Can you have mild epilepsy?

A mild seizure may be difficult to recognize. It may only last a few seconds, and you may remain awake while it happens. Stronger seizures can cause spasms and uncontrollable muscle twitches. They can last from a few seconds to several minutes and may cause confusion or loss of consciousness.

Are there different levels of epilepsy?

There are four types of epilepsies. Each type includes different types of seizures, which cause different symptoms and have different onset (begin in different parts of the brain).

What is the most mild form of epilepsy?

Absence seizures (formerly called “petit mal” seizures) are very brief and do not cause the person to fall or have significant shaking movements. Typical absence seizures involve a sudden cessation of movement, with staring and sometimes with blinking.

Can you have epilepsy and not know it?

Some people with undiagnosed epilepsy may not even realize that the strange sensations or emotions they're experiencing are due to a seizure. Epileptic seizures can vary by the type of epilepsy causing them.

What does a mild seizure feel like?

Simple focal seizures: They change how your senses read the world around you: They can make you smell or taste something strange, and may make your fingers, arms, or legs twitch. You also might see flashes of light or feel dizzy. You're not likely to lose consciousness, but you might feel sweaty or nauseated.

Epilepsy in schools: what does a focal seizure look like?

Can anxiety cause seizures?

If you have already been diagnosed with epilepsy then yes, anxiety can cause seizures. Severe stress is a very common seizure trigger, and those with severe anxiety often experience severe stress. However, it should be noted that this is far more common with those who already have epilepsy.

Are simple partial seizures considered epilepsy?

A simple partial seizure is a type of seizure associated with epilepsy. It may also be referred to as a focal seizure. Epilepsy is a condition that causes multiple seizures, and the seizures can be of any type.

What do mini seizures look like?

Absence seizures involve brief, sudden lapses of consciousness. They're more common in children than in adults. Someone having an absence seizure may look like he or she is staring blankly into space for a few seconds. Then, there is a quick return to a normal level of alertness.

What is minor epilepsy?

A mild seizure may be difficult to recognize. It may only last a few seconds, and you may remain awake while it happens. Stronger seizures can cause spasms and uncontrollable muscle twitches. They can last from a few seconds to several minutes and may cause confusion or loss of consciousness.

Can you suddenly develop epilepsy?

Epilepsy can start at any age, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60. It's often lifelong, but can sometimes get slowly better over time.

Can you have epilepsy without seizures?

When seizures become a consistent problem, this condition is called epilepsy. You may have a seizure without having epilepsy, but you can't have epilepsy without seizures — even if they don't cause obvious effects.

What is unknown epilepsy?

The term 'unknown' is used to denote where it is understood that the patient has epilepsy, but it is not possible to denote whether it is focal, generalized, or combined focal and generalized. This may occur due to insufficient information to classify the epilepsy, for example if the EEG is normal/uninformative.

What are the 3 types of epilepsy?

What causes a mild seizure?

Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a person has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.

What is a mini seizure called?

Absence seizures, sometimes called petit mal seizures, can cause rapid blinking or a few seconds of staring into space.

What triggers epilepsy?

Missed medication, lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, and menstruation are some of the most common triggers, but there are many more. Flashing lights can cause seizures in some people, but it's much less frequent than you might imagine.

What are the warning signs of epilepsy?

What are the 4 types of epilepsy?

How long do simple partial seizures last?

These seizures are brief, lasting less than one to two minutes. In focal clonic seizures, there is epileptic activation of a restricted area of the precentral gyrus.

Do simple partial seizures show on an EEG?

Thus, a normal EEG is common during simple partial seizures and does not exclude the diagnosis.

How far back can an EEG detect a seizure?

EEG: If performed within 24-48 hours of a first seizure, EEG shows substantial abnormalities in about 70% of cases. The yield may be lower with longer delays after the seizure. If the standard EEG is negative, sleep-deprived EEG will detect epileptiform discharges in an additional 13-31% of cases.

Can partial seizures go away?

Complex partial seizures, now called focal onset impaired awareness seizures, are the most common type for adults who have epilepsy (a disorder that affects your brain cells). They're usually harmless and only last a minute or two.

Can you have a seizure and still be conscious?

Focal aware seizures (also called focal onset aware or simple partial seizures) is a seizure that happens while a person is awake and alert and aware of what is going on. During the seizure, the person may have movements, feelings, or sensations that are out of their control. They usually last less than 2 minutes.

Can overthinking cause seizures?

Emotional stress also can lead to seizures. Emotional stress is usually related to a situation or event that has personal meaning to you. It may be a situation in which you feel a loss of control. In particular, the kind of emotional stress that leads to most seizures is worry or fear.

What are partial seizures?

A partial (focal) seizure happens when unusual electrical activity affects a small area of the brain. When the seizure does not affect awareness, it is known as a simple partial seizure. Simple partial seizures can be: Motor - affecting the muscles of the body. Sensory - affecting the senses.