Can seizures happen suddenly?

Myoclonic seizures usually appear as sudden brief jerks or twitches and usually affect the upper body, arms and legs. Tonic-clonic seizures. Tonic-clonic seizures, previously known as grand mal seizures, are the most dramatic type of epileptic seizure.


What can cause seizures 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.

What causes seizures with no history?

It's possible for an adult without a history of epilepsy to experience a seizure. Potential causes include central nervous system infections, brain tumors, stroke, and brain injuries. The use or stopping of certain substances, including alcohol, may also trigger a seizure. The type of seizure depends on the cause.


What are 3 triggers that may cause a seizure?

Missed medication, lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, and menstruation are some of the most common triggers, but there are many more. Flashing lights can cause seizures in some people, but it's much less frequent than you might imagine.

Can a seizure happen without warning?

Both types of seizures are short, and people often don't notice them at first. They may come and go so quickly that no one notices anything wrong. Or observers may mistake the symptoms for simple daydreaming or not paying attention. These seizures are the most common.


What Really Causes Epilepsy?



What are the first signs of a seizure?

Seizure signs and symptoms may include:
  • Temporary confusion.
  • A staring spell.
  • Stiff muscles.
  • Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs.
  • Loss of consciousness or awareness.
  • Psychological symptoms such as fear, anxiety or deja vu.


How do you know a seizure is coming?

Aura (Late Warning Signs)

Unusual smells, tastes, sounds, or sensations. Nausea. A Déjà vu feeling (you feel like you are experiencing something that has occurred before) Intense fear and panic.

Where do most seizures start?

The temporal lobes are the areas of the brain that most commonly give rise to seizures. The mesial portion (middle) of both temporal lobes is very important in epilepsy — it is frequently the source of seizures and can be prone to damage or scarring.


What does a seizure feel like in your head?

If the abnormal electrical activity involves a large area of the brain, the person may feel confused or dazed, or experience minor shaking, muscle stiffening, or fumbling or chewing motions. Focal seizures that cause altered awareness are called focal unaware seizures or complex partial seizures.

How to prevent a seizure?

How to Prevent Seizures
  1. Take All Medication as Prescribed. Anti-epileptic medications can be very effective at helping some people reduce or even eliminate seizures. ...
  2. Sleep. ...
  3. Eat Regular Meals. ...
  4. Avoid Alcohol and Drugs. ...
  5. Exercise. ...
  6. Pay Attention to Fevers. ...
  7. Avoid Flashing Lights. ...
  8. Find a Good Neurologist.


What can mimic seizures?

Movement disorders such as Tourette's syndrome or other uncontrolled tics are sometimes mistaken for partial seizures. People with Tourette's syndrome may grunt, clear their throats or even curse involuntarily.


Can you have seizures without 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 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. This problem can be prevented if the person is turned onto one side as soon as possible.

What are the 4 stages of a seizure?

The four phases of seizure are:
  • Prodromal.
  • Early ictal (the “aura”)
  • Ictal.
  • Postictal.


What do you feel right before a seizure?

An aura or warning is the first symptom of a seizure and is considered part of the seizure. Often the aura is an indescribable feeling. Other times it's easy to recognize and may be a change in feeling, sensation, thought, or behavior that is similar each time a seizure occurs.

Can you be aware if your having a seizure?

Focal aware seizures (also called focal onset aware or simple partial seizures) is a seizure that happens while a person is awake and alert and aware of what is going on. During the seizure, the person may have movements, feelings, or sensations that are out of their control. They usually last less than 2 minutes.

What does a mini brain seizure feel like?

A simple partial seizure can cause: a general strange feeling that's hard to describe. a "rising" feeling in your tummy – like the sensation in your stomach when on a fairground ride. a feeling that events have happened before (déjà vu)


At what age do seizures begin?

Seizures typically begin when children are 2 to 13 years old. Seizures associated with benign Rolandic epilepsy most commonly feature twitching, or they may involve numbness or a tingling sensation in the face or tongue, which can cause garbled speech. They often occur as a child is falling asleep or waking up.

At what age does seizure start?

Epilepsy can start at any age, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60. It's often lifelong, but can sometimes get slowly better over time.

What time of day do seizures occur?

According to 2014 research, almost two-thirds of seizures occur between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. It's estimated that, in people with seizures: about 20 percent experience seizures during sleep. about 41 percent experience seizures during the day. about 39 percent experience seizures during the day and night.


What happens to your body before a seizure?

Often, before experiencing a seizure, someone may experience an “aura.” Auras may cause sensations of strange tastes and smells, nausea, anxiety, or a fluttering feeling, and they can serve as a warning for someone who has endured many previous seizures.

Should I go to hospital after 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.

Does my brain get permanently damaged after a seizure?

Long-term consequences of status epilepticus can include permanent injury or excessive death of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and permanent alteration of the neuronal networks in the brain. The brain damage can have long-term effects on behavior, can impair ability to learn and can cause intellectual disability.


How often are seizures fatal?

SUDEP refers to deaths in people with epilepsy that are not caused by injury, drowning, or other known causes. Studies suggest that each year there are about 1.16 cases of SUDEP for every 1,000 people with epilepsy, although estimates vary. Most, but not all, cases of SUDEP occur during or immediately after a seizure.

What do non epileptic seizures look like?

Non- epileptic seizures may appear to be generalized convulsions, similar to grand mal epileptic seizures, characterized by fall- ing and shaking. They also may resemble petit mal epileptic seizures, or complex partial seizures, characterized by tem- porary loss of attention, staring into space or dozing off.