Do You Know the Hidden Warning Signs of a Seizure?

• Written by Jagriti Chakraborty

  Reviewed by Nidhi Goyal

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Imagine witnessing someone suddenly freeze, with eyes shifting strangely and body trembling uncontrollably, all without warning. Such moments can be frightening, mainly when they occur for the first time. Understanding what causes seizures in adults for the first time is essential, as hidden triggers such as mental strain, illness, injury, or underlying illnesses may suddenly ignite these events.

Recognising the warning signs of a seizure can turn a moment of fear into a moment of preparedness. This guide identifies the vital signs you should never miss, guiding you to respond quickly, keep everyone safe, and deal with seizures with steady confidence.

What Causes Seizures in Adults for the First Time?

Experiencing a seizure for the first time can feel like a bolt out of the blue, but behind that moment of chaos, there’s often a deeper cause waiting to surface. First-time seizures in adults can stem from underlying neurological conditions, persistent infections or metabolic disruptions, with occasional triggers such as high temperature or sleep deprivation.

Let’s take a closer look at what might be triggering them.

• Brain-related Issues: Adult seizures are often linked to brain tumours, strokes, infections and injuries. There are several congenital brain issues which are other neurological causes of first-time seizures in adults.
• Metabolic and Toxic Factors: Beyond brain issues, factors like electrolyte imbalances, drugs, low blood sugar, alcohol use, or environmental toxins can spark sudden seizures.
• Epilepsy: While seizures may occur due to injuries, infections or other triggers, epilepsy is diagnosed only when seizures keep happening without an immediate cause. That repetition is what sets epilepsy apart and makes medical evaluation essential.
• Other Potential Triggers: From sleepless nights to soaring fevers, the body’s hormonal rhythms, like those during menstrual cycles, can also set the stage for seizures. In some instances, stress-related events known as Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES) resemble seizures but occur without abnormal brain function.

Understanding the cause is just one piece of the puzzle; it’s essential to discover the different types of seizures. Let’s explore them in the next section.

Understanding the Many Faces of Seizure Types

Seizures are mainly classified into two categories. Focal seizures often start in just one part of the brain, while generalised seizures spread across the brain, disrupting its activity everywhere. Seizures arrive in many forms, each showing its unique signs and patterns.

Focal Seizures

A focal (partial) seizure begins in one side of the brain, with signs that vary based on which part of the brain is involved. They’re categorised by whether the person remains conscious or becomes unaware during the event.

• Simple Focal Seizures: Simple focal seizures occur when abnormal activity begins in one area of the brain, leaving the person fully awake and aware of their surroundings. Symptoms such as twitching, unusual feelings, and sensory changes vary depending on the brain area affected and usually last only a short time.
• Complex Focal Seizures: Complex focal seizures affect one side of the brain, impairing consciousness and often causing confusion or dazedness. They typically last half a minute to a couple of minutes. This may start with a warning sign and can sometimes progress into full-body or generalised seizures.
• Focal to Bilateral Tonic-Clonic Seizures: A focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure starts in a particular brain area and then spreads across both hemispheres. Often it causes rhythmic jerking (clonic phase) and muscle stiffening (tonic phase). One must understand that focal symptoms may precede this and are frequently followed by other post-seizure effects.

Do you know: Gelastic seizures are another type of focal seizure, often characterised by uncontrollable laughter, even if nothing funny is happening. They usually begin in one part of the brain as a focal seizure, but may spread.

Generalised Seizures

Generalised seizures affect both sides of the brain at once, causing the person to become unconscious and experience rhythmic stiffening.

• Absence Seizures: Absence seizures are short lapses of consciousness, often seen in children, characterised by blank staring and minor automatic actions. They are diagnosed with EEG, treated with medications and specific lifestyle changes. This medical condition may improve with age.
• Generalised Tonic-Clonic Seizures: Unlike focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures, which start in a specific brain region and then extend to affect both sides of the brain, generalised tonic-clonic seizures start at the same time across without originating from a particular area. They usually last a few minutes and may follow epilepsy, infections, or genetic factors.
• Atonic Seizures: Also known as drop attacks, these seizures involve a sudden loss of muscle strength that can cause head nodding or dropping objects, typically lasting under 15 seconds while the person remains conscious. Though common in children, they may be linked to brain abnormalities, epilepsy syndromes, or metabolic disorders.

Do you know: Atonic seizures are nicknamed drop attacks because a person abruptly loses strength, causing collapse.

• Clonic Seizures: Clonic seizures involve rhythmic jerking of muscles and repetitive muscle contractions. They may cause loss of awareness and are linked to brain-related conditions commonly referred to as fits.
• Myoclonic Seizures: Myoclonic seizures are brief, often affecting the legs, arms or face, with consciousness generally maintained throughout. They are frequently linked to epilepsy syndromes and can also be triggered by stress, sleep deprivation or flashing lights.

One must understand that seizures vary by brain involvement and symptoms, ranging from short blank stares to sudden falls or widespread body jerks. Recognise the signs before they strike, as early detection is the key to timely care.

Early Warning Signs of a Seizure

Early seizures may appear as sudden blank stares, unexpected muscle jerks, brief disorientation and stiffness. Specific individuals experience auras, i.e. unusual sensations such as odd smells, waves of fear or gut feelings, which serve as early warning signals of a seizure about to unfold.

Distinct warning signs of a seizure are:

• Staring or blank spells: Blank spells, also called absence seizures, are brief lapses in consciousness. These symptoms typically involve blank staring and specific minor actions, such as lip smacking, followed by a quick return to normal. This symptom is frequently misinterpreted as daydreaming, especially in children.
• Muscle stiffening or jerking: Abnormal brain activity can trigger seizures. For instance, tonic-clonic and myoclonic seizures often cause muscle stiffening; however, not every seizure looks the same. Some only involve brief lapses, making medical assessment vital.
• Temporary Confusion: Many people have confusion before or after seizures, characterised by trouble speaking, slow responses or memory lapses. Some people may experience odd tastes, smells or feelings of fear. Persistent episodes may need immediate medical attention.
• Auras: What causes seizures in adults for the first time may range from neurological conditions to metabolic triggers. Symptoms such as auras are subtle warning signs that may include unusual sensations or sensory changes. Not everyone experiences auras; identifying them can help you stay safe before a seizure occurs.

Do you know: What many consider “warning signs” are mild focal seizures, and no two people experience the same aura.

Can Seizures Be Symptoms?

Seizures don’t always come alone. At times, they also indicate a larger medical issue. Identifying the early warning signs of a seizure is crucial, as they may be the first step in diagnosing underlying conditions such as neurological disorders or stroke.

• Epilepsy: Recurrent seizures are one of the most recognisable symptoms of epilepsy. They often arise from sudden bursts of abnormal brain activity that return periodically. One must understand that one seizure isn’t always epilepsy, but repeated episodes are a strong indicator of epilepsy.
• Stroke: Seizures following a stroke may not just be random; they could point to post-stroke epilepsy. This makes it a warning sign of a seizure.
• Low Blood Sugar: Seizures caused by hypoglycemia often serve as critical warning signs, usually accompanied by confusion, dizziness, or shakiness.
• Brain Tumours: Seizures can be an early warning sign of a brain tumour, as tumours usually trigger abnormal electrical activity. Headaches, nausea, changes in vision, and specific cognitive issues may accompany it.

Do you know: Experiencing a seizure could indicate a serious condition like a brain tumour. With a critical illness insurance policy that covers 32 specified critical illnesses, you can enjoy benefits such as OPD expenses, no-claim bonus, pre- and post-hospitalisation coverage, and ambulance coverage. To maintain financial security during severe illnesses, consider enrolling in a critical illness insurance plan.

How to Respond when a Seizure Happens?

Seizures can strike suddenly. A calm approach, combined with simple precautions, can protect them until the seizure is over.

• Keep Calm and Stay Close: Ensure you remain by their side, offer reassurance, and step away in critical situations, such as a prolonged seizure.
• Protect from Injury: Ensure a safe space by lowering them gently to the ground, clearing obstacles, and protecting their head.
• Positioning: Carefully roll them onto their side to protect the airway and let the seizure take its natural course without restraint.
• Do Not Put Anything in the Mouth: Swallowing the tongue in a seizure is an absolute myth. Don’t put fingers or objects in their mouth. This can injure them and can lead to serious injury.
• Monitor the Length of the Seizure: It is essential to record the duration of the seizure. It gives critical information to the doctor for making treatment decisions.
• After the Seizure: Help them recover safely, calm and reassure them. Also, do not offer anything to eat or drink until they’ve fully regained consciousness.

Every second counts. It’s time to master seizure first aid in emergencies.

Live Fully, Worry Minimally

“Live fully, worry minimally” emphasises empowering yourself to enjoy life without the constant fear of sudden health issues like seizures. With the right individual health insurance, you can focus on daily life activities, goals and relationships, knowing that medical and financial support are well taken care of. Essentially, it’s about maximising life’s experiences while minimising stress and anxiety about potential health challenges.

Disclaimer: All plan features, benefits, coverage and claims underwriting are subject to policy terms and conditions. Kindly refer to the brochure, sales prospectus and policy documents carefully.