Signs and symptoms

Epilepsy is characterized by the recurrence of seizures. Seizures are considered to be electrical storms in the brain. Anything that the brain does normally can also occur during a seizure. Seizures can take on many different forms, and seizures affect different people in different ways.

Seizures can be seen as having before, during, and after periods.

Before a seizure people may experience:

• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Numbness/tingling

During a seizure the signs and symptoms depend on the area of the brain affected and the type of seizure.

Tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal):

• loss of consciousness
• falling to the ground if the person is upright.
• convulsions characterized by total body stiffening
• rhythmic jerking of the body.

Myoclonic seizures:

• brief, sudden jerks due to rapid alternating contraction and relaxation of a muscle. These seizures cause abnormal movements on both sides of the body at the same time.

Atonic seizures (drop attacks):

• brief seizures that cause an unexpected and rapid drop to the ground.
• stiffening or sudden loss of muscle tone.

Absence seizures (petit mal):

• staring spells without motor movements.
• People tend to have a look of confusion and seem to be “out of it”.

Simple partial epileptic seizures: abnormal electrical discharge is confined to a small part of the brain. Symptoms reflect the part of the brain being affected, the can be motor, sensory, autonomic, or psychic. People experience normal awareness of their surroundings.

Complex partial epileptic seizures: are also confined to a particular area of the brain, but have spread enough that individuals experience an impaired level of awareness about their surroundings.

Other possible symptoms include:

• Periods of forgetfulness or memory lapses
• Distracted, daydreaming
• Changes in hearing, smell, taste, and vision.

• Difficulty talking
• Unable to swallow, drooling
• Lack of movement or muscle tone
• Rigid or tense muscles
• Losing control of urine or stool unexpectedly
• Sweating
• Change in skin color (looks pale or flushed)
• Pupils may dilate or appear larger than normal
• Biting of tongue (from teeth clenching when muscles tighten)
• Difficulty breathing
• Heart racing

After the seizure some people recover immediately while others may take minutes to hours to feel like their usual self. This recovery period is affected by the type of seizure and the part of the brain affected. After a seizure people may feel:

• confused
• tired
• sore
• memory loss
• sleepy
• lightheaded/dizzy
• slow to respond
• difficulty talking/writing
• headache
• Nausea/upset stomach
• thirsty
• weakness

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/epilepsy-101/what-happens-during-seizure

Lewis, M.S., Dirksen, S., & Heitkemper, M.M. et al. (2014). Medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (9th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby. (LDH-9th) pg 1419-1421