Different Types Of Seizure

Seizures occur when the electrical system of the brain does not function well. In this state, the brain cells of the person keep firing rather than discharging electrical impulses in a regular manner. A seizure may cause loss of consciousness and muscle contractions.

Health professionals categorize seizures into the following types:

1. Partial Seizures

A particular area of one side of the brain is affected by the electrical disorder in partial seizures. This type of seizure is further subdivided into simple partial seizures where consciousness is kept and complex partial seizures where consciousness is messed up or completely lost.

Partial seizures are the most usual form of seizure experienced by epileptics. Nearly any movement may come about as part of a partial seizure as well as intense visual and auditory hallucinations.

2. Nonepileptic Seizures

These are episodes that momentarily alter an individual’s behavior and frequently appear like epileptic seizures. The affected individual may have internal sensations that bear a resemblance to those felt in an epileptic seizure.

The distinction between these two kinds of episodes is usually difficult to identify by just watching the occurrence. Even trained medical personnel still have a hard time in doing so.

3. Generalized Seizures

These affect both sides of the brain from the start of the seizure. Generalized seizures produce unconsciousness that may last for only a few minutes or for a longer period of time. These are sub-categorized into several major types:

a. Tonic clonic seizures also known as grand mal seizures: These are the most common and best known type of generalized seizure. They begin with stiffening of the limbs which is the tonic stage, followed by jerking of the extremities and face or the clonic stage.

b. Myoclonic seizures: These produce rapid, brief contractions of muscles that typically happen on both sides of the body at the same time.

Usually, people think of them as abrupt jerks or clumsiness. A comparable experience that is common to many people who do not have epilepsy is the sudden jerk of a foot when sleeping.

c. Atonic seizures bring about a sudden loss of muscle tone. This type of seizure is also called as drop attack, astatic or akinetic seizure. Individuals experiencing this seizure may have head drops, loss of bearing or unexpected collapse. Since the occurrence of this seizure doesn’t give out any warning and the individuals who experience them fall with force, an atonic seizure usually results in head injuries.

d. Absence seizures also known as petit mal seizures: They are described as lapses of attentiveness that sometimes include staring. They usually begin and end suddenly and happen for only a few seconds.

There is no forewarning as well as an after-effect. More frequent in children than in adults, absence seizures are commonly so short that they end unnoticed even if the child goes through 50 to 100 attacks in a day.

4. Status Epilepticus

Most seizures stop after just a few minutes. If they are extended or happen in a succession, there is a greater threat of status epilepticus. This type of seizure literally denotes a continuous state of seizure.

These are the various types of seizures. Most individuals may experience just one kind but some may be affected by more than one. The type of seizure someone has depends on the affected part of the brain and how much of it is disturbed by the abnormal electrical impulses that produce seizures.