Guide to Seizures

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A seizure is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain. A seizure usually affects how a person appears or acts for a short time. Many different things can occur during a seizure. Whatever the brain and body can do normally can also occur during a seizure.

A seizure usually affects how a person looks or acts for a short time. Someone having a seizure might collapse, shake uncontrollably, or even just stare into space. All of these are brief disturbances in brain function, often with a loss of or change in consciousness.

Seizures can be frightening, but most last only a few minutes, stop on their own and are not life-threatening. A person who has had two or more seizures may be diagnosed with epilepsy, also known as a seizure disorder.

Seizure Basics

Usually, electrical activity in the brain involves neurons in different areas sending signals at different times. During a seizure, many neurons fire all at once. This abnormal electrical activity can cause different symptoms depending on the part of the brain involved, including unusual sensations, uncontrollable muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness.

Some seizures may be due to another medical problem, such as a fever, an infection, a head injury, accidental poisoning, or drug overdose. They also can be caused by a brain tumor or other health problem affecting the brain. And anything that results in a sudden lack of oxygen or reduced blood flow to the brain can cause a seizure. In some cases, a seizure's cause is never found.

What happens in the brain during a seizure?

• The electrical activity is caused by complex chemical changes that occur in nerve cells.
• Brain cells either excite or inhibit (stop) other brain cells from sending messages. Usually, there is a balance of cells that excite and those that can stop these messages. However, when a seizure occurs, there may be too much or too little activity, causing an imbalance. The chemical changes can lead to surges of electrical activity that cause seizures.
• Seizures are not a disease in themselves. Instead, they are a symptom of many different disorders that can affect the brain. Some seizures can hardly be noticed, while others are totally disabling.

What are the symptoms of a seizure?

You can experience both partial and generalized seizures at the same time, or one can precede the other. The symptoms can last anywhere from a few seconds to 15 minutes per episode.

Sometimes, symptoms occur before the seizure takes place. These include:

• a sudden feeling of fear or anxiousness
• a feeling of being sick to your stomach
• dizziness
• a change in vision
• a jerky movement of the arms and legs that may cause you to drop things
• an out of body sensation
• a headache

Symptoms that indicate a seizure is in progress include:

• losing consciousness, which is followed by confusion
• having uncontrollable muscle spasms
• drooling or frothing at the mouth
• falling
• having a strange taste in your mouth
• clenching your teeth
• biting your tongue
• having sudden, rapid eye movements
• making unusual noises, such as grunting
• losing control of bladder or bowel function
• having sudden mood changes

What causes seizures?

Seizures can stem from a number of health conditions. Anything that affects the body also may disturb the brain and lead to a seizure. Some examples include:
• alcohol withdrawal
• bites
• stings
• a brain infection, such as meningitis
• a brain injury during childbirth
• a brain defect present at birth
• choking
• drug abuse
• drug withdrawal
• an electrolyte imbalance
• electric shock
• epilepsy
• extremely high blood pressure
• a fever
• head trauma
• kidney or liver failure
• low blood glucose levels
• a stroke


After a seizure — particularly if it is a first or unexplained seizure — call your doctor or emergency medical services for instructions. You probably will need to be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.

To your good health:)