Seizure is a disorder in which involuntary contraction of the body's muscles or part of the body occurs due to excess electrical activity in some areas of the brain.
In most cases, the seizure is curable and may never happen again, especially if it is not related to a neuronal problem. However, if it happens due to a more serious health problem, such as epilepsy or even the failure of an organ, it may be necessary to make the appropriate treatment of the disease, in addition to using anticonvulsant drugs, prescribed by the doctor, to control its appearance.
In addition to undergoing treatment, it is also important to know what to do during a seizure since the biggest risk during one of these episodes is that of falling, which can result in trauma or choking, putting your life at risk.
Main causes
Seizures can be triggered by several situations, the main ones being:
- High fever, especially in children under the age of 5 years; Diseases such as epilepsy, meningitis, tetanus, encephalitis, HIV infection, for example; Head trauma; Abstinence after long-term consumption of alcohol and drugs; Adverse reaction to some medications; Metabolism problems such as diabetes, kidney failure or hypoglycemia, for example; Lack of oxygen in the brain.
Febrile seizures can occur in the first 24 hours of a fever in children and can be a consequence of some diseases such as otitis, pneumonia, flu, cold or sinusitis, for example. Normally, the febrile seizure is not life-threatening and does not leave neurological sequelae for the child.
Severe stress can also cause an intense seizure-like nervous breakdown. For this reason, it is wrongly called a nervous seizure, but its correct name is conversion crisis.
Types of seizure
Seizures can be classified into two types according to the parts of the brain involved in:
- Focal seizures, in which only one hemisphere of the brain is affected and the person may or may not lose consciousness and have motor changes; Generalized seizures, in which both sides of the brain are affected and are usually accompanied by loss of consciousness.
In addition to this classification, seizures can be classified according to the symptoms and duration of the seizure episode into:
- Simple focal, which is a type of focal seizure in which the person does not lose consciousness and experiences changes in sensations, such as smells and tastes, and feelings; Complex focal, in which the person feels confused or dizzy and is unable to answer some questions; Atonic, that the person loses muscle tone, passes out and completely loses consciousness. This type of seizure can happen several times a day and lasts for seconds; Generalized tonic-clonic, which is the most common type of seizure and is characterized by muscle stiffness and involuntary muscle contractions, in addition to excessive salivation and emission of sounds. This type of seizure lasts for about 1 to 3 minutes and after the seizure the person feels extremely tired and does not remember what to do; Absence, which is more frequent in children and is characterized by the loss of contact with the external world, in which the person remains with a vague and fixed gaze for a few seconds, returning to the activity normally as if nothing had happened.
It is important to be aware of seizure episodes, especially the absence seizure, because as it is very discreet, it can go unnoticed and delay diagnosis and treatment.
Seizure signs and symptoms
To find out if it is really a seizure, there are some signs and symptoms that can be observed:
- Sudden fall with loss of consciousness; Uncontrolled tremors of the muscles with clenched teeth; Involuntary muscle spasms; Drooling or foaming at the mouth; Loss of bladder and bowel control; Sudden confusion.
In addition, before the seizure episode occurs, the person may complain of symptoms such as ringing in the ears, nausea, dizziness and feeling of anxiety for no apparent reason. A seizure can last from 30 seconds to a few minutes, however, the duration is generally not related to the severity of the cause.
What to do
At the time of the seizure, the most important thing is to create a safe environment, so that the person does not get hurt or cause any trauma. To do this, you must:
- Remove objects such as chairs close to the victim; Place the victim aside and loosen tight clothing, especially around the neck; Stay with the victim until she regains consciousness.
Never put your fingers inside the victim's mouth or try to remove any type of prosthesis or object from inside the mouth, as there is a very high risk of people biting their fingers. Check out other precautions to take and what not to do during the seizure.
If possible, you should also note the duration of the seizure, to inform the doctor if necessary.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for seizures should always be indicated by a general practitioner or neurologist. For this, an evaluation must be made to understand if there is any cause that is causing the appearance of seizures. If there is a cause, the doctor usually recommends the appropriate treatment for this problem, as well as the use of an anticonvulsant, such as phenytoin, to avoid the risk of having a new seizure.
As the seizure is often a unique moment that does not happen again, it is relatively common that the doctor does not indicate a specific treatment, or do tests after the first episode. This is usually done when there are episodes in a row.
