By Meghan McGowan
Read time: 4 mins.
Around 10% of people in the world will experience a seizure in their lifetime, and some may not even realize it. Seizures don’t always look the way people imagine, and misconceptions about what to expect can make it difficult to realize when something is wrong.
November is National Epilepsy Month, and every year it’s an opportunity to spread awareness about what seizures are really like.
Dynarex physician care supplies support wellness care, including epilepsy monitoring and screening.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain condition characterized by recurring seizures. Although not all seizures are epileptic, the condition is common, affecting nearly 50 million people worldwide. A diagnosis generally requires at least two seizures occurring 24 hours or more apart without an obvious provoking factor, like a fever or brain infection.
Epilepsy can be treated and managed, and some people, particularly children, may eventually outgrow the condition. However, for those living with epilepsy, it can still be a dangerous and debilitating illness.
Real Seizures, Real Risks
Despite what television and movies often portray, not all seizures involve dramatic collapses and full-body convulsions. Some can be severe, especially generalized seizures that affect both sides of the brain. These can present themselves with muscle stiffening or sudden loss of muscle tone, collapsing to the floor, and jerking movements.
However, some seizures are much more subtle and can include:
- Brief, shock-like muscle jerks lasting only a few seconds, after which a person usually resumes what they were doing
- Short lapses in awareness or activity that can easily be mistaken for daydreaming or “zoning out”
- Unusual sensations without a loss of awareness, such as déjà vu, unexplained smells or tastes, nausea, or “butterflies” in the stomach
- Automatic behaviors, such as fiddling with clothing or chewing
These episodes can be difficult for others to recognize, and the person experiencing them may not even realize they’ve had a seizure.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Epilepsy can be difficult to diagnose. Seizures can’t always be captured during an EEG, and signs of seizure activity may not appear on a CT scan or MRI. Diagnostic delays are a recognized concern within the epilepsy community.
Several disorders can resemble epilepsy, while epileptic seizures may initially be mistaken for other issues, including:
- Movement disorders like tremors, tics, or Tourette syndrome
- Fainting spells caused by low blood pressure or dehydration
- Hypoglycemic episodes
- Migraines that cause confusion and visual symptoms
- Non-epileptic seizures
These potential misidentifications are part of why epilepsy awareness is so important. Greater awareness helps patients recognize different types of seizures and helps clinicians identify epilepsy, even when its symptoms resemble other conditions.
Warning Signs
Distinguishing epilepsy from other conditions requires careful evaluation, but certain indicators can help clinicians recognize potential cases.
Some conditions often occur alongside epilepsy, including autism, ADHD, and mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. While these conditions are common on their own, their presence alongside other warning signs, like memory lapses or sleep disturbances, can indicate epilepsy.
Nocturnal seizures can sometimes resemble sleep disorders, including night terrors and sleepwalking. Tools like the Frontal Lobe Epilepsy and Parasomnias (FLEP) scale can help clinicians distinguish among these nighttime disturbances.
Asking the Right Questions
Detailed patient interviews are valuable when evaluating potential epilepsy, especially when patients and their loved ones haven’t recognized the symptoms as seizures. Helpful questions can include:
- Do you frequently experience brain fog or have trouble finding the right words?
- Do you have frequent headaches?
- Do you wake up often during the night, or have loved ones reported unusual behavior while you sleep?
- Do you ever wet the bed?
- Do you experience unexplained gaps in your memory?
- Do you experience strong, strange sensations you can’t explain, like déjà vu or a giddy feeling in your stomach?
- Do you ever see, smell, or hear things that disappear moments later?
- Do you experience involuntary twitches or tics?
Patients may not consider these experiences particularly concerning, but when epilepsy is suspected, they can provide important clues.
Once a clinician has reason to suspect epilepsy, they can refer the patient for more rigorous tests, such as ambulatory EEGs that monitor a patient for long stretches to try to record a seizure.
Epilepsy: Power in Awareness
Epilepsy doesn’t always look the way people expect, but subtle seizures can be just as dangerous as obvious ones. National Epilepsy Month is a reminder that recognizing even the smallest signs can make a meaningful difference, helping identify epilepsy sooner and getting patients the care they need.
Explore Dynarex physician care supplies today.