Seizures and Alcohol When I Drank All the Time I Had No Seizures Now I Dont I Have Them Again

What is a seizure? If someone has a seizure, does that mean they suffer from epilepsy?

A seizure is a a sudden surge of electric activity in the encephalon that usually affects how a person appears or acts for a short time. Many different things can occur during a seizure. Whatever the brain and trunk can practise commonly can also occur during a seizure. The occurrence of a seizure in the presence of some acute precipitating physiological disturbance does non hateful that it will e'er happen after the precipitating crusade has resolved. When seizures recur without any obvious precipitant or cause, and then a person may be considered to have epilepsy.

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What happens during a seizure?

Seizures take a beginning, middle, and end. Not all parts of a seizure may be visible or piece of cake to carve up from each other. Every person with seizures will not accept every phase or symptom described below. The symptoms during a seizure commonly are stereotypic (occur the same way or similar each time), episodic (come up and go), and may be unpredictable.

Get-go

Some people are aware of the showtime of a seizure, perchance as much as hours or days before information technology happens. On the other hand, some people may non be aware of the first and therefore accept no alert.

Prodrome

Some people may experience feelings, sensations, or changes in behavior hours or days before a seizure. These feelings are generally not part of the seizure, simply may warn a person that a seizure may come up. Non everyone has these signs, just if they do, the signs can help a person change their activeness, brand certain to take their medication, use a rescue treatment, and take steps to prevent injury.

Aureola

An aura or alert is the kickoff symptom of a seizure and is considered part of the seizure. Often the aureola is an indescribable feeling. Other times information technology'south easy to recognize and may exist a modify in feeling, sensation, idea, or behavior that is similar each time a seizure occurs.

• The aura tin also occur alone and may be chosen a focal onset aware seizure, uncomplicated fractional seizure or partial seizure without alter in awareness.
• An aura can occur before a change in sensation or consciousness.
• Yet, many people have no aura or alarm; the seizure starts with a loss of consciousness or sensation.

Common symptoms before a seizure

Awareness, Sensory, Emotional or Thought Changes

• Déjà vu (a feeling of being there before but never have)
• Jamais vu (a feeling that something is very familiar but information technology isn't)
• Smells
• Sounds
• Tastes
• Visual loss or blurring
• "Foreign" feelings
• Fright/panic (often negative or scary feelings)
• Pleasant feelings
• Racing thoughts

Physical Changes

• Empty-headed or light-headed
• Headache
• Nausea or other stomach feelings (ofttimes a rising feeling from the stomach to the throat)
• Numbness or tingling in part of the trunk

Middle

The centre of a seizure is often called the ictal phase. Information technology's the period of time from the starting time symptoms (including an aura) to the terminate of the seizure activity, This correlates with the electric seizure activeness in the encephalon. Sometimes the visible symptoms last longer than the seizure activity on an EEG. This is because some of the visible symptoms may be aftereffects of a seizure or not related to seizure action at all.

Mutual symptoms during a seizure

Awareness, Sensory, Emotional or Thought Changes

• Loss of awareness (often called "black out")
• Dislocated, feeling spacey
• Periods of forgetfulness or retentivity lapses
• Distracted, heedless
• Loss of consciousness, unconscious, or "pass out"
• Unable to hear
• Sounds may be strange or dissimilar
• Unusual smells (often bad smells like burning rubber)
• Unusual tastes
• Loss of vision or unable to see
• Blurry vision
• Flashing lights
• Formed visual hallucinations (objects or things are seen that aren't really at that place)
• Numbness, tingling, or electric daze like feeling in trunk, arm or leg
• Out of trunk sensations
• Feeling detached
• Déjà vu (feeling of being there before merely never take)
• Jamais vu (feeling that something is very familiar merely it isn't)
• Body parts feels or looks different
• Feeling of panic, fear, impending doom (intense feeling that something bad is going to happen)
• Pleasant feelings

Physical Changes

• Difficulty talking (may stop talking, make nonsense or garbled sounds, keep talking or speech may not brand sense)
• Unable to eat, drooling
• Repeated blinking of eyes, eyes may motion to one side or await upwardly, or staring
• Lack of movement or muscle tone (unable to motility, loss of tone in cervix and caput may drop frontward, loss of muscle tone in body and person may slump or fall forward)
• Tremors, twitching or jerking movements (may occur on i or both sides of face, arms, legs or whole body; may start in ane expanse then spread to other areas or stay in one place)
• Rigid or tense muscles (office of the torso or whole body may feel very tight or tense and if standing, may autumn "like a tree body")
• Repeated non-purposeful movements, called automatisms, involve the face up, artillery or legs, such as
  • lipsmacking or chewing movements
  • repeated movements of easily, like wringing, playing with buttons or objects in hands, waving
  • dressing or undressing
  • walking or running
• Repeated purposeful movements (person may continue action that was going on before the seizure)
• Convulsion (person loses consciousness, trunk becomes rigid or tense, and so fast jerking movements occur)
• Losing control of urine or stool unexpectedly
• Sweating
• Alter in pare color (looks pale or flushed)
• Pupils may amplify or announced larger than normal
• Biting of tongue (from teeth clenching when muscles tighten)
• Difficulty breathing
• Heart racing

Ending

Every bit the seizure ends, the postictal phase occurs - this is the recovery period after the seizure. Some people recover immediately while others may take minutes to hours to feel like their usual self. The type of seizure, as well as what part of the encephalon the seizure impacts, affects the recovery period – how long it may last and what may occur during it.

Common symptoms afterwards a seizure

Awareness, Sensory, Emotional, or Thought Changes

• Slow to answer or non able to respond right away
• Sleepy
• Dislocated
• Memory loss
• Difficulty talking or writing
• Feeling fuzzy, lightlheaded, or airheaded
• Feeling depressed, sorry, upset
• Scared
• Anxious
• Frustrated, embarrassed, ashamed

Physical Changes

• May have injuries, such equally bruising, cuts, cleaved bones, or head injury if vicious during seizure
• May feel tired, exhausted, or sleep for minutes or hours
• Headache or other hurting
• Nausea or upset breadbasket
• Thirsty
• General weakness or weak in one part or side of the body
• Urge to go to the bathroom or lose command of bowel or bladder

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Types of Seizures

In that location are three major groups of seizures:

1. Generalized onset seizures: These seizures bear upon both sides of the brain or groups of cells on both sides of the brain at the same time. This term was used before and notwithstanding includes seizures types like tonic-clonic, absence, or atonic to name a few.
2. Focal onset seizures: The term focal is used instead of partial to be more than accurate when talking nearly where seizures begin. Focal seizures can start in one expanse or group of cells in one side of the brain.
   • Focal Onset Aware Seizures: When a person is awake and aware during a seizure, information technology's called a focal enlightened seizure. This used to exist chosen a elementary partial seizure.
   • Focal Onset Impaired Sensation: When a person is confused or their sensation is affected in some manner during a focal seizure, it'due south called a focal dumb awareness seizure. This used to be chosen a circuitous partial seizure.
3. Unknown onset seizures: When the beginning of a seizure is non known, it's at present called an unknown onset seizure. A seizure could also exist called an unknown onset if information technology'southward not witnessed or seen by anyone, for example when seizures happen at dark or in a person who lives alone.
   As more information is learned, an unknown onset seizure may later be diagnosed as a focal or generalized seizure.

How are dissimilar symptoms during a seizure described?

Many different symptoms happen during a seizure. This new nomenclature separates them but into groups that involve move.

For generalized onset seizures:

• Motor symptoms may include sustained rhythmical jerking movements (clonic), muscles becoming weak or limp (atonic), muscles becoming tense or rigid (tonic), brief muscle twitching (myoclonus), or epileptic spasms (body flexes and extends repeatedly).
• Non-motor symptoms are usually called absence seizures. These can be typical or singular absence seizures (staring spells). Absence seizures can as well take brief twitches (myoclonus) that can bear on a specific part of the body or just the eyelids.

For focal onset seizures

• Motor symptoms may besides include jerking (clonic), muscles becoming limp or weak (atonic), tense or rigid muscles (tonic), brief muscle twitching (myoclonus), or epileptic spasms. There may besides be automatisms or repeated automated movements, similar clapping or rubbing of hands, lipsmacking or chewing, or running.
• Non-motor symptoms: Examples of symptoms that don't affect movement could be changes in awareness, emotions, thinking or cognition, autonomic functions (such every bit gastrointestinal sensations, waves of heat or cold, goosebumps, centre racing, etc.), or lack of movement (called behavior arrest).

For unknown onset seizures

• Motor seizures are described every bit either tonic-clonic or epileptic spasms.
• Non-motor seizures usually include a beliefs arrest. This ways that move stops – the person may just stare and not brand whatsoever other movements.

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What should I do if I have a seizure? What should I do if I meet someone else take a seizure?

What happens during a seizure may vary from ane person to the next. The type of starting time aid needed tin can exist tailored to what happens during the seizure and the person'due south condom. Information technology helps to think virtually whether the person'south alertness or sensation is affected, and if any physical movements occur that can place them at adventure of injury.

• Ever Stay With the Person Until the Seizure Is Over
  • Seizures tin be unpredictable and it's hard to tell how long they may concluding or what will occur during them. Some may commencement with small symptoms, but lead to a loss of consciousness or fall. Other seizures may be cursory and finish in seconds.
  • Injury can occur during or after a seizure, requiring help from other people.
• Pay Attention to the Length of the Seizure
  • Wait at your watch and time the seizure – from beginning to the end of the agile seizure.
  • Time how long it takes for the person to recover and return to their usual action.
  • If the active seizure lasts longer than the person's typical events, call for help.
  • Know when to give'as needed' or rescue treatments, if prescribed, and when to call for emergency help.
• Stay Calm; Well-nigh Seizures Merely Last a Few Minutes
  • A person's response to seizures tin can affect how other people act. If the first person remains at-home, it will assist others stay calm as well.
  • Talk calmly and reassuringly to the person during and after the seizure – it will help as they recover from the seizure.
• Prevent Injury past Moving Nearby Objects Out of the Way
  • Remove abrupt objects.
  • If you can't move surrounding objects or a person is wandering or confused, help steer them clear of dangerous situations, for example away from traffic, train or subway platforms, heights, or sharp objects.
• Make the Person as Comfy as Possible
  • Help them sit down down in a safe place.
  • If they are at adventure of falling, call for help and lay them downwards on the floor.
  • Support the person'south head to prevent information technology from hit the floor.
• Keep Onlookers Away
  • In one case the situation is under control, encourage people to stride dorsum and give the person some room. Waking up to a oversupply tin can be embarrassing and disruptive for a person later a seizure.
  • Ask someone to stay nearby in example further assist is needed.
• Do Not Forcibly Hold the Person Downwardly
  • Trying to stop movements or forcibly belongings a person down doesn't end a seizure. Restraining a person can lead to injuries and make the person more confused, agitated or aggressive. People don't fight on purpose during a seizure. Yet if they are restrained when they are dislocated, they may reply aggressively.
  • If a person tries to walk effectually, let them walk in a safe, enclosed area if possible.
• Do Not Put Annihilation in the Person's Mouth!
  • Jaw and confront muscles may tighten during a seizure, causing the person to bite downward. If this happens when something is in the rima oris, the person may pause and swallow the object or break their teeth!
  • Don't worry - a person can't swallow their natural language during a seizure.
• Make Certain Their Breathing is Okay
  • If the person is lying downward, plow them on their side, with their rima oris pointing to the ground. This prevents saliva from blocking their airway and helps the person exhale more easily.
  • During a convulsive or tonic-clonic seizure, information technology may look like the person has stopped breathing. This happens when the chest muscles tighten during the tonic phase of a seizure. Every bit this part of a seizure ends, the muscles will relax and breathing will resume commonly.
  • Rescue breathing or CPR is generally not needed during these seizure-induced changes in a person's breathing.
• Do Non Give Water, Pills, or Nutrient by Mouth Unless the Person is Fully Warning
  • If a person is non fully awake or aware of what is going on, they might not swallow correctly.  Food, liquid or pills could get into the lungs instead of the breadbasket if they try to drink or eat at this time.
  • If a person appears to exist choking, turn them on their side and call for help. If they are not able to cough and articulate their air passages on their own or are having breathing difficulties, call 911 immediately.
• Telephone call for Emergency Medical Help When
  • A seizure lasts v minutes or longer.
  • I seizure occurs right after another without the person regaining consciousness or coming to between seizures.
  • Seizures occur closer together than usual for that person.
  • Animate becomes hard or the person appears to be choking.
  • The seizure occurs in water.
  • Injury may have occurred.
  • The person asks for medical help.
• Be Sensitive and Supportive, and Enquire Others to Do the Same
  • Seizures tin can exist frightening for the person having one, also equally for others. People may feel embarrassed or confused about what happened. Keep this in mind as the person wakes up.
  • Reassure the person that they are safe.
  • Once they are warning and able to communicate, tell them what happened in very simple terms.
  • Offer to stay with the person until they are ready to go back to normal activeness or phone call someone to stay with them.

Seizures Without Any Change in Awareness

Some people may remain fully awake and alarm during a seizure and remember everything that occurs. For example, awareness is not afflicted during unproblematic partial or myoclonic seizures. During these types of seizures, pay particular attention to the post-obit:

• Usually you don't need to exercise anything.
• Stay at-home and reassure the person they are rubber.
• If the person is frightened or anxious, encourage them to take tedious deep breaths or do something that is calming or relaxing.
• Stay with the person until the seizure is over. Make sure that they are fully enlightened of what is going on earlier they are left alone.

Seizures with Altered Awareness

Sometimes people may look awake during a seizure, merely they really are not aware of part or all of what is going on effectually them. They may not remember what happens during the seizure or have difficulty talking near it during or subsequently it. The person may walk effectually during the seizure, simply not be in control of where they are going, and they may not exist able to protect themselves. These seizure behaviors may exist seen with complex partial seizures or clusters of absence seizures. During these episodes, in improver to basic beginning aid, pay particular attending to the post-obit:

• If the person has a alarm before they lose sensation, aid them to a safe place.
• Stay with the person and don't allow them wander away. Let them walk in an enclosed area if possible.
• Keep the person away from precipitous objects or dangerous places.
• If the person tries to run or is in a unsafe state of affairs, call for aid and hold them back if needed to keep them out of danger.
• Exercise not assume that they can talk or that they can hear you and follow instructions. Assure them they are safe and repeat instructions on what they should exercise next.
• Make sure that they are alert, oriented and safe after the event before they are left alone.
• Time the seizure – these types of seizures are usually longer than convulsions or tonic clonic seizures. It may be hard to tell when the seizure concluded and when the recovery menstruation begins and ends.
• If the seizure turns into a convulsive seizure, follow beginning assist steps for tonic-clonic seizures.

Seizures with Loss of Consciousness

Some types of seizures can affect a person'south awareness completely – they may exist considered 'unconscious'. They are not able to talk, are non aware of what is going on around them, and may not realize what occurred later on. If they accept a warning at the start of the seizure, they may be able to get to a condom place – otherwise they are at risk for injury during and after the seizure. Follow the steps for intendance and comfort kickoff aid with attending to the post-obit:

• Watch how long the seizure lasts – telephone call for emergency medical aid if a generalized seizure lasts 5 minutes or longer.
• Protect the person from injury simply don't restrain their movements.
• Watch their animate – turn them on the side to help continue the airway open. If breathing problems occur, call 911.
• Don't put anything in their mouth.
• Know when to call for emergency assistance.
• Stay with the person after the seizure until they are aware and safe.

Posted on BrainLine August ten, 2018.

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Source: https://www.brainline.org/article/seizures-and-epilepsy-frequently-asked-questions

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