Do You Lose Consciousness During A Seizure?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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When they have a seizure,

they lose consciousness or awareness right away

. The aura might be a feeling that’s hard to describe, or it might be easy to recognize. An aura is often a change in feeling, sensation, thought, or behavior. If you have more than one seizure, you may have a similar aura each time.

What can cause blackouts and seizures?


Excessive alcohol use, stress, medication, and epilepsy

can all cause blackouts. While blackouts are a frightening experience, treatment can allow people to lead a normal life without the fear of falling unconscious or losing their memory.

Do you blackout when you have a seizure?

Many people, including doctors, assume that blackouts are due to epileptic seizures, but much more commonly they are due to syncope (pronounced sin-co-pee) – a type of blackout which is caused by a problem in the regulation of blood pressure or sometimes with the heart.

What would cause a person to blackout?

The most common cause of blacking out is

fainting

. Other causes include epileptic seizures, syncope due to anxiety (psychogenic pseudosyncope) and other rare causes of faints. Other causes of blacking out may be due to low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) and lack of oxygen (hypoxia) from a variety of causes.

What are the warning signs of having a seizure?

  • Staring.
  • Jerking movements of the arms and legs.
  • Stiffening of the body.
  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Breathing problems or stopping breathing.
  • Loss of bowel or bladder control.
  • Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of consciousness.

Is it OK to sleep after a seizure?

After the seizure:

they may feel tired and want to sleep

. It might be helpful to remind them where they are. stay with them until they recover and can safely return to what they had been doing before.

Can you feel a seizure coming on?

Some patients may have a feeling of having lived a certain experience in the past, known as “déjà vu.” Other warning signs preceding seizures include

daydreaming

, jerking movements of an arm, leg, or body, feeling fuzzy or confused, having periods of forgetfulness, feeling tingling or numbness in a part of the body, …

What happens to your brain when you blackout?

What Happens During A Blackout? During a blackout,

the hippocampus in the brain is unable to form long-term memories

. As a result, a person can fail to remember large chunks of time despite being conscious. Everyone experiences an alcohol blackout differently.

Can you blackout and still be awake?

Passing Out. A blackout is not the same as “passing out,” which means either falling asleep or losing consciousness from drinking too much. During a blackout,

a person is still awake but their brain is not creating new memories

.

What does blacking out feel like?


Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, weak, or nauseous sometimes happens before you faint

. Some people become aware that noises are fading away, or they describe the sensation as “blacking out” or “whiting out.” A full recovery usually takes a few minutes.

What is a rage seizure?

Focal emotional seizure with anger –

characterized by the presence of anger

, which may be accompanied by aggressive behaviour. This is a rare seizure type, anger and aggression, if present, are mostly seen in the post-ictal period. This seizure type localizes to prefrontal or mesial temporal regions of the brain.

Can you fight off a seizure?

Seizures can be unsettling, but many people find that they’re able to control or stop them with medicine. Surgery,devices that stimulate nerves or detect seizures then stop them, and even diet changes are other ways to deal with them. Your

doctor

can work with you to find a treatment that helps.

What are the 3 types of seizures?

  • Generalized onset seizures:
  • Focal onset seizures:
  • Unknown onset seizures:

What to do if you feel a seizure coming on?


Give the person room, clear hard or sharp objects, and cushion the head

. Don’t try to hold the person down, stop movements, or put anything in the person’s mouth. For milder seizures, like ones involving staring or shaking arms or legs, guide the person away from hazards—sharp objects, traffic, stairs.

Should I go to the hospital after a seizure?

If you see someone who is having an epileptic seizure, you should call

an ambulance or 911

if: The seizure lasts more than five minutes. Another seizure starts right after the first. The person can’t be awakened after the movements have stopped.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.