- About Seizures. Neurologists define seizures as abnormal and excessive electrical signals in the brain. …
- Types of Seizures. There are 3 broad categories of epileptic seizures. …
- Fainting Disorders. …
- Staring. …
- Movement Disorders. …
- Confusional Migraines. …
- Night Terrors.
Can seizures be misdiagnosed?
Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that has the potential to be misdiagnosed due to several factors. We do need to trust our doctors and their judgement however, because
there is no one type of seizure, epilepsy can be misdiagnosed
.
What conditions can mimic seizures?
What Conditions Are Similar to Epilepsy? Having a seizure doesn’t necessarily mean you have epilepsy. Many conditions have symptoms similar to epilepsy, including first seizures,
febrile seizures
, nonepileptic events, eclampsia, meningitis, encephalitis, and migraine headaches.
What can look like a seizure but isn t?
PNES
are attacks that may look like epileptic seizures but are not epileptic and instead are cause by psychological factors. Sometimes a specific traumatic event can be identified. PNES are sometimes referred to as psychogenic events, psychological events, or nonepileptic seizures (NES).
What is a false seizure?
Pseudoseizures, also called psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), are
seizures that occur as a result of psychological causes
, such as severe mental stress. Treating the underlying psychological cause can often help to reduce the number of seizures or prevent them happening.
What are the 3 types of seizures?
- absence seizures (formerly known as petit mal)
- tonic-clonic or convulsive seizures (formerly known as grand mal)
- atonic seizures (also known as drop attacks)
- clonic seizures.
- tonic seizures.
- myoclonic seizures.
What are warning signs of 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.
How often is seizure misdiagnosed?
Background:
As many as 20% to 30% of epileptics may have
been misdiagnosed. Many of these patients may have cardiovascular syncope, with abnormal movements due to cerebral hypoxia, which may be difficult to differentiate from epilepsy on clinical grounds.
Can emotional stress cause seizures?
Emotional stress also
can lead to seizures
. Emotional stress is usually related to a situation or event that has personal meaning to you. It may be a situation in which you feel a loss of control. In particular, the kind of emotional stress that leads to most seizures is worry or fear.
What causes seizures in adults with no history?
Seizures in adults with no seizure history can be caused by a number of factors ranging from
high blood pressure, drug abuse and toxic exposures
to brain injury, brain infection (encephalitis) and heart disease.
What are the 3 main phases of a seizure?
Seizures take on many different forms and have a
beginning (prodrome and aura), middle (ictal) and end (post-ictal) stage
.
Can anxiety look like a seizure?
The symptoms of anxiety – particularly
panic attacks
– can look and feel a lot like the symptoms of some types of epileptic seizure. This means that both conditions can be misdiagnosed. Some people with epilepsy are told they are having panic attacks, when they are actually experiencing seizures.
What do real seizures look like?
The myoclonic jerks are usually seen
in both arms
, but may be one-sided or not symmetrical. Puckering (jerking) of the lips, twitching of the corners of the mouth, or jaw jerking can also be seen. Sometimes rhythmic jerks of the head and legs may occur. Seizures last 10-60 seconds and typically occur daily.
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, …
Can you talk during a seizure?
People who have simple partial seizures do not lose consciousness. However, some people, although fully aware of what’s going on, find they
can’t speak or move until the seizure is over
. They remain awake and aware throughout. Sometimes they can talk quite normally to other people during the seizure.
How do you trigger a seizure?
- Not taking epilepsy medicine as prescribed.
- Feeling tired and not sleeping well.
- Stress.
- Alcohol and recreational drugs.
- Flashing or flickering lights.
- Monthly periods.
- Missing meals.
- Having an illness which causes a high temperature.
