Introduction
In epilepsy, a distinction is made between generalized and focal seizures. The latter can be further divided into simple focal, complex focal and secondary generalized seizures. In addition, there are special forms which have characteristics of both types of seizures.
Important terms in connection with epilepsy concern the description of seizures. These include the terms “tonic” and “(myo-)clonic” . “Tonic” refers to the muscles and describes a cramping tension. “Clonic” also refers to the muscles and describes the involuntary rhythmic twitching of certain muscle groups.
Typical symptoms of epilepsy
A very common symptom of epilepsy is muscle twitching. A distinction can be made between different forms of muscle twitches. On the one hand there are so-called myoclonies, which are very violent sudden and uncoordinated muscle twitches.
On the other hand, there are clonic phases in some forms of epilepsy, which involve rhythmic and regular muscle twitches. These two forms of muscle twitches can occur alone or in combination. In the classic epilepsy form of grand mal seizures, for example, there is a clonic phase after initial strong convulsions, in which rhythmic small muscle twitches occur first, which then become increasingly coarse and unrhythmic as the seizures progress.
In other, rarer forms of epilepsy, strong uncoordinated muscle twitches, i.e. myoclonies, occur at first, which can also change to rhythmic muscle twitches in the course of the seizure. These muscle twitches are caused by a shift in the electrolytes, which lowers the excitation threshold that is necessary to activate and move a muscle. Cramps are the characteristic symptom that can occur in epilepsy.
This type of epileptic seizure is usually called a tonic seizure. It is a sudden muscle spasm. In most cases, the affected persons lose consciousness.
If such a seizure occurs during the day, it is usually accompanied by a fall, which injures the person concerned. In addition, the cramp usually persists in the person lying on the floor and there is excessive stretching and bending in various areas of the body. These tonic seizures can also occur during sleep and may occur together with other types of seizures.
For example, in a grand mal seizure, the first symptom is a muscle spasm that affects the entire body and usually lasts only a few seconds. This is followed by various forms of muscle twitching. Depending on the spread of the epileptic seizure, cramps may occur in different parts of the body.
If it is a so-called focal seizure, the hands or legs often cramp. In the case of a complex epileptic seizure, on the other hand, cramps are present throughout the body. Due to the enormous cramping of the muscles throughout the body, the muscles become very slack after an epileptic seizure.
Due to the heavy strain on the muscles, the affected persons feel very exhausted after such a seizure. In epilepsy, various types of contraction (i.e. tension) of the muscles can occur. These include trembling, i.e. the very short and very rapid successive tensing of muscles.
This is often found in all muscles of the body and usually lasts only a few seconds to minutes. If it also occurs independently of an epileptic seizure or is present at rest, for example, a doctor should be consulted for clarification. Many patients with epilepsy also suffer from tremor (i.e. trembling at rest).
Some types of epileptic seizures are associated with fainting or unconsciousness. During the course of the seizure, the affected person becomes unconscious, which can be very dangerous. Due to the complete loss of control over their own bodily functions, unintentional self-harm often occurs.
In addition, the affected persons cannot remember them after a seizure. Some types of epilepsy occur more frequently at night, so the unconsciousness usually goes unnoticed. During an epileptic seizure, a wide variety of symptoms occur.
These include many vegetative symptoms, i.e. symptoms that occur as a result of a misregulation of the systems otherwise automatically controlled by the body. Therefore, excessive production of saliva can also occur. This is called hypersalivation.
In combination with violent muscle twitches, the produced saliva becomes foamy and blisters form.This can result in the image of a person foaming at the mouth during an epileptic seizure. Headaches can occur as a symptom associated with epilepsy. This usually leads to headaches that are very similar to migraines or tension headaches.
The headache can occur before the epileptic seizure and, as a kind of “warning symptom”, can occur one day before the actual seizure. However, some patients also experience headaches after the epileptic seizure, which in turn can last up to one day after the seizure. The symptoms of epilepsy may occasionally include nausea.
This is then a so-called vegetative or autonomous seizure. This describes a type of epilepsy that leads to symptoms that disturb the body’s own organ control, such as the heart or the gastrointestinal tract. These include, for example, cardiac arrhythmia and ascending nausea, which can occasionally lead to vomiting after the epileptic seizure.
Occasionally, wetting may occur in the course of an epilepsy or during an epileptic seizure. This often happens during a phase of the seizure in which muscle twitches occur at the same time. Since epilepsy causes various areas of the brain to no longer function properly, the body loses the ability to control the bladder for a short time.
Often, wetting occurs together with other symptoms, such as increased salivation and unconsciousness. A symptom of an epileptic seizure that does not occur very often but is nevertheless possible is shortness of breath. This usually occurs at the end of the seizure.
The affected person loses control over various bodily functions. This leads to an excessively rapid breathing, a so-called hyperventilation. As a result, the breathing muscles, such as the diaphragm, become exhausted over time.
One gets the feeling of not being able to breathe as well and suffers from shortness of breath. Therefore it is very important to calm down the affected person in such a situation so that the shortness of breath is reduced. Breathlessness often occurs together with nausea at the end of an epileptic seizure.
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