What happens to the brain during a seizure?

In epilepsy the brain's electrical rhythms have a tendency to become imbalanced, resulting in recurrent seizures. In patients with seizures, the normal electrical pattern is disrupted by sudden and synchronized bursts of electrical energy that may briefly affect their consciousness, movements or sensations.

Does a seizure damage the brain?

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.

Can the brain recover after a seizure?

As the seizure ends, the postictal phase occurs - this is the recovery period after the seizure. Some people recover immediately while others may take minutes to hours to feel like their usual self.

What part of the brain is damaged by seizures?

Seizures can occur anywhere in the brain, but in children they frequently occur in the temporal and frontal lobes, affecting the functions that these regions control. A region of particular importance in adults with epilepsy, but less so in children, is the mesial, or middle, part of the temporal lobe.

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.

What Happens in Your Brain During a Seizure | WebMD

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.

Are seizures painful?

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.

What would cause a seizure all of a sudden?

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.

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.

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 you lose memory after a seizure?

You may have difficulty remembering information straight after a seizure. This is sometimes called post-ictal confusion and it usually goes away once you have recovered. The length of time it takes for memory to return to normal can vary from person to person.

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.

What does it feel like 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.

Can you feel a seizure coming on?

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.

How long does it take to recover after a seizure?

Some people feel better after an hour or 2, but for some people it can take several days to feel 'back to normal'. Some people find they have temporary weakness or can't move part of their body after they've had a seizure.

Why do seizures happen at night?

It's believed that sleep seizures are triggered by changes in the electrical activity in your brain during certain stages of sleeping and waking. Nighttime seizures occur most often in the early morning around 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and occur least often shortly after falling asleep.

Should you go to the hospital after a seizure?

Most seizures last between 30 seconds and two minutes and will not require any emergency medical attention. However, if someone is experiencing a seizure that lasts longer than two minutes, or they lose consciousness and it does not come back right after the seizure, you should call 911 right away.

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.

Can you hear while having a seizure?

This type of seizure affects your consciousness. During a focal impaired-awareness seizure, you may not be able to move, talk, or hear as you did before. You may also not be able to remember the event. Focal impaired-awareness seizures can last for up to 2 minutes .

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.

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.

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.

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

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.