Seizure Appearance Explored

Seizure Appearance Explored

Understanding Seizures: Recognising and Managing Epileptic Episodes

Seizures, a common neurological condition, can present themselves in various ways, often causing sudden changes in a person's behaviour or motor control. Here's a guide to help you identify different types of seizures and what to do if you suspect someone is having one.

Seizure Basics

Sudden falls, loss of motor control, confusion, or disconnection from reality can all be signs of a seizure. Most seizures last less than 5 minutes, with the duration depending on the type of seizure. In cases where the person who had the seizure is pregnant, has an underlying medical condition, or the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, emergency care is necessary.

Focal (Partial) Seizures

Focal seizures start in one area of the brain. They can be further divided into two categories:

1. Focal Aware Seizures (Simple Partial Seizures): The person remains conscious and may experience sensory changes (e.g., seeing flashing lights), emotional changes, uncontrollable muscle spasms, dizziness, or sudden sensations.
2. Focal Impaired Awareness Seizures (Complex Partial Seizures): The person may appear confused or have impaired consciousness. Symptoms include a fixed or blank gaze and repetitive movements like lip-smacking or hand wringing.

Focal to Bilateral Tonic-Clonic Seizures: These start in one area and spread to involve both sides of the brain, progressing into generalized tonic-clonic activity.

Generalized Seizures

Generalized seizures involve both sides of the brain. Common types include:

1. Generalized Tonic-Clonic (GTC, Grand Mal): Sudden loss of consciousness, muscle stiffening (tonic phase), followed by rhythmic jerking (clonic phase). Other symptoms include falling, crying out, biting the tongue or inside cheek, difficulty breathing, facial twitching, and loss of bladder or bowel control. Duration is typically 1 to 3 minutes.
2. Tonic Seizures: Only muscle stiffening, often involving back, legs, and arms. They can cause falls if standing or walking.
3. Clonic Seizures: Repeated, rhythmic muscle jerking without the tonic stiffening phase.
4. Absence Seizures (Petit Mal): Brief (5-10 seconds) episodes characterized by staring or a blank gaze and loss of awareness without major motor involvement. Common in children and can resemble daydreaming.
5. Myoclonic Seizures: Sudden, brief jerks or twitches of muscles or muscle groups.
6. Atonic Seizures: Sudden loss of muscle tone, leading to collapse or falling down.
7. Infantile (Epileptic) Spasms: Occur mainly in infants, involving brief jerks or stiffening of the body.

Summary

Understanding the different types of seizures can help healthcare providers diagnose and manage epileptic episodes more effectively. It's essential to know that seizures can manifest in various ways, not just loss of consciousness, shaking, and twitching. If a loved one frequently has seizures, it's beneficial to discuss with them how best to help during a seizure.

Remember, during a seizure, it's important not to try to stop the seizure by yelling at the person, throwing water, or putting anything in their mouth. Instead, remain present with the person, comfort them, and remove anything that might constrict their breathing.

[1] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Seizures. [online] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20355986

[2] Epilepsy Foundation. (2021). Seizure Types. [online] Available at: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-of-seizures-and-epilepsy

[3] NHS. (2021). Epilepsy. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/epilepsy/

[4] Cleveland Clinic. (2021). Seizures. [online] Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16723-seizures

1. The guide to identifying different types of seizures is beneficial in effectively diagnosing and managing epileptic episodes, as understanding the various ways seizures can manifest is crucial in the medical-health field and health-and-wellness discussions.
2. Epileptic seizures, belonging to the neurological-disorders category, can present themselves as sudden falls, loss of motor control, confusion, or disconnection from reality, and the duration of these episodes depends on the type of seizure, with generalized tonic-clonic seizures usually lasting 1 to 3 minutes.
3. Having a general knowledge of mental-health conditions such as epilepsy and the various ways seizures can manifest can aid in providing better support for a loved one experiencing these episodes, ensuring appropriate care during medical-emergencies and understanding the distinctions between seizure types.

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