What are the warning signs of having a seizure?

General symptoms or warning signs of a seizure can include:
  • Staring.
  • Jerking movements of the arms and legs.
  • Stiffening of the body.
  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Breathing problems or stopping breathing.
  • Loss of bowel or bladder control.
  • Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of consciousness.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on hopkinsmedicine.org


Can you feel a seizure coming on?

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.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsy.com


Do seizures have warning signs?

Some people with seizures have noticed an aura or unusual sensation that serves as a warning signal before a seizure begins. This can come in the form of a visual disturbance, sound, or feeling of anxiety. Auras are sometimes a type of focal, or petit mal, seizure, and can be followed by a grand mal seizure.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


What do you feel like when your about to have a seizure?

Seizure signs and symptoms may include: Temporary confusion. A staring spell. Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org


What can trigger a seizure?

12 most common seizure triggers
  • Missing medication. The most common reason for a seizure is forgetting to take your anti-epileptic drugs (AED) or deliberately not taking it. ...
  • Alcohol. ...
  • Recreational drugs. ...
  • Caffeine. ...
  • Lack of sleep / tiredness. ...
  • Stress / anxiety. ...
  • Boredom. ...
  • Dehydration.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsyscotland.org.uk


Types of seizures and their warning signs



How do you prevent a seizure when you feel it coming?

10 tips to prevent seizures
  1. Take your medication as prescribed. Anti-epileptic medications are designed to help prevent seizures. ...
  2. Don't consume alcohol. ...
  3. Avoid substance misuse. ...
  4. Practice stress management. ...
  5. Maintain a sleep schedule. ...
  6. Keep a consistent meal schedule. ...
  7. Avoid flashing lights. ...
  8. Protect yourself from head injuries.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


Can anxiety cause a seizure?

However, according to research on the experiences of people with seizures, stress and anxiety can trigger seizures, and current research often underestimates the role they may play. Lack of sleep is a common trigger for seizures, and this can often happen in people who are experiencing overwhelming stress.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on psychcentral.com


What does a mini seizure feel like?

Absence (or petit mal) seizures: You seem disconnected from others around you and don't respond to them. You may stare blankly into space, and your eyes might roll back in your head. They usually last only a few seconds, and you may not remember having one.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on webmd.com


What does a mini seizure look like?

The person suddenly stops all activity. It may look like he or she is staring off into space or just has a blank look. The eyes may turn upwards and eyelids flutter. The seizures usually last less than 10 seconds.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsy.com


What are the 4 stages of a seizure?

Seizures take on many different forms and have a beginning (prodrome and aura), middle (ictal) and end (post-ictal) stage. These phases are described below.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsyfoundation.org.au


Can you fight off a seizure?

In cases where the aura is a smell, some people are able to fight off seizures by sniffing a strong odor, such as garlic or roses. When the preliminary signs include depression, irritability, or headache, an extra dose of medication (with a doctor's approval) may help prevent an attack.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on webmd.com


Can stress 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.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsy.com


What do silent seizures look like?

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. This type of seizure usually doesn't lead to physical injury.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mayoclinic.org


How do you act during a seizure?

First Aid
  1. Keep other people out of the way.
  2. Clear hard or sharp objects away from the person.
  3. Don't try to hold them down or stop the movements.
  4. Place them on their side, to help keep their airway clear.
  5. Look at your watch at the start of the seizure, to time its length.
  6. Don't put anything in their mouth.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on webmd.com


Can you be aware during a seizure?

When people have focal aware seizures, they are fully awake, alert, and able to recall events during the seizure. Some are "frozen" during the seizure, so they may or may not be able to respond to others during the seizures. Overall, these seizures are brief, usually lasting less than 2 minutes.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsy.com


What happens to your body during a seizure?

Normally, the billions of neurons or nerve cells in the brain fire off electrical impulses individually, allowing the neurons to communicate with each other to help your body function appropriately. In a seizure, those neurons all fire off at the same time, creating abnormal electrical activity.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on goodrx.com


When should you go to the hospital for a seizure?

Call 911 or the local emergency number immediately if:

The seizure lasts five minutes or longer or is repeated. Injuries have resulted from the seizure. The person experiences persistent breathing difficulty. The person having the seizure also has a fever.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on emergencyphysicians.org


What do stress seizures look like?

Frequently, people with PNES may look like they are experiencing generalized convulsions similar to tonic-clonic seizures with falling and shaking. Less frequently, PNES may mimic absence seizures or focal impaired awarneness (previously called complex partial) seizures.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsy.com


Can high blood pressure cause seizures?

Results: Severe uncontrolled hypertension increased the risk of unprovoked seizure. Left ventricular hypertrophy without diuretic treatment was associated with an 11-fold increased risk of unprovoked seizure: left ventricular hypertrophy treated with diuretics did not increase the risk.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Can lack of sleep cause seizures?

Can sleep deprivation trigger a seizure? Yes, it can. Seizures are very sensitive to sleep patterns. Some people have their first and only seizures after an "all-nighter" at college or after not sleeping well for long periods.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsy.com


Is it OK to sleep after a seizure?

Yes, let him sleep. When he has the seizure make sure he is on the floor where he will not injury himself. If he has been sick and has a lot of mucus make sure he is on his side so that the mucus and saliva does not choke him. Also time the seizure, anything over five minutes call the emt.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on epilepsy.com


Can you talk during a seizure?

Patients with simple partial seizures remain awake and aware throughout the seizure, and some patients can even talk during the episode.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Can you have a seizure without shaking?

There are many different types of seizures. Some have mild symptoms without shaking. 1. When a seizure occurs, the main goal is to protect the person from injury.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mountsinai.org


What causes seizures in adults with no history?

It's possible for an adult without a history of epilepsy to experience a seizure. Potential causes include central nervous system infections, brain tumors, stroke, and brain injuries. The use or stopping of certain substances, including alcohol, may also trigger a seizure.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


Can a doctor tell if you've had a seizure?

Electroencephalogram (EEG) – Using electrodes attached to your head, your doctors can measure the electrical activity in your brain. This helps to look for patterns to determine if and when another seizure might occur, and it can also help them rule out other possibilities.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on seermedical.com
Previous question
What child knows the most languages?