What Causes Seizures In Adults With No History?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What causes seizures in adults with no history? It’s possible for an adult without a history of epilepsy to experience a seizure. Potential causes include

central nervous system infections, brain tumors, stroke, and brain injuries

. The use or stopping of certain substances, including alcohol, may also trigger a seizure. The type of seizure depends on the cause.

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What causes seizures in adults out of nowhere?


Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain

can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a person has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.

Why would someone with no history of seizures have a seizure?

What is the most common cause of seizure in adults?

Can a person randomly get a seizure?

What can trigger a seizure in someone without epilepsy?

  • A heart condition that causes fainting.
  • Diabetes or other metabolic disorders.
  • Emotional pain.
  • Mental pain.
  • Being bullied.
  • Physical or sexual abuse.
  • A major accident.

What causes seizures in older adults for the first time?

While new-onset seizures are uncommon in geriatric patients, according to one study the three most common identifiable causes of acute symptomatic seizures in adults were

alcohol withdrawal, strokes, and electrolyte disturbances

.

Can stress cause a seizure?


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.

Can anxiety cause a seizure?

However, according to research on the experiences of people with seizures,

stress and anxiety can trigger seizures

, and current research often underestimates the role they may play. Lack of sleep is a common trigger for seizures, and this can often happen in people who are experiencing overwhelming stress.

Can dehydration cause a seizure?


Seizures can result from severe imbalances in electrolytes due to dehydration

. Dehydration can reduce the amount of blood in the body, which can put strain on the heart and cause shock.

Can you develop epilepsy later in life?

Epilepsy can start at any age, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60.

It’s often lifelong, but can sometimes get slowly better over time

.

What medical condition can cause seizures?

  • epilepsy.
  • diabetes.
  • meningitis, an infection of the membranes that surround the brain.
  • encephalitis, inflammation of the brain.
  • dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
  • a stroke.
  • in rare cases, a brain tumor.

Can stress cause seizures without epilepsy?

Even in people without epilepsy,

stress and anxiety can trigger PNES

, which are also known as pseudoseizures. PNES are physiologically different from the neurological seizures found in epilepsy.

What toxins can cause seizures?

Chemical weapons such as sarin and VX, and pesticides such as parathion and carbaryl cause hyperstimulation of cholinergic receptors and an increase in excitatory neurotransmission. Glutamatergic hyperstimulation can occur after exposure to

excitatory amino acid toxins such as the marine toxin domoic acid

.

Can hormone imbalance cause seizures?


Catamenial epilepsy (CE), also known as menstrual seizures, is linked to a woman’s menstrual cycle and related hormone levels in the body

. Women with CE often have more seizures during certain times of their cycle. This may include: Just before or during menstruation, or period.

What are non epileptic seizures?

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).

How long does it take to recover after a seizure?

What are the warning signs of having a seizure?

Should I go to the hospital for a seizure?

How do you prevent non epileptic seizures?

Treatment usually includes

psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy

. It may also include medication. The individual’s healthcare team will work with them to find the most effective treatment. People with NES also benefit from learning how to manage their seizures.

Can emotional trauma cause seizures?

Can you have seizures without epilepsy?


Seizures that are not due to epilepsy are sometimes called ‘non-epileptic seizures’

. They can have a physical cause such as low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) or may be related to how the heart is working. Or they may have a psychological cause.

Can lack of sleep cause seizures?

What do non epileptic seizures look like?

Non- epileptic seizures may appear to be

generalized convulsions, similar to grand mal epileptic seizures, characterized by fall- ing and shaking

. They also may resemble petit mal epileptic seizures, or complex partial seizures, characterized by tem- porary loss of attention, staring into space or dozing off.

Does drinking water help with seizures?

In the hazards of living department: Individuals with epilepsy must be wary of consuming large amounts of water or risk increasing their chance of developing seizures.

Excessive water intake is a known trigger for seizures

and individuals with seizure disorders may be particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon.

Can low blood sugar trigger a seizure?

Not enough glucose can impair the brain’s ability to function.

Severe or long-lasting hypoglycemia may cause seizures

and serious brain injury.

Can low sodium cause seizures in adults?

Can mental health issues cause seizures?


Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, previously known as pseudoseizures, usually have a psychological cause, such as severe mental stress

. However, they do not involve changes to electrical impulses in the brain.

Can black mold cause seizures?

Can you get seizures from mold?

Can seizures be caused by environmental factors?

Polygenic Affected Genes

These types of epilepsies are the result of changes in many genes.

These genes can also be affected by environmental factors

. When this happens, there is a higher chance of epilepsy in other family members, but no clear pattern of inheritance.

When should you go to the hospital for a seizure?

What do you do when an adult has a seizure?


cushion their head if they’re on the ground

. loosen any tight clothing around their neck, such as a collar or tie, to aid breathing. turn them on to their side after their convulsions stop – read more about the recovery position. stay with them and talk to them calmly until they recover.

Can stress cause seizures without epilepsy?

Even in people without epilepsy,

stress and anxiety can trigger PNES

, which are also known as pseudoseizures. PNES are physiologically different from the neurological seizures found in epilepsy.

Can dehydration cause a seizure?


Seizures can result from severe imbalances in electrolytes due to dehydration

. Dehydration can reduce the amount of blood in the body, which can put strain on the heart and cause shock.

James Park
Author
James Park
Dr. James Park is a medical doctor and health expert with a focus on disease prevention and wellness. He has written several publications on nutrition and fitness, and has been featured in various health magazines. Dr. Park's evidence-based approach to health will help you make informed decisions about your well-being.