Seizure Meaning in Hindi

If you have ever suffered a serious head injury, you may experience problems such as sudden and abnormal changes in electrical activity in your brain. This type of sudden change is called “seizures” which leads to temporary abnormalities in muscle movement, behavior, feeling, and awareness. Let’s directly explore the article and know the meaning of seizure and how it starts. Also, learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment of seizures. Before that, let us look at some important facts related to Seizure.

Some important facts related to seizure

• It is not a disease but a symptom.

• Epilepsy and seizures are two different brain-related problems.

• Many people have unusual sensations just before the seizures start.

• At least 10% of people have a seizure at some point in their lives, while 1 in 26 people may develop epilepsy.

• If you have seizures it does not mean that you may also have epilepsy.

• If needed, medicines can usually help prevent seizures.

• You can live a normal life with seizures.

What are Seizures? – Seizure Meaning

Seizures are caused by sudden and uncontrolled electrical disturbances in the brain. It can cause changes in the patient's behavior, movement, emotions, and levels of consciousness. If the patient complains of having two or more seizures or is having frequent seizures, it may be an epileptic seizure. In such a situation, consult a doctor immediately.

Seizures are a more common problem than you think. Such a condition may occur after a stroke, internal head injury, infection such as meningitis, or some other disease. However, sometimes the cause of seizures may be unknown. Most seizures last 30 seconds to two minutes. If a patient has a seizure for more than one seizure in five minutes, it is a medical emergency.

Let us know how many types of seizures there are and what seizure disorder is.

How Many Types of Seizures Are There?

There are many types of seizures, which can range from mild to severe. Its different types depend entirely on where and how they start in the brain. This is a more common problem than you might think. Doctors usually classify seizures as either focal or generalized, depending on where they originate in the brain and the cause. If the cause of seizures is unknown, they may also be classified as onset.

1. Focal Seizures

Focal seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in one area of ​​the brain. The special thing about these types of seizures is that in this the patient may or may not lose consciousness. Let us discuss the two types of focal seizures: 

• Focal seizures with loss of consciousness: These types of seizures involve alteration or loss of consciousness or awareness. When you have this type of seizure, you can see the following symptoms- staring at some object, not behaving normally or you can repeat activities like rubbing hands, chewing, swallowing, or walking slowly.

• Focal seizures without loss of consciousness: These types of seizures are mainly known to alter the patient's emotions, they can change the way they see, smell, feel, taste, or sound objects, but you do not lose consciousness. This may result in involuntary twitching of a body part, such as an arm or leg, and spontaneous sensory symptoms such as tingling, dizziness, and flashing lights. Symptoms of focal seizures may be confused with other neurological disorders, such as migraine, narcolepsy, or some type of mental illness.

Also Read: 8 most common treatments for neurological disorders

2. Generalized Seizures

Seizures that involve all areas of the brain are called generalized seizures. Different types of generalized seizures include:

1. Absent seizures:  Absent seizures, formerly known as petit mal seizures, occur most often in children. The main symptoms include staring at an object and trouble performing fine body movements such as blinking, licking, etc. These types of seizures may occur in clusters which can cause loss of awareness.

2. Tonic seizures:  Tonic seizures can cause your muscles to become stiff or hard. These seizures usually affect the muscles of your back, arms, and legs which may cause you to fall to the ground.

3. Atonic seizures:  Atonic seizures, also known as drop seizures, can cause a loss of muscle control, which may cause you to suddenly collapse or fall down.

4. Clonic seizures:  Clonic seizures are associated with repetitive and rhythmic muscle movements. These seizures usually affect the neck, face, and arms.

5. Myoclonic seizures:  Myoclonic seizures usually appear as sudden brief jerks or twitches of your arms and legs.

6. Tonic-clonic seizures:  Tonic-clonic seizures, formerly known as grand mal seizures, are a type of epileptic seizure and can cause sudden loss of consciousness, body stiffening and shaking, and sometimes loss of the bladder or biting of your tongue.

What is Seizure Disorder?

Changes in the electrical signals in the brain are called seizures. A seizure disorder occurs when the activity of the cell nerve in the brain gets disturbed. The human brain is made up of nerve cells and nerve cells communicate with each other through these electrical signals. If too many nerve cells send too many signals at the same time, then seizures occur.

During a seizure, a person may experience:

• Falling down and violent body movement

• become unconscious or confused

Usually after a few minutes, the nerve cells begin to behave normally and the person returns to normal. Seizure disorders can usually be controlled with medication, but the seizures can still affect your daily life. The good news is that you can work with your doctor to balance seizure control with certain medications.

What Are The Causes of Seizures?

Nerve cells (neurons) in the human brain create, send, and receive electrical impulses from each other. This activity allows the brain's nerve cells to communicate. If for some reason this communication is disrupted then seizures occur and this problem becomes its cause. If we talk about the main cause of seizures then it is epilepsy. However, it is not necessary that the cause of every seizure is epilepsy. Sometimes the following factors can also be responsible for seizures:

• High fever from an infection, such as meningitis

• Lack of sleep

• Low blood sodium (hyponatremia), which can occur with diuretic therapy

• Medications, such as some painkillers, antidepressants, or smoking cessation therapy

• Head trauma that causes an area of ​​bleeding in the brain

• Stroke

• Brain Tumor

• Illegal or recreational drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine

• Alcohol abuse, during times of withdrawal or extreme intoxication

• Brain injury

• Kidney or liver failure

• Alzheimer's

• Lack of blood during birth or presence of any disease at the time of birth.

What are The Symptoms of a Seizure? 

The symptoms of a seizure can range from very mild to severe, often depending on the type of seizure. Signs and symptoms of a seizure include:

• Temporary confusion​

• Daydreaming

• Uncontrolled stiffness and jerking movements in arms and legs

• Loss of consciousness or awareness (fainting)

• Cognitive or emotional symptoms, such as fear, anxiety, or déjà vu (feeling as if an event has happened before)

• Body stiffness and tremors

• Stare at a place or object

• Having trouble breathing

• Drooling

What To Do If You Have a Seizure?

If you or any of your relatives has a seizure or someone has a seizure in front of you, then you can take the following possible measures:

• Don't panic – most seizures stop on their own within a minute or two.

• Keep the person away from things that could cause injury (such as stairs or sharp objects).

• If the person is wearing tight clothing around his neck, undo it.

• Turn the person to one side.

• Place a pillow under the person's head.

• Stay with the person until the seizure is over.

• Call a doctor as soon as possible.

In case of a seizure, do not trust what people say and consult a doctor immediately, also keep these things in mind:

• Do not put a spoon or anything else in the person's mouth.

• Don't try to hold the person's tongue.

How is The Diagnosis of Seizures Done?

See a doctor immediately after a seizure. The doctor will thoroughly review your symptoms and medical history. Your doctor may also order several tests to determine the cause of your seizures and evaluate how likely you are to have them again.

Tests may include:

1. Neurological tests:  Your doctor may perform neurological tests to examine your behavior, motor abilities, and mental function to determine if there are any problems with the brain and nervous system.

2. Blood tests: Your doctor may take a sample of your blood to check for signs of infection, genetic conditions, blood sugar levels, or electrolyte imbalances.

3. Lumbar puncture: If your doctor thinks your seizures are caused by an infection, he or she may need to remove a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for testing.

4. Electroencephalogram (EEG): In this test, doctors attach electrodes to your scalp with a paste-like substance. The electrodes record your brain's electrical activity, which appears as wavy lines on an EEG recording. The EEG can show a pattern that tells doctors whether a seizure is likely to occur again. An EEG test also helps doctors understand whether the seizure is caused by epilepsy.

5. Computerized tomography (CT scan): A CT scan uses X-rays to obtain cross-sectional images of your brain. A CT scan can reveal abnormalities in the brain (such as tumors, bleeding, and cysts) that may be causing seizures.

6. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):  An MRI scan uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create a detailed view of your brain. This may allow your doctor to detect lesions or abnormalities in your brain that may be causing seizures.

7. Positron emission tomography (PET):  A PET scan uses a very small amount of radioactive material that is injected into a vein to visualize active areas of the brain and help detect abnormalities.

What is The Treatment of Seizures?

The treatment of seizures largely depends on the causes of their occurrence, let us know how to treat different types of seizures-

• If a person has a seizure for the first time, take him to the doctor. The doctor will do different types of tests like blood tests, CT scans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalogram (EEG), etc., and identify the symptoms. A doctor cannot treat a seizure just because it occurs once; at least 2 or more seizures will be required.

• If the cause of seizures is some kind of infection, then it can be treated by eliminating that infection.

• If the seizures are caused by epilepsy, the patient's medications may need to be changed.

Although most seizures are cured with the help of medicines, if the medicines do not have any effect on the patient then the doctor may recommend surgery. The most optimal goal in the treatment of seizures is to find the best possible treatment to stop seizures, which has the least side effects. Let us know what other possible treatments can be there for seizures -

Medications: 

Anti-seizure medications are often used to treat seizures. There are many options available for anti-seizure medications. If you want to treat seizures with medication, it is important that you and your doctor find the medication that will best control your seizures and have the fewest side effects. In some cases, your doctor may also recommend more than one medicine.

Doctors will prescribe medication by considering your health condition, frequency of seizures, your age, and other factors. They will also review any other medications you are taking to ensure that no other medication, such as anti-seizure medication, is causing resistance.

Surgery and Other Options

If anti-seizure medications are not effective for a patient, there may be other treatment options:

Surgery: If a patient undergoes surgery, its main goal is to prevent seizures from occurring. In this procedure, the surgeon locates the area of ​​your brain where the seizures originate and removes it with the help of surgery. Surgery may be a good option for people who have seizures that always occur in the same place in the brain.

Vagus nerve stimulation: In this option, the doctor implants a device under the skin of the patient's chest that stimulates the vagus nerve in his neck, sending signals to the brain that stop seizures. With vagus nerve stimulation, you may still need to take medication, but you may be able to reduce the dose.

Diet therapy: Eating a diet that is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, such as the ketogenic diet, can help control seizures and may also improve seizures somewhat. Some diet plans with a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, such as the low glycemic index and modified Atkins diets, although less effective and not as restrictive as the ketogenic diet, can still provide significant benefits.

Read: Keto Diet India & Vegetarian Keto Diet Plan India

For any symptoms of seizures, consult the best neurologist doctor in India today.

Final Thoughts

Seizures are sudden and uncontrolled electrical disturbances in the brain. It can lead to changes in the patient's behavior, movement, emotions, and levels of consciousness. The factors that contribute to such a condition may include head trauma, stroke, brain tumor, lack of sleep, Alzheimer's, brain injury, etc. If seizures keep occurring more than two times, immediately seek medical attention. Doctors may help diagnose the potential reasons and provide effective treatment. Anti-seizure medications are the first choice to prevent seizures, however, if a patient does not respond well to these medicines, surgery is the only right option.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the causes of seizures?

Causes of seizures may include abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood, brain infections including meningitis and encephalitis, a brain injury that occurs to a baby during labor or delivery, brain problems that occur before birth (congenital brain defects), brain tumors (rare), drug abuse, electric shock, or epilepsy.

What happens during a seizure?

During the seizure, a temporary, unstoppable surge of electrical activity occurs in your brain. When this happens, the affected brain cells send signals to those around them uncontrollably. This kind of electrical activity overloads the affected areas of your brain.

What does a person feel during a seizure?

A simple partial seizure can cause a general strange feeling that is hard to describe, a "rising" feeling in your stomach– like the sensation you get in your stomach when riding a ride at a fairground, or a feeling as if events have happened before (déjà vu).

Are seizures harmful?

If seizures cannot be stopped or repeated seizures occur one after another, permanent injury or death may occur. People with epilepsy can also die from problems during or after a seizure, such as smelling vomit. This problem can be avoided if the person is moved aside as soon as possible.

How do I prevent seizures?

Four ways to get better seizure control features prescribed medicines that help prevent seizures. It is important to take it on time and at the prescribed dose so that the doctor can determine whether it is helping or not. Sometimes you may need to try a few different medicines before you find the right medicine or the right combination to stop seizures.

Can a seizure be cured?

Seizures are uncontrolled bursts of electrical activity that alter sensations, behaviors, awareness, and muscle movements. Although epilepsy cannot be cured, there are several treatment options available. 70% of people with epilepsy can manage the disease with medications.

What does a sudden change in electrical activity in the brain mean?

Sudden changes in electrical activity by the brain are called brain seizures. It causes abnormal changes in brain activity, resulting in effects on a person's behavior, cognition, experience, and physical health.