What Happens During a Seizure
We don’t see inside our brains, but there’s a lot going on in there at all times. Usually there’s not too much happening, but for people who have seizures unfortunately, there are times when there’s WAY too much going on. The storm of electrical activity in the brain is at the root of what happens during a seizure, and behavior, movements, and even feelings can be impaired when a person is having a seizure. Wives, husbands, siblings, or other family members will be informed and able to help a person in the event they have a seizure, but the problem of course is that you can’t always be sure of having people around.
Seizures can have their own external causes, but they can also be a symptom when a person has epilepsy. A person who has seizures two or more times and at least 24 hours apart from each other will be assessed for epilepsy, and seizures may also be the result of a head injury. In these instances what happens during a seizure is those signals are initiated in large numbers all of a sudden based on head impact or trauma and one thing many people don’t know is that head or chest trauma can also cause heart failure.
This is what happened with the Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin last season, and even though what he experienced was more heart stopping than a seizure it goes to how there is so much interconnectivity in the body. But more specifically with what happens during a seizure, it starts with what is called prodrome – pre seizure symptoms that are experienced hours or even days before the seizure actually starts. A seizure aura can come before too, and these can be changes in feeling, sensation, or thought that can tip you off to a seizure being on its way.
Physical and Sensory Changes
When a seizure comes on most people will think of the shaking that accompanies an epileptic seizure, but there’s much to what happens during a seizure. The person may also experience inability to hear properly, perception of strange auditory sounds, blurry vision, or feeling body parts different. Those are just a few of the possible physical symptoms of a seizure, and then there’s sensory experiences with a seizure too.
Racing thoughts and feelings of fear and panic can come with a seizure too, and another odd aspect of having one is when the person has what’s called jamais vu, which is where you think something or someone is new to you but they’re not. Definitely one of the stranger parts of possibly what happens during a seizure but for some people it is part of how they develop and leading to the need for anti-seizure medication.
The last part of this that we should look over is how when a seizure occurs the person may also have dilating pupils, breathing difficulties, or a racing heartbeat. Automatisms where the body engages in involuntary movements may also be a part of what happens during a seizure, and lip smacking or chewing movements are some of the odder ones that you may see a person doing.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.
