What happens in your brain when you have a seizure?

A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain has a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal brain signals. Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure.

What does a seizure do to your brain?

A seizure is a burst of uncontrolled electrical activity between brain cells (also called neurons or nerve cells) that causes temporary abnormalities in muscle tone or movements (stiffness, twitching or limpness), behaviors, sensations or states of awareness.

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.

What is happening during a seizure?

A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in your behavior, movements or feelings, and in levels of consciousness. Having two or more seizures at least 24 hours apart that aren't brought on by an identifiable cause is generally considered to be epilepsy.

What triggers a seizure?

Fever, the physical stress of being sick, and dehydration (from not drinking or eating normally, or from vomiting) can all bring on seizures. It can also be hard to get a good night's sleep while sick, and lack of sleep can be a trigger. Plus, some of the medications used to treat these ailments may be triggers.

What Happens in Your Brain During a Seizure | WebMD

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.

Do people remember seizures?

In focal aware seizures (FAS), previously called simple partial seizures, the person is conscious (aware and alert) and will usually know that something is happening and will remember the seizure afterwards. Some people find their focal aware seizures hard to put into words.

Are you aware during a seizure?

Beginning: Some people are aware of the beginning of a seizure, possibly as much as hours or days before it happens. On the other hand, some people may not be aware of the beginning and therefore have no warning.

Does a seizure hurt?

Generally, the experience of having a seizure does not hurt. That's because some seizures cause unconsciousness, so you're unaware of what is happening. However, you might have a headache before or after a seizure.

Do seizures reset your brain?

Epileptic seizures reset the excessive pathological entrainment occurring minutes prior to their onset and appear to play a homeostatic role of restoring the balance between synchronization and desynchronization of brain dynamics [9].

Can seizures cause permanent brain damage?

Permanent neurological damage can happen after about 30 minutes of status epilepticus due to prolonged abnormal electrical activity in the affected area of the brain. Status epilepticus is a medical emergency.

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.

Why do lips turn blue during seizure?

Yes, people usually turn blue or red or purple (cyanosis) during a tonic-clonic seizure. This reflects the anoxia that is present (lack of oxygen). This anoxia acts as a stimulus to restart the breathing and needs no human intervention.

Is it OK to sleep after a seizure?

After the seizure: they may feel tired and want to sleep. It might be helpful to remind them where they are. stay with them until they recover and can safely return to what they had been doing before.

Can you survive a seizure alone?

By taking care of your overall well-being and making lifestyle changes to lower the risk of seizure, you can live safely and independently with epilepsy.

Can a seizure change your personality?

Importance of Mood Disorders

Mood disorders in people with epilepsy are very important and can greatly impact a person's daily activities and quality of life. These feelings may be present most of the time, or appear just before, during, or after a seizure. Some people become depressed, others may be irritable.

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.

How do you feel after a seizure?

People can lose control of their bladder and bowels during or after the seizure. After the seizure, you may feel confused, exhausted, and sore. If you fell during the seizure, you might have pain or discomfort. You'll also likely have a severe headache.

What foods should epileptics avoid?

white bread; non-wholegrain cereals; biscuits and cakes; honey; high-sugar drinks and foods; fruit juices; chips; mashed potatoes; parsnips; dates and watermelon. In general, processed or overcooked foods and over-ripe fruits.

How do you prevent a seizure before it happens?

What are the long term effects of seizures?

Long lasting seizures, or status epilepticus, may also cause brain damage or death. People with epilepsy are eight times more likely than people without it to experience certain other chronic conditions, including dementia, migraine, heart disease, and depression.

What happens right before a seizure?

Seizure warning signs before the first 'full-blown' seizures

These warning signs may include feeling “funny” or dizzy, or having jerking and twitching for several years. Other signs include fainting, headaches, vomiting, losing sensation in a certain parts of the body, daydreaming, and blackouts.

What are warning signs of a seizure?

Aura (Late Warning Signs)

A Déjà vu feeling (you feel like you are experiencing something that has occurred before) Intense fear and panic. 'Pins and needles' sensation in certain parts of your body. Jerky movements in of the arm, leg, or body.

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.

Why do eyes roll back during seizure?

The brain is your body's control center, sending and receiving messages via nerve cells that use electrical signals to communicate with each other. The abnormal electrical activity from a seizure can temporarily disrupt various processes. This can lead to a variety of symptoms — including eyes rolling back in the head.