Seizures are of different types arising from different factors, one such is epilepsy. Epilepsy, also called seizure disorder, is a type of brain disorder that happens when the nerve cells in the brain misfire. This is a common type of seizure that can even bring behavioral change and change the way a person sees something.
Epilepsy is not the only cause of seizures; one can also have a seizure for the following reasons:
- high fever due to Meningitis
- inadequate sleep
- low levels of sodium in the blood due to intake of diuretics (water pills)
- Taking antidepressants pills or medication to stop smoking
- Extreme intoxication or alcohol abuse during withdrawal
- Stroke
- Brain tumour
- Amphetamines or cocaine
- COVID-19 infection
If you or your loved ones are suffering from any of these symptoms, then you should consult a doctor immediately. You may find many neuro specialists in India, however consulting a neurologist with a specialization in seizure treatment should be your first choice. We have found some best neurologist in Bangalore, who have expertise in this treatment. If visiting the doctor is a challenge you may also do a video consultation.
Now let’s check the types of epilepsy, and the type of epilepsy you have plays an important role in determining the kind of seizure you may have.
Basically, there are two majors types of seizures:
Focal seizures: Focal seizures occurs in a specific part of your brain, and their names are derived from the part where they happen. They can cause some kind of emotional and physical effects and sometimes make you feel, see, or hear things that aren’t actually present there. About 60% of people with epilepsy have this type of seizure. It is also sometimes even called a partial seizure. The symptoms of a focal seizure can be easily mistaken for the signs of mental illness / mental disorder or another kind of nerve disorder.
Generalized seizures: This kind of seizure occurs when both the nerve cells of the brain misfire leading to blackouts, muscle spasms, or falls.
Seizures are not always an either-or thing; in some cases, people have seizures that start as one kind and then become another kind and sometimes it’s not an easy task to classify some of them, they are called as unknown-onset seizures. These unknown-onset seizures can sometimes cause sensory and physical symptoms.
Focal seizures: To understand further these focal seizures are into three groups:
Simple focal seizures: They affect your senses where you smell something strange around. Your way of understanding your surroundings changes. This may even make your fingers, arms, or legs tensed. In some cases, you may experience some flashes of light or feel dizzy. You may not lose your consciousness in such a situation, but you might feel nauseated or sweaty.
Complex focal seizures: These usually affect that part of your brain that controls your memory and emotion. You may be unconscious during these times yet look as if you’re wide awake. You may also gag, or cry and laugh loudly and this may take some time to be fine.
Secondary generalized seizures generally affect one part of your brain and then spread to the nerve cells on both sides. They can cause some physical symptoms such as convulsions, muscle sickness or generalized seizures. In case if you have experienced any such symptoms you can contact the best neurologist in bangalore for thorough check up.
Generalized Seizures: Generalised seizure can be characterised further in 6 types:
Tonic-clonic (or grand mal) seizures: This type of seizure is one of the most common and noticeable where the body becomes stiff, and the patient experiences jerks , shakes and loses consciousness. At times the patient can also suffer from loose bowel movements. Such seizures typically last for 1-2 minutes, in case if it lasts longer, you need to immediately call the doctor as this may result in breathing troubles and biting of the tongue and cheeks.
Clonic seizures: This seizure results in muscle spasms leading to rhythmic jerk of face, neck and arm muscles. These can last for several minutes.
Tonic seizures: This type of seizure is experienced by those who are sleeping where the muscles of the legs tense up, incase if you suffer from this seizure while standing or awake you may lose control and fall.
Atonic Seizures: When this happens you may lose grip of something that you are holding leading to a fall. Your head leans forward and you start limping. This lasts for only a few seconds but patients who suffer from this seizure need a helmet to avoid any damage to the head.
People with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and another kind of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome generally face such a seizure.
Myoclonic seizures: In this seizure the muscle starts to jerk as if you are in a shock, as it is similar to an atonic seizure and may occur in the same part of the brain.
Absence (or petit mal) seizures: This kind of seizure is common in children below the age of 14 , where they start to look blankly and their eyes rollover. This lasts for a few seconds and the person may not know how this has happened.
If you are already consulting a doctor but you want to take a second opinion from another doctor, consider doing a video consultation with the best neurologist in Bangalore, they will help you understand the problem more deeply and suggest the best treatment for full recovery.
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