Seizures involve sudden, temporary bursts of electrical activity in the brain that change or disrupt how messages are sent between brain cells. These electrical bursts can cause involuntary changes in body movement, function, sensation, behavior, or awareness.
Every brain has the potential to seize. Someone can have a seizure from a physical cause (known as provoked seizures). Provoked seizures happen because something influenced the brain. These seizures are not diagnosed as epilepsy and causes of provoked seizures vary.
- Acute (sudden) medical illness
- Fever
- Head injury or brain trauma
- Metabolic causes (like abnormal blood sugar)
- Reactions to medication
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol
What is the most common type of seizure?
There are two categories of seizures—generalized and focal-onset seizures—based on where they originate in the brain. Within those categories, there are many types of seizures—according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), doctors have identified over 30 variations.
Generalized seizures affect both sides of the brain simultaneously. Some generalized seizure types include:
- Primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (PGTCS): Also called grand mal seizures, PGTCS can cause loss of awareness and rhythmic whole-body muscle contractions.
- Absence seizures: Also known as petit mal seizures, absence seizures can cause rapid blinking or staring into space for a few seconds.
Focal-onset seizures (FOS), also known as partial seizures, happen in only one area of the brain. They are the most common type of seizures in people with epilepsy. Some kinds of FOS include:
- Simple focal seizures that cause twitching or a change in sensation, like a strange taste or smell.
- Complex focal seizures that cause feeling confused or dazed. Someone experiencing this type of seizure won’t be able to respond for up to a few minutes.
- Secondary generalized seizures may cause a focal seizure first, followed by a generalized seizure.
- Unknown onset seizures are initially termed unknown if no one witnesses them.
How do you know if a seizure is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is one of the most common and disabling neurological conditions. Not everyone who has a seizure has epilepsy. Having two or more seizures at least 24 hours apart with no known cause could be considered epilepsy.
Epilepsy is diagnosed by a group of characteristics that consistently occur together, such as similar seizure types, age of onset, electroencephalography (EEG) findings, triggering factors, genetics, natural history, prognosis, and response to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).
The impact of epilepsy on a person varies—people with epilepsy tend to have more physical problems (fractures and bruising from injuries related to seizures) as well as higher rates of psychological conditions, including anxiety and depression.
Experiencing seizures of any kind can leave you feeling confused, worried, or uneasy. If you’re interested in learning more about epilepsy and treatment options, visit PatientWing’s epilepsy condition page.
