Types of Seizures in Epilepsy: Generalized, Focal, Absence

Seizures are episodes of abnormal behaviour of an individual along with health issues such as jitteriness of hands and legs, confusion, brain fog, staring at one point, or difficulty in decision-making. It happens due to electrical disturbances in the brain. The brain disorder can also cause various other mental issues. Bipolar disorders and epilepsy are some of the mental illnesses caused due to seizures. Different types of seizures can hamper an individual depending on age, race, gender, and various other health conditions. Some people affected by seizures may turn violent, while others may quit and calm. Each form of seizure has its causes, symptoms, and treatment.

Types of Seizures in Epilepsy

Generalised Seizures:

Generalised seizures are the ones in which an imbalance of the electrical signals in the brain affects both the hemispheres of the brain. The form of seizure can be recognised by symptoms such as stiffness of hands and legs, spasms, loss of muscle tone, or muscle contractions. Different generalised seizures exist, such as absence, myoclonic, atonic, and clonic. Each form has its symptoms and form of treatment.

Causes

- Head Injury
- Stroke
- Brain Tumor
- Brain Infection
- Alzheimer’s
- Lack of Oxygen during Birth
- Hardening of Brain Arteries

Symptoms

- Stiff Muscles
- Feeling the Urge to Cry
- Jerking of Arms and Legs
- Blue Lips
- Loss of Muscle Tone
- Unconsciousness

Focal Seizures:

It is a focal epilepsy seizure in which the individual experiences repetitive seizures in a short time caused by a disturbance of electrical signals in one part of the brain. The issue can be treated with the help of medications, changes in diet, surgery, or nerve stimulation. Focal is further divided into different forms, such as idiopathic location-related epilepsies (ILRE), temporal lobe epilepsy, frontal lobe epilepsy, and occipital lobe epilepsy. The issue can be treated with the help of medications, surgery, changes in diet, deep brain stimulation, vagal nerve stimulation, and other similar methods.

Causes

- Arrhythmias
- Aneurysms
- Brain tumour
- Lack of oxygen
- Brain injury
- Alzheimer’s

Symptoms

- Foul smell
- Sensation of fear
- Abdominal or chest pain
- Staring at a certain point
- Confusion

Absence Seizures

An individual suffering from absence seizures may become unconscious many times daily. The person suffering from absence seizure may stare blankly at a point. Children more often face this form of seizure rather than adults. The state of seizure reflects mental issues compared to physical problems. The individual gets into deep thinking and then suddenly gets alert. The seizure can turn into physical damage if it occurs while driving or while being outdoors. The form of seizure can be treated with the help of anti-seizure medications, dietary changes, ample rest, a supportive environment near the patient, and other similar methods.

Causes

- Genetic reasons
- Age
- Sex of the patient
- Family history of the patient

Symptoms

- Memory loss
- Smacking of lips
- Chewing motions
- Involuntary movements of hands and legs
- Involuntary rubbing of fingers

Myoclonic Seizures

Myoclonic epilepsy seizures are recognised by sudden muscle movement without the patient being unconscious or having other mental problems. They can affect a specific muscle or group or hamper many muscles. Such seizures usually happen due to other underlying medical conditions. The seizure can affect people who have experienced other forms of seizures earlier. The condition can be treated with the help of medications.

Causes

Genetic disorder
Epilepsy
Family history of the disease

Symptoms

Muscle tightness
Disturbance in the working of muscles of the face, arms, legs, or face
No multiple occurrences

Clonic Seizures

Types of seizures in epilepsy also involve clonic seizures. It is usually observed in babies and is identified by sudden stiffening of hands and legs. The affected individual cannot get rid of the condition of my movement of hands and legs to free them as well. Jerking of hands and legs in clonic seizures lasts for a few minutes. The seizure usually starts in the motor area of the brain. It can also hamper the functioning of one side of the face or body. Seizure medicines help to relieve the symptoms of the seizure.

Causes

Age
Epilepsy
Low blood sugar
High fever

Symptoms

Repetitive jerking of arms and legs
Numbness
Tingling sensation

Atonic Seizures

These types of seizures make the affected individual feel weak and tired. The patient loses muscle strength and may lack the energy to perform routine activities such as walking, jogging, or climbing stairs. Extreme conditions may also lead to an individual falling on the ground suddenly without being unconscious. The individual may also need more strength to hold a glass or keep a firm hold of things. They may also face drooping of the face and even eyelids.

Causes

Gene mutations
Age
Rapid breathing
Flickering lights and visions

Symptoms

Going limp
Drooping eyelids
Jerking of muscles

When to Consult a Doctor

Timely medical intervention can help cure many of these ailments or help in managing them. You can also get in touch with the expert Neurology doctors at Narayana Healthcare based in your city to get immediate attention and medical support to treat brain conditions, neurological disorders or any other health concern.

Conclusion

Different types of seizures in epilepsy lead to different kinds of health issues and can be identified by such signs. Other types of seizures have different causes, symptoms, and treatment methods.

FAQs

Q. What are the different types of seizures in epilepsy?
A. Generalised, absence, focal, atonic, and myoclonic epilepsy seizures are a few forms of seizures.

Q. What are the general symptoms of a seizure?
A. Loss of muscle strength, weakness, confusion, and other mental problems are general seizure symptoms.

Q. What are generalised seizures?
A. Generalised seizures involve widespread electrical disturbances in the brain, affecting both hemispheres simultaneously. They encompass tonic-clonic, absence, myoclonic, and atonic seizures, often causing loss of consciousness and motor symptoms.

Q. What are absence seizures?
A. Absent or absence seizures, or petit mal seizures, are brief epileptic episodes characterised by sudden lapses in consciousness, often lasting only seconds. They typically involve a vacant stare and are common in children.

Reference Link

- https://www.narayanahealth.org/blog/seizures-types-diagnosis-and-treatment/

Types of Seizures in Epilepsy: Generalized, Focal, Absence, and More

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