What does a seizure look like in a person?

The signs of a seizure depend on the type of seizure.

A person having a seizure may seem confused or look like they are staring at something that isn't there. Other seizures can cause a person to fall, shake, and become unaware of what's going on around them.

How can you tell if you had a seizure?

Some people have nausea or unusual feelings that are hard to describe. These seizures may result in trouble speaking and involuntary jerking of a body part such as an arm or a leg. They also may cause sudden sensory symptoms such as tingling, dizziness and seeing flashing lights.

How does your body feel during a seizure?

Some seizures cause the body to jerk and shake (a "fit"), while others cause problems like loss of awareness or unusual sensations. They typically pass in a few seconds or minutes. Seizures can occur when you're awake or asleep. Sometimes they can be triggered by something, such as feeling very tired.

What can be mistaken for a seizure?

Movement disorders such as Tourette's syndrome or other uncontrolled tics are sometimes mistaken for partial seizures. People with Tourette's syndrome may grunt, clear their throats or even curse involuntarily.

What triggers seizures?

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.

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

Should I go to the hospital after a seizure?

Once the seizure is over, Kadiwala recommends the patient be taken to the emergency room to rule out any serious medical problems. “Anyone who experiences their first seizure should be taken to the ER right away,” he explains. “The purpose of an ER visit is to rule out any immediate or life-threatening.

What does a mild seizure look like?

shaking or twitching, either of the entire body or parts of the body. suddenly falling and losing control of motor functions. rapid blinking or twitching in the face. changes in sensory perceptions , such that a person may smell or hear something others do not.

What are the 3 signs of a seizure?

Seizures symptoms vary and can include a sudden change in awareness or full loss of consciousness, unusual sensations or thoughts, involuntary twitching or stiffness in the body or severe stiffening and limb shaking with loss of consciousness (a convulsion.)

What happens at the beginning of a seizure?

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.

How do people act before a seizure?

Some patients may have a feeling of having lived a certain experience in the past, known as “déjà vu.” Other warning signs preceding seizures include daydreaming, jerking movements of an arm, leg, or body, feeling fuzzy or confused, having periods of forgetfulness, feeling tingling or numbness in a part of the body, ...

What are the 4 stages of a seizure?

Can you talk during a seizure?

Patients with simple partial seizures remain aware and awake throughout the seizure, and some patients can even talk during the episode.

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.

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

Tests for diagnosing seizures

If this is your first seizure, your doctor may want to do some scans to look at the structures in your brain. A common form of imaging is MRI. Your doctor may also want to assess how the naturally occurring activity in your brain is functioning. To do this, an EEG is performed.

Should you 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.

Why shouldn't you touch someone having a seizure?

When someone is having a seizure, Dr. Chen says DO NOT: try to hold the person down: This can cause injury and won't make the seizure stop. leave when the seizure is over: Wait a few minutes to make sure the person can breathe normally and returns to a normal state of awareness.

How long do seizures usually last?

Epileptic seizures

Seizure auras often warn that another seizure is coming. Auras can cause sensations or symptoms, such as fear or unusual smells. They may last a few seconds up to 2 minutes before another seizure occurs. Myoclonic and absence seizures typically last only seconds.

Which drugs cause seizures?

Are seizures life threatening?

A seizure may cause a person to have pauses in breathing (apnea). If these pauses last too long, they can reduce the oxygen in the blood to a life-threatening level. In addition, during a convulsive seizure a person's airway sometimes may get covered or obstructed, leading to suffocation. Heart rhythm.

When a seizure is an emergency?

Seizures do not usually require emergency medical attention. Only call 911 if one or more of these are true: The person has never had a seizure before. The person has difficulty breathing or waking after the seizure.

Where do most seizures start?

The temporal lobes are the areas of the brain that most commonly give rise to seizures. The mesial portion (middle) of both temporal lobes is very important in epilepsy — it is frequently the source of seizures and can be prone to damage or scarring.

Can dehydration cause a seizure?

Seizures can result from severe imbalances in electrolytes due to dehydration. Dehydration can reduce the amount of blood in the body, which can put strain on the heart and cause shock. Shock is a dangerous decrease in blood pressure, which can be fatal.

What can happen if a seizure is left untreated?

If seizures can't be stopped or repeated seizures occur one right after another, permanent injury or death can occur. People with epilepsy can also die from problems that occur during or after a seizure, such as inhaling vomit. This problem can be prevented if the person is turned onto one side as soon as possible.