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The severity of symptoms can vary greatly from simple staring spells to loss of consciousness and violent convulsions. For many patients, the event is stereotyped (the same thing over and over) while some patients have many different types of seizures that cause different symptoms each time.
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The type of seizure a person experiences depends on a variety of factors, such as the part of the brain affected, the cause, and individual response.
An aura consisting of a strange sensation (such as tingling, smell, or emotional changes) occurs in some people prior to each seizure. Seizures may occur repeatedly without explanation.
SYMPTOMS OF GENERALIZED SEIZURES
Generalized seizures affect all or most of the brain. They include petit mal and grand mal seizures.
Petit mal seizures:
- Minimal or no movements (usually, except for "eye blinking") -- may appear like a blank stare
- Brief sudden loss of awareness or conscious activity -- may only last seconds
- Recurs many times
- Occurs most often during childhood
- Decreased learning (child often thought to be day-dreaming)
Tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures:
- Whole body, violent muscle contractions
- Rigid and stiff
- Affects a major portion of the body
- Loss of consciousness
- Breathing stops temporarily, then "sighing"
- Incontinence of urine
- Tongue or cheek biting
- Confusion following the seizure
- Weakness following the seizure (Todd's paralysis)
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