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Epilepsy: Symptoms, Types, Causes and First Aid

Apr 21 , 2022 | 3 min read

Epilepsy refers to brain disorders that can cause frequent seizures. It can affect people of any group, but it usually begins in children or people above 60 years of age. If you have two or more seizures, you may be diagnosed with epilepsy. Keep reading to find out more about epilepsy.

Symptoms of epilepsy

Seizures are the main symptoms of epilepsy characterized by-

Uncontrolled jerking and shaking of arms and legs which are also called fits.
The patient stops doing what he might be doing and stares ahead. It is also known as a staring spell.
Body becomes stiff
Loss of consciousness
Temporary confusion

Types of seizures

Seizures are of two types-

Generalized seizures

These affect both sides of your brain and are further classified into two major types
1. Absence seizures
  
  It lasts fewer than 20 seconds and occurs more commonly in children than adults. During the seizure, the patient will stare blankly into space and lose awareness temporarily.
2. Tonic-clonic seizures
  
  Occurs in two phases-

1. 1. Tonic stage
    In this stage, the patient's body gets stiff, and he/she loses consciousness. Strong muscle spasms can result in forcing air out of their lungs that can cause a cry or moan. The stiffness of the chest can cause breathing problems. Apart from this, saliva or foam may come out of their mouth.
  2. Clonic stage
    
    In this stage, the patient's face, arm, and legs show rapid jerking movements, which slow down after one to three minutes, after which his/her body relaxes.

Focal seizures
Affects a particular area of your brain. It is classified into three categories-

Simple focal seizures

It is also called auras and affects a particular area of one side of your brain but can spread to other parts of the brain. In this type of seizure, the patient doesn't lose consciousness, but they will have hearing problems and hallucinations, changes in heart rhythm or blood pressure, and bowel or bladder movement.
Complex focal seizures

In this type of seizure, the patient is confused and finds it difficult to respond to questions, make random noises, move his/her arms around, fiddle with objects or smack his/her lips.

Causes of Seizures

In epilepsy, there are sudden spikes of electrical activity, which causes seizures. The exact cause of epilepsy is unknown. However, it possibly occurs due to genetic factors. In some cases, it can occur due to brain damage caused due to stroke, drug abuse, brain tumor severe head injury, lack of oxygen during birth or brain infections.

First aid for epilepsy

Generalized seizures are more dangerous than focal seizures as the patient remains unaware of the surroundings and can get harmed due to uncontrolled movements. If you find someone having this type of seizure, you can help them by-

Making the patient comfortable on the floor
Loosen up ties or any clothing around the neck as it may hinder breathing.
Turn the patient on his one side that will allow him to breathe better
Clear the surroundings and keep sharp objects away from the patient
Put a soft cushion under his or her head
Remove spectacles if he/ she is wearing one
Don't try to restrict his/her movements.
Stay with that person till he feels normal
Do not try to give CPR to the patient as he/she will be able to breathe on his/her own after the episode of seizure
Do not offer any liquid or food to him/her till he/ she is fully awake.

There is a common myth that you should keep something in a patient's mouth to prevent the tongue from falling back. But this is completely wrong because putting something in their mouth can damage their teeth, and they can even bite you.

First aid for the patient in a wheelchair

Apart from the general first aid measures mentioned above, you should also keep in mind the following measures if the patient is having a seizure episode while he/ she is in a wheelchair.