Convulsion (person loses consciousness, body becomes rigid or tense, then fast jerking
movements occur)
Losing control of urine or stool unexpectedly
Sweating
Change in skin color (looks pale or flushed)
Pupils may dilate or appear larger than normal
Biting of tongue (from teeth clenching when muscles tighten)
Difficulty breathing
Heart racing
Ending
As the seizure ends, the postictal phase occurs – this is the recovery period after the seizure.
Some people recover immediately while others may take minutes to hours to feel like their
usual self. The type of seizure, as well as what part of the brain the seizure impacts, affects
the recovery period – how long it may last and what may occur during it.
Common symptoms after a seizure
Awareness, Sensory, Emotional, or Thought Changes
Slow to respond or not able to respond right away
Sleepy
Confused
Memory loss
Difficulty talking or writing
Feeling fuzzy, light-headed, or dizzy
Feeling depressed, sad, upset
Scared
Anxious
Frustrated, embarrassed, ashamed
Physical Changes
May have injuries, such as bruising, cuts, broken bones, or head injury if fell during seizure
May feel tired, exhausted, or sleep for minutes or hours
Headache or other pain
Nausea or upset stomach
Thirsty
General weakness or weak in one part or side of the body
Urge to go to the bathroom or lose control of bowel or bladder
Types of seizures
- Generalized onset seizures: These seizures affect both sides of the brain or groups of cells on
both sides of the brain at the same time. This term was used before and still includes seizures
types like tonic-clonic, absence, or atonic to name a few.
In a generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure, the person will usually emit a short cry and
fall to the floor. Their muscles will stiffen (tonic phase) and then their extremities will jerk and
twitch (clonic phase). Bladder control may be lost. Consciousness is regained slowly.
After a seizure, the person may feel fatigue, confusion and disorientation. This may last from 5
minutes to several hours or even days. Rarely, this disorientation may last up to 2 weeks. The
person may fall asleep, or gradually become less confused until full consciousness is regained.
For a better understanding, click on the following link. https://youtu.be/FBEj9H42fa4. - Focal onset seizures: The term focal is used instead of partial to be more accurate when talking
about where seizures begin. Focal seizures can start in one area or group of cells in one side of
the brain.
o Focal Onset Aware Seizures: When a person is awake and aware during a
seizure, it’s called a focal aware seizure. This used to be called a simple partial
seizure. For better understanding click on the following link.
https://youtu.be/8vISHhKCw_Q
o Focal Onset Impaired Awareness: When a person is confused or their
awareness is affected in some way during a focal seizure, it’s called a focal
impaired awareness seizure. This used to be called a complex partial seizure.
- Unknown onset seizures: When the beginning of a seizure is not known, it’s now called an
unknown onset seizure. A seizure could also be called an unknown onset if it’s not witnessed or
seen by anyone, for example when seizures happen at night or in a person who lives alone.
As more information is learned, an unknown onset seizure may later be diagnosed as a focal or
generalized seizure.
SEIZURE DOS AND DON’TS.
Prior to the Seizure.
1.) Do listen to the individual as some do get Auras; these are sensations that serve as a
warning sign prior to the seizure.
2.) Do help the individual get to a safe space as soon as they show signs of a seizure. This is
to avoid any injury to the individual.
3.) Do try and take note of the individual’s behavior or happenings during the Auras.
4.) Do try and tilt the head to the side to avoid chocking.
DURING THE SEIZURE.
1.) Do turn their head to the side so that the foaming in the mouth oozes out to avoiding
chocking.
2.) Do hold the gently to avoid injury and allow the seizure to take its full course. This
means the seizure lasts lesser time.
3.) Do call their name so as to try helping him/her stay conscious of their surroundings. This
helps overcome the seizure sometimes.
4.) Do give the individual enough space for breathing and air circulation and ensure there are
no harmful objects around.
5.) Do turn the individual’s head to the side to avoid chocking on their saliva during the
foaming in the mouth.
6.) Do take note of how long the seizure(s) were. How long they lasted, was there more than
one, and if so how long was the timing between them and how many there was.
7.) Do rush the individual to the hospital for further treatment if seizure lasts more than 2
minutes.
8.) Don’t give any food or drink during the seizures as they are unable to control themselves
during that time.
9.) Don’t put a spoon, stick, or any foreign object in the individual’s mouth as it heightens
the chances of airway blockage which may lead to either chocking or suffocation.
Post seizure
1.) Do put the individual into recovery position. This is done by turning them on to their
side, placing their arm under their chin for support and keeping the mouth open. The
other arm is bent slightly wider so as to prevent rolling over. Place one leg stretched and
the other folded at the knee to support the recovery position. This is demonstrated in the
image below.
Basic questions
What is epilepsy?
What is an Aura?
What are some of the signs that a seizure is about to occur?
What happens during a seizure?
What are the different types of epilepsy?
What have you heard about epilepsy?
Have you been present when a seizure occurred?
If yes: Did you know the individual? What happened? Did you do anything to help? And what
was the final outcome?
What are the forms of treatments for epilepsy?
What are the different triggers for epilepsy?