Fact Checked
Overview
A seizure is an unexpected incident caused by an electrical fault in the brain. With a seizure, an individual has change in awareness, feeling, or body movements.
Signs And Symptoms
There are several kinds of seizures. Common types are:
A Tonic Clonic Seizure. This is also referred to as a grand mal seizure. A convulsion takes place with this type of seizure.
Signs of a convulsion include:
- Short-term loss of consciousness collapsing.
- The arms and legs harden, shake, and twitch.
- This type generally lasts about 1 to 2 minutes. When it finishes, the person’s muscles will start to relax. They might lose control over their bladder, be disordered, have a migraine, and fall asleep.
An Absence Seizure. This is also referred to as a petit mal seizure. A convulsion does not follow with this seizure.
An absence seizure can display the following signs:
- Blank glares. It looks like the individual is dreaming or not paying attention.
- Lip smacking. Constant blinking, grinding of teeth or hand movements.
- This kind of seizure generally lasts only a couple of seconds, but can occur several times a day. When the seizure stops, the individual is not disordered, but is not conscious that the seizure occurred.
First Aid Steps
- Stay composed. Shield the individual from injury. Protect the head with a cushion, a coat, etc. Move dangerous items out of the way.
- Untie any tight clothing, particularly around the neck.
- If the individual vomits, make sure their airway is clear.
- Don’t hold the individual down. Nothing should be placed in their mouth.
- Take note of how long the seizure lasts and the symptoms that follow.
- Phone for an ambulance.