Warning Signs of a Seizure

Table of Contents:

• Introduction

• What is a Seizure?

• Phases of a Seizure

• Warning Signs of a Seizure

• Causes of Seizure

• Types of Seizures and Symptoms 

• Treatment of Seizure

• When to See a Doctor

• Take-Home Points

• FAQs

Introduction

Seizure is the unsynchronised firing of neurons, which can lead to various manifestations like jerking off of the body or one part of a body or even sensory manifestations. There can be various types of Seizure, depending upon how they manifest. Epilepsy and seizure are used interchangeably but epilepsy happens when people have recurrent Seizure episodes.

If your loved one has had a seizure before, it is important to know the warning signs of a seizure because if you are driving or doing some activity, a Seizure episode can make you unconscious and can lead to disastrous consequences. There are certain warning signs of a Seizure which one can look for before an actual attack of a Seizure. These signs happen before the prodrome or Aura phase. In this blog, we will discuss what a seizure is?, the warning signs of a seizure, the symptoms of a seizure, and the Causes and risk factors of Seizures. 

What is a Seizure?

Seizure is the unsynchronised firing of neurons in your brain, which results in various manifestations. It can be as dramatic as your whole body jerking and falling unconscious, or it can be as normal as only sensory manifestations like smell, which is not present. 

Convulsion is a term used for motor manifestations of a seizure. Manifestation of a Seizure depends upon which part of your brain is getting involved. For example, if your mortal cortex starts firing in an unsynchronised way, you will get motor symptoms. If your sensory cortex starts firing in an unsynchronized way you can have sensory manifestations.

Aura is something which happens before a Seizure; it is not always present, although it can indicate an impending Seizure. We'll discuss symptoms of aura and Seizure in further sections.

Phases of a Seizure

Before understanding the warning signs of a seizure we must understand the stages of a Seizure:

1. Prodromal phase: Happens just before the start of a Seizure.

2. Aura: Aura is an unusual feeling or sensation before starting a Seizure. Aura can vary from person to person. It can be felt by some, and it happens before starting a Seizure.

3. Ictal: The ictal phase refers to the phase of the Seizure happening.

4. Postictal: Phase of after Seizure. 

Warning signs of a Seizure vary from person to person. Some can have a Seizure starting within a Subtle of seconds, while some can experience warning signs for a brief period before a Seizure starts. Some people can even don't have any manifestations at all called silent Seizure. Some who have absence Seizures can have only starring episodes or look confused for some time. Whichever may be the case here are warning signs of a seizure which you can look for: Prodromal phase: 

1. Anxiety

2. Confusion

3. Irritability

4. Headache

The prodromal phase of a Seizure can last from days to several minutes before a Seizure happens.

Warning Signs of a Seizure

1. Deja vu: Deja vu means already seen. It happens when an unfamiliar situation seems like it is familiar, although this can be experienced by many of us. Experiencing deja vu does not signify having a Seizure, but it can be a sign of a seizure for those who experience deja vu as a warning sign before a Seizure. 

2. Feeling unusual sensory stimuli like unusual smells, sounds, a tastes can be warning signs of a Seizure

3. Vision changes: Some people experience changes in vision like a spark of light coming in the field of vision or colourful spots.

4. Odd sounds: Experiencing buzzing, whistling, or some odd sounds that no one else is hearing. 

5. Odd Smell: An odd smell of burning a tyre is most commonly experienced.

6. OddTaste: Some people can experience odd tastes like bitter metallic or sore even though they are not eating something, which can be a warning sign of a Seizure.

7. Feeling butterflies in your stomach.

8. Confusion 

9. Muscle twitches or jerks: continuous muscle twitches are jerks that can be warning signs of a Seizure.

10. Feeling of intense fear

11. Alice in Wonderland: Some people may experience that everything seems very large or very small and everything is distorted.

12. Autonomic symptoms: People may experience Autonomic symptoms like sweating, drooling of saliva, flushing of their face, etc. 

Causes of Seizure

Seizures can be provoked or unprovoked. 

• Provoked Seizure and Causes: Provoked Seizure means there is some underlying cause which is leading to a Seizure. Causes of provoked Seizure include:

1. Drugs

2. Abnormal blood sugar level

3. High fever 

4. Substance abuse 

5. Withdrawal from alcohol 

6. Sleep deprivation

7. Electrolyte imbalance, especially Sodium abnormalities.

8. Brain tumour 

9. Stroke 

10. Meningitis

11.  Cerebral hypoxia

12.  Brain injury

13.  Eclampsia

14. Genetic conditions

• Unprovoked Seizure: Unproved Seizures are usually idiopathic, meaning there is no underlying cause, and these often occur spontaneously. They could lead to epilepsy epilepsy, which is a recurrent unprovoked Seizure.

Types of Seizures and Symptoms 

There can be various types of Seizure depending upon whether the whole brain is firing furiously(Generalised seizure) or a part of the brain is firing in an unsynchronised manner(Focal Seizure). Types of Seizure can also depend upon whether the person became unconscious(complex seizure) or is conscious.

Generalized Seizure:

1. Absence Seizure: Blank stare look.

2. Atonic Seizure: Loss of muscle tone and fall on the ground immediately.

3. Clonic Seizure: Shaking of both sides of the body and loss of consciousness or shaking of one side of the body.

4. Myoclonic Seizure: sudden jerk or twitch affecting a group of muscles.

5. Secondary generalized Seizure: Focal Seizure, which became a generalized seizure, meaning electrical firing starting from A part of the brain, and now unsynchronised firing is happening in the whole brain.

6. Tonic clonic Seizure: Muscle becomes tight and then shaking of muscle happens.

7. Tonic Seizure: Muscles become tight.

Focal seizure: A seizure happens when a part of a brain is in the world it can be:

• Focal onset aware Seizure or simple partial Seizure: no loss of consciousness happens.

• Focal onset impaired awareness or complex partial Seizure: loss of consciousness.

Treatment of Seizure

Treatment  of Seizure includes management of the underlying cause: 

1. Tumour

2.  Trauma

3. Infection 

4. Quitting the drug which is causing Seizure

5.  Treatment of substance use

6.  Treatment of alcohol withdrawal

Treatment of Seizure also involves:

1. Use of anti-epileptic medications

2. Surgery 

3. Brain stimulation

4. Dietary modifications(ketogenic diet) may be helpful in some people 

When to See a Doctor

If you are experiencing symptoms of a Seizure, be it a focal Seizure, generalized Seizure, or even sensory symptoms like odd smell, taste, sight, etc, it is important to visit a doctor for evaluation of a Seizure. If you have experienced a syncope, it is also important to visit a doctor because the syncopal attack can mimic a Seizure and vice versa.

Take-Home Points

1. Seizure is the unsynchronised firing of neurons, which can lead to various manifestations like jerking off of the body or one part of a body or even sensory manifestations.

2. Convulsion is a term used for motor manifestations of a seizure.

3. Manifestation of a Seizure depends upon which part of your brain is getting involved. For example, if your mortal cortex starts firing in an unsynchronised way, you will get motor symptoms.

4. Warning signs of a Seizure include Deja Vu, odd sensory sensations like smell, sight, taste, the feeling of impending doom, the feeling of intense fear, confusion, jerks, and Autonomic symptoms.

5. Causes of Seizure include drug infection, substance abuse, or it can be unprovoked Seizure.

6. Seizures can be generalized or focal.