The symptoms of epilepsy vary depending on what kind of seizure the person has. Possibly the simplest way of explaining this is to give an overview of what the different kinds of seizure would look like to an observer and feel like to the person experiencing them.

Partial seizures are often called ‘petit mal’. To the outside observer, the signs of this are not obvious ones. In the simple partial seizure the person first has what is famously called an ‘aura’. This is actually the first part of the seizure activity. There is no loss of awareness however, which can make it seem like a separate phenomenon. The aura is not necessarily a set of lights shimmering in front of the person. It is equally likely to involve a sense of numbness or tingling in some part of the body. Alternatively, there may be a compulsive twitching start in the face of some other familiar part of the body. It can be very unpleasant, like nausea or increased heart rate. However, the aura has also been described as ecstatic and may come in the form of hallucinations that are considered by the person to be worth the pain of the seizure that will inevitably follow.

The next type of epileptic seizure is the complex partial seizure. To the observer, the epilepsy symptoms are obvious and disturbing. In this type of seizure the person does lose consciousness and they can proceed to behavior that is so odd and out of character that they can be a danger to themselves and others. This behavior can involve taking off clothes, doing strange random actions, walking around and mumbling. The variety is endless and quite individual and these seizures can last from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

The more common conception of an epileptic seizure is of someone having a ‘fit’. This is the generalized tonic-clonic seizure, or ‘grand mal’ beginning with a sudden cry and a fall. The stiffening of the body that starts the process is called the tonic, the spasms and jerking that follow is called the clonic. This can look quite alarming, especially if the person manages to bite their tongue and blood appears. It usually lasts for only about 2 minutes, which can feel like an eternity if you are the onlooker. The person usually needs some care and reassurance when they come around as they are likely to feel confused and extremely tired after the epilepsy symptoms pass.

Finally there is a general group of tonic and myclonic seizures. The myoclonics involve significant muscle jerks, causing the person to spill what they are holding or even to fall off the chair. Among the tonic disorders here are two types of ‘drop’ attack, so called because they cause the person to fall to the ground if they happen to be standing. The ‘tonic’ causes the person to go rigid, while the ‘atonic’ predictably causes the person to lose all tone and also fall for that reason. In none of these last seizures is there any noticeable loss of consciousness.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects the nervous system. There are many different types of epilepsy. Each epileptic syndrome is characterized by a specific set of symptoms. Epilepsy is known to be hereditary in some cases. Epilepsy is classified by symptoms or by the position in the brain where the symptoms originate. Some common types of epilepsy are absence epilepsy, psychomotor epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy, frontal lobe epilepsy, occipital lobe epilepsy and parietal lobe epilepsy. There are many other types of epilepsy, each with its own characteristic set of symptoms.

People suffering from absence epilepsy have repeated absence seizures that result in momentary lapses of consciousness. These seizures almost always begin in childhood or adolescence. This form of epilepsy tends to run in families, which suggests that it may be partially due to a defective gene or genes.

Psychomotor epilepsy is another term for recurrent partial seizures, especially seizures of the temporal lobe. The term psychomotor refers to the strange sensations, emotions and behavior seen with these seizures.

Temporal lobe epilepsy, or TLE, is a common epilepsy syndrome with partial seizures. TLE often begins in childhood. Research has shown that repeated TLE could cause certain brain structures to shrink over time. While it may take years of temporal lobe seizures for any significant brain damage to occur, it needs to be treated early and as effectively as possible.

Frontal lobe epilepsy usually involves a cluster of short seizures with a sudden onset and termination. The symptoms depend on where in the frontal lobe the seizures occur. Many subtypes of frontal lobe seizures are known.

Occipital lobe epilepsy usually causes visual hallucinations, rapid eye blinking or other eye-related problems. The other symptoms resemble those in the case of temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy.

Several types of epilepsy begin in infancy. The most common type of epilepsy seen in infants is infantile spasms. Some Infants suffer from seizures from as early as 6 months. During these seizures the infant may bend and cry out. Anticonvulsant drugs often do not work for infantile spasms, but the seizures can be treated with ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) or prednisone.

People should discuss the implications of their type of epilepsy with their doctors to understand the full range of symptoms, possible treatments and the prognosis.

Most people understand that there are multiple types of epileptic seizures. The best known variety–and certainly the most spectacular–is often termed “grand mal,” which is French for “major illness.” In these attacks the patients lose consciousness, fall to the ground and experience convulsive jerking of their bodies that lasts for 1-2 minutes before subsiding. These attacks are more properly termed tonic-clonic seizures.

A less dramatic form of epilepsy also involves loss of consciousness, but without a fall to the ground or convulsive movements. These attacks are aptly called “staring spells” because the patients stop what they’re doing, lose eye-contact with other people, and appear to stare into space. If spoken to during attacks, the patients do not respond.

What is often under-appreciated is that more than one kind of epileptic attack can take the form of a staring spell. And the differences between them can be crucial in understanding the underlying causes as well as the best treatments.

Staring-spell seizures are often lumped together in public awareness under the heading of “petit mal” epilepsy. Petit mal is French for “minor illness,” reflecting their more subtle appearance. However, using current terminology, there are two main kinds of staring-spell attacks–absence seizures and partial-complex seizures. Absence attacks correspond to the original “petit mal” designation, while partial-complex seizures were once called “psychomotor seizures” and “temporal lobe epilepsy.” The “temporal lobe” label reflects the fact that most seizures of this kind emanate from one of the two temporal lobes, the portions of the brain nearest the tops of the ears.

Although both absence and partial-complex seizures involve staring and unresponsiveness, that’s where the similarities end. The attacks differ in the following ways: usual ages of onset duration symptoms recalled by the patients movements or behaviors during the attacks after-effects electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns underlying causes most effective treatments

Absence seizures begin in childhood, and often in the pre-school years. They usually disappear by the time the individuals who have them reach their twenties. Partial complex seizures can begin in either childhood or adulthood, including late in life. So if a middle-aged person has staring-spell seizures, they are almost always of the partial-complex type.

The duration of the attacks also separates the two kinds of seizures. Absence seizures are shorter. Most of them end within 10 seconds, and they almost never continue for 30 seconds. In contrast, partial-complex seizures are longer than 30 seconds, and typically last 2-3 minutes.

Most children with absence seizures are unaware of having them, though might notice a loss of time. The relative lack of symptoms in absence seizures, along with their brevity, can cause them to be overlooked. Teachers, noticing episodic loss of eye-contact, are often the first to detect them. But children and adults experiencing partial-complex seizures often recognize them due to specific, recurrent–and often complex–symptoms. One person with partial-complex seizures might notice a sudden, particular odor that no one else can smell. Another patient might experience a sudden sense of familiarity with their surroundings, a perception that they had been there before (also known as “d

People with epilepsy suffer from abrupt convulsions or blackouts. These convulsions are in medical terms called seizures. These are caused by sudden interruptions or excessive activity in the brain cells that result in cessation or mix-up of signals. Since the brain is pivotal to govern all our actions, the intensity and outcome of the seizures depend on which part of the brain has been affected.

Epilepsy is a syndrome and not a disease. It is broadly classified as generalized and partial. The generalized seizures impact the entire brain. A few examples of seizures are clonic, myoclonic, and tonic. Partial seizures begin in one part of the brain. They either stay at the same place or move to other parts.

The disorder has a direct impact on the nerves and related systems. Patients with the disorder, epileptics, suffer from intermittent seizures. Hence, they experience a certain level of physical discomfort or impairment during attacks. Occasional seizures are often mistaken for attacks of epilepsy.

The symptoms vary in intensity according to the individuals afflicted. Some patients experience only mild tremors in their limbs whereas others lose consciousness when seizures occur. Factors such as health history, frequency of seizures, and age prove vital in correctly diagnosing and treating the syndrome.

The causes for epilepsy vary according to each person’s lifestyle and health. The widely known reasons for epilepsy attacks are excessive drinking, lack of enough sleep, professional and personal stress, and chronic illness.

Epilepsy may not necessarily hamper a person’s professional routine if there is sufficient control of the disorder through proper and timely anti-epileptic medication. Persons working in factories or workplaces involving use of heavy equipment are provided with standard safety gear that suffices to protect epileptics.

Worldwide, physicians and researchers are essaying to discover newer panacea and diagnostic techniques for the disorder and make life easier for the patients. Various avenues such as bioengineering, sophisticated imaging and video captures, and genetic engineering are aiding the cause. Epilepsy foundations are set up in various locations to improve.

More than 2.5 million Americans suffer from some type of epilepsy. Epilepsy is defined as any condition that is characterized by seizures. Seizures come in many forms but all have one thing in common, abnormal electrical brain activity. This abnormal activity causes an involuntary change in body movement or function. There are many different kinds of seizures and they vary in intensity and duration. An estimated $15.5 billion annually is spent on medical costs and lost wages associated with epilepsy.

Two main types of seizures

The two main types of seizures are primary generalized seizures and partial seizures. Primary generalized seizures include both sides of the brain. Partial seizures include a localized portion of the brain. People with partial seizures often have seizures that go unnoticed by those around them. They may appear to stare off into space or blink rapidly. In contrast, a person having a primary generalized seizure may cry out, have ridged muscle jerks, fall down or appear to pass out.

Not all people who experience seizures have epilepsy. Seizures can be caused by high fever, low blood sugar, withdrawal from drugs or alcohol and as the result of a concussion. People who suffer a seizure from one of these should be treated for the condition not for epilepsy, especially if there is no indication of prior seizures.

It is known that several conditions and events can increase the risk of developing epilepsy. These include oxygen deprivation during birth, brain infections, stroke, certain neurological diseases, brain tumors and genetic disorders. Although we know these factors can increase the risk, in over two thirds of all cases of epilepsy no underlying cause can be identified.

Treatment options

There are several treatment options for those suffering from epilepsy depending on the type and cause. The primary course of action is antiepileptic drugs. There are many different types of drugs available and a healthcare provider will work with the patient to find the best medication that will control the seizures. Close monitoring after starting a medication is necessary to access the drug’s effectiveness and to control side effects. About two thirds of all patients treated with drugs are fully controlled.

Surgery is an option for those who suffer from partial epilepsy. Since the abnormal brain activity is localized, surgery to remove the affected area has been shown to lessen or totally stop seizures. This type of surgery is commonly used to treat seizures that are focused on the temporal lobe.

When medications are not affective or surgery is not an option, other methods are often considered. An electrical device implanted into the vagus nerve in the neck has been used. Some people find a ketogenic diet, high in fat and low in carbohydrates and calories to be of assistance. Seeing a physician who specializes in epilepsy can help find the best plan of action that works to control seizures and allows the patient to live a normal life.