Epilepsy Symptoms and Signs

As we discuss the possible epilepsy symptoms and signs, it’s important to understand the different types of epileptic seizures there are.

Some epilepsy seizures don’t even look like seizures, so they can be harder to identify than other types. The best tool in recognizing epilepsy's signs and symptoms is to familiarize yourself with the different types of seizures one can suffer from.

The main symptom of epilepsy is seizures, which occurs when there is abnormal brain activity. It is important to note, though, that not all seizures are epilepsy symptoms, for they could be caused by some other health condition.

Here are some general symptoms of seizures:

• Convulsions, either with or without a fever
• Short blackouts, or lost consciousness
• Blank staring
• Periods of non responsiveness
• Inability to communicate
• Muscle jerks
• Changes in the way things look, smell and taste
• Confusion
• Panic or fear

While these are general symptoms of seizures, different types of seizures can range in severity from confusion or tingling to convulsions and loss of consciousness.

When a seizure only takes place in part of the brain, it is called a partial seizure. Often, the person suffering from this kind of seizure will remain conscious, and it may not even seem like they are having a seizure.

There are two types of partial seizures, called the Complex Partial Seizure and the Simple Partial Seizure. A simple partial seizure doesn’t cause you to lose consciousness; rather, this type of seizure tends to mess with the sensory part of the brain, changing the way things smell, sound and look. A simple partial seizure can also cause twitching, tingling or hallucinations.

A complex partial seizure, on the other hand, can cause the person to suffer from a loss of awareness. The symptoms of a complex partial seizure include blank staring, mindless movements such as rubbing hands, chewing, twitching or walking in circles.

There are also other kinds of seizures which can result from epilepsy. Petit mal seizures can cause a loss of consciousness and small body movements. Myoclonic seizures are sudden muscle jerks of the arms and legs. Atonic seizures will cause the sufferer to lose muscle tone and just fall down.

Then there is the scariest of all seizures - the Grand mal seizure. This seizure causes you to lose consciousness, stiffen up, fall down, convulse and lose bladder control. These are intense, scary seizures that, unfortunately, are among epilepsy symptoms.

Often, seizures are the only real visible epilepsy symptoms and signs. Since it is a neurological disorder, you cannot see or diagnose this condition until the outward epilepsy symptoms appear - these are, of course, in the form of seizures.

If you or a loved one is acting strangely, and if it continues or if the frequency of such behavior increases, it could be indicative of a seizure, so it's important to take note of and to monitor such changes.

Read More: More on Epilepsy | Natural Health Remedies for Various Ailments and Conditions | Home Page | Site Search

Click here for natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for epilepsy.

	Get Quality Natural Health Supplements at Reasonable Prices. $5 or $10 discount for new customers
Get natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for hundreds of health conditions and ailments. GO.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read. Leave a comment in the box below.

Some Related Epilepsy Pages

Click here for more pages and articles on Epilepsy.