Epilepsy Symptoms

Epilepsy symptoms are dependent on the types of seizures experienced. Generally, an epileptic person experiences a similar type of seizure for each episode, thus, symptoms are also similar per episode. Since epilepsy is due to abnormal activity in the brain, seizures greatly affect brain function. Seizures eventually result in the loss of awareness or consciousness, temporary confusion and uncontrollable jerking and twitching of the legs and arms. Also, seizures are classified by medical professionals as focal and/or generalized seizures. These epilepsy symptoms are relative to how the episode starts.

Focal Seizures. Also called partial seizures, focal seizures involve one portion of the brain that undergoes abnormal activity. There are two categories for focal seizures: the simple and the complex.

Simple focal seizures affect emotions, senses and perspectives or the outlook of patients, who just experienced the seizure. Also, involuntary movement of the leg or arm and spontaneous sensory symptoms like vertigo, tingling and flashing lights, occur. Complex focal seizures alter awareness and consciousness. This causes the epileptic person to get into a trance-like state by staring blankly for a while and doing meaningless things like continuously swallowing, chewing, or rubbing hands. These epilepsy symptoms can provide warnings for future episodes and other health complications.

Generalized seizures. When all the parts of the brain are involved, generalized seizures occur. Six types of general seizures exist: absence, tonic, clonic, myoclonic, atonic, and tonic-clonic seizures.

Known as “petit mal”, absence seizures are differentiated by showing subtle body movement that causes a momentary loss of awareness. Tonic seizures can cause you to fall to the floor because of the stiffening of muscles in your legs, arms, and back. Clonic seizures are associated with rhythmic and jerking muscle contractions of the face, neck and arms. Myoclonic seizures occur as sudden but brief twitches of the legs and arms. Atonic seizures or drop attacks can cause sudden collapse or falling down on the floor due to loss of normal muscle tone. Tonic-clonic, also known as “grand mal”, is the most severe of all these types because it is characterized by body shaking and stiffening, loss of consciousness, and sometimes, biting of tongue or loss of bladder control.

Epilepsy symptoms, once experienced, should be monitored and brought to the attention of a medical professional. Epilepsy can cause you to experience unavoidable seizure attacks. It is advised that you seek urgent medical help when any of the following happens:

You experience your first time seizure.
A seizure lasts for more than five minutes.
A second seizure immediately follows.
Consciousness or breathing does not return after seizure.
Heat exhaustion is experienced.
You have a very high fever.
You have diabetes.
You are pregnant.
You got injured during the seizure.

Knowing the epilepsy symptoms puts you on top of any situation when a seizure is experienced or seen.