Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain in which cells called neurons behave abnormally, causing seizures. Epilepsy symptoms are often mild, so mild that the person doesn’t even notice them. As a result, epilepsy often goes undiagnosed.
What Epilepsy Symptoms Looks Like
Here are some common epilepsy symptoms to look out for:
- Convulsions – rapid muscle contractions
- Blackouts, memory loss, or passing out
- Loss of control of bowels and bladder
- Extreme fatigue after an episode
- Being unresponsive, acting confused or dazed, or having a blank stare
- Stiffening up or falling down
- Strange movements, like irregular blinking, chewing, or convulsions of the limbs
- Sudden changes in personality like anger, panic, or fear
Epilepsy seizures manifest differently because they can occur in various parts of the brain. Some people will experience an aura, or specific symptoms that occur before a seizure. This aura could involve smelling something that isn’t there, feeling emotionally different, or experiencing a tingling sensation.
Doctors have identified various types of epilepsy seizures, including generalized seizures and partial seizures, each of which can produce different symptoms.
Symptoms of Generalized Epilepsy Seizures
Generalized epilepsy seizures strike all over the brain, and include tonic-clonic and absence seizures.
Tonic-clonic seizures are also called grand mal seizures. Symptoms of tonic-clonic seizures include:
- A temporary pause in breathing, often followed by a sigh
- Losing control of the bladder
- Major convulsions of the entire body
- Biting the inside of the cheek or the tongue
- Stiffness of the body
- Acting confused or disoriented after the episode
Absence seizures, also called petit mal seizures, occur most often in children. The symptoms of this type of epilepsy seizure are:
- Frequent blinking or staring blankly without expression
- Little or no bodily movement
- A few seconds of seeming "out of it" or seeming unconscious but being awake
- Seeming distracted or just daydreaming
Symptoms of Partial Epilepsy Seizures
Partial seizures only strike a part of the brain and include simple-partial and partial-complex seizures.
Simple-partial seizures are also called focal seizures. Symptoms include:
- Dilated pupils
- A sensation of déjà vu ("already seen," or feeling like having been in or seen the scenario before)
- A sensation of jamais vu ("never seen," or being in a familiar scenario but feeling like it's completely new)
- Flushed skin, sweatiness, and nausea
- Feeling confused, unusual, or strange
Symptoms of partial-complex seizures can be the same as simple-partial seizures and may also include:
- Being disoriented or not as alert
- Personality changes
- Affected memory
- Carrying out actions and behaviors without being aware of them
Many epilepsy symptoms may be easily confused for another condition or problem; these include fainting, sleep problems, psychiatric problems, a mini-stroke, even a migraine headache. But if you know what you're looking for, it's easier to spot the warning signs of an epileptic seizure.