What happens if a seizure goes 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.

What happens if you don't treat seizures?

If epilepsy is not treated, seizures may occur throughout a person's life. Seizures can become more severe and happen more often over time. Epilepsy can be caused by tumors or improperly formed blood vessels.

How long can a seizure last before brain damage?

If convulsive status epilepticus lasts for 30 minutes or longer it can cause permanent brain damage or even death.

Can seizures go away on its own?

But most seizures aren't an emergency. They stop on their own with no permanent ill effects. There isn't much you can do to stop a seizure once it starts. But there are simple steps you can take to protect someone from harm during a seizure.

Can seizure cause brain damage?

Most types of seizures do not cause damage to the brain. However, having a prolonged, uncontrolled seizure can cause harm. Because of this, treat any seizure lasting over 5 minutes as a medical emergency.

What Really Causes Epilepsy?

Do seizures show up on MRI?

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy uses an MRI machine to analyze the molecular components of tissue in a particular area of the brain. This helps doctors differentiate a seizure from another condition, such as a metabolic disorder, tumor, or stroke.

Do seizures affect memory?

Seizures. Any type of epileptic seizure could potentially affect your memory, either during or after a seizure. If you have lots of seizures, memory problems might happen more often.

How long can you go without seizure medication?

Stop or Switch? The limited research we have suggests that kids should be seizure-free for 2 years, and adults for 2 to 5 years, before you consider stopping medication.

What can trigger a seizure?

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.

Can brain damage from seizures be reversed?

Most often it is not possible to reverse the damage caused to brain tissue by trauma but receiving prompt medical care may make it possible for medical providers to stabilize a person's brain injury and help to prevent further injury.

What does a seizure feel like in your head?

You're not likely to lose consciousness, but you might feel sweaty or nauseated. Complex focal seizures: These usually happen in the part of your brain that controls emotion and memory. You may lose consciousness but still look like you're awake, or you may do things like gag, smack your lips, laugh, or cry.

How long is too long to have a seizure?

A long convulsive seizure (called "tonic-clonic or convulsive status epilepticus") is a medical emergency. Generally speaking, a generalized tonic-clonic seizure lasting 5 minutes or longer is a medical emergency.

Can seizures be managed without medication?

Self-control and biofeedback. Some people with epilepsy try to control their brain activity to reduce the rate of seizures. The theory is that if you can detect symptoms of an impending seizure, you may be able to stop it. Many people with epilepsy experience aura symptoms about 20 minutes before a seizure occurs.

What happens to the brain during a seizure?

During a seizure, there is a sudden intense burst of electricity that disrupts how the brain usually works. This activity can happen on one small part of the brain and last for just a couple of seconds, or it can spread right across the brain and keep going for many minutes.

What are the side effects of a seizure?

When should you call an ambulance for a seizure?

the seizure lasts longer than is usual for them. the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, if you do not know how long their seizures usually last. the person does not regain full consciousness, or has several seizures without regaining consciousness. the person is seriously injured during the seizure.

What can make seizures worse?

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.

Can you live with epilepsy without medication?

More than 50 out of 100 children outgrow their epilepsy. Twenty years after the diagnosis, 75 out of 100 people will have been seizure free for at least 5 years, although some may still need to take daily medication. People who have surgery and become seizure free may be able to come off seizure medicine.

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.

What medication stops a seizure immediately?

Is sleeping good for epilepsy?

Epilepsy and Sleep Deprivation

Getting the right amount of sleep is important for people with epilepsy. While this link isn't present in all patients, losing sleep can increase the frequency of seizures in people with epilepsy¹¹, including those with no prior history of seizures.

What is the average lifespan of a person with epilepsy?

On average, people with epilepsy live 10–12 years less than those who do not have the condition. Summary: On average, people with epilepsy live 10-12 years fewer than those who do not have the condition. Excess mortality is particularly pronounced among people with epilepsy and mental disorders.

Can seizures lead to dementia?

People with epilepsy develop Alzheimer's disease at a rate 6 times higher than the non-epileptic population, and seizures can damage the memory centers of the brain and contribute to dementia.