What is Seizure Disorder?
Your brain communicates by sending electrical signals through neurons. Sometimes the electrical system fires abnormally. This can cause seizures. The term epilepsy refers to disorders that have recurring, unprovoked seizures.
During a seizure, you may:
- Lose consciousness
- Stare into space
- Have convulsions (abnormal jerking of the muscles)
- Experience abnormalities of sensation or emotion
Seizure disorders may be classified by the part of the brain they affect and the kinds of symptoms they cause. The main categories are generalized or partial seizures.
These are thought to arise throughout the brain, and not from a single focal location. Generalized seizure disorders include:
- Generalized tonic-clonic seizures-classic convulsions; there is a loss of consciousness and the muscles throughout the body jerk uncontrollably
- Seizures that accompany fevers in young children are often of this type (children generally outgrow the tendency to have seizures with fevers)
- Seizure may be related to a more serious medical condition (eg, include encephalitis or meningitis)
- Absence seizures-characterized by staring, eye blinking, or eye rolling
This type is caused by more localized abnormalities. It happens within certain areas of the brain. These types of seizures include:
- Complex partial or temporal lobe seizures-may cause loss of contact with reality, stop purposeful activity, and begin a series of automatic gestures (eg, lip smacking, hand-wringing, or picking at clothing)
- Not everyone develops automatic gestures
- May simply appears as a brief moment of confusion or loss of attentiveness
- May also have a perception of unusual sights, sounds, or smells
- Complex-used to describe a seizure has alteration of consciousness
- Simple partial seizures-will retain contact with reality and consciousness; a single area of your body may move uncontrollably (eg, leg or arm shaking)
- May include the perception of an odor, sound, or taste, or an unrelated emotion
Seizures can be an indication of another, underlying medical problem. This may include a brain tumor. If you suspect you have a seizure, contact your doctor immediately.