How To Recognise A Seizure: The Signs Most People Don’t Know About
When we think of seizures, dramatic images often come to mind, someone collapsing, shaking violently, or losing consciousness. While these symptoms do occur, most people don’t realise that many seizures are far more subtle. These understated signs are easy to miss and are frequently mistaken for stress, tiredness, or simply “zoning out." Unfortunately, this leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Recognising the early warning signs can help patients receive timely medical care and prevent complications.
Dr Kunal Bahrani, Chairman and Group Director – Neurology, Yatharth Hospitals shares some lesser-known signs of seizures that everyone should be aware of:
1. Brief Staring Spells That Look Like Daydreaming
Not all seizures cause shaking. A type called absence seizures, more common in children typically lasts just a few seconds. They involve a sudden, brief lapse in awareness: a blank stare, stopping mid-sentence, or pausing an activity without noticing. The person becomes unresponsive for 5 to 15 seconds and resumes normal behaviour immediately afterward, with no memory of what happened. These episodes are often mistaken for poor attention or daydreaming.
2. Sudden, Repetitive Movements You Don’t Notice
Some seizures trigger small, involuntary actions such as lip-smacking, repeated swallowing, finger rubbing, tugging at clothes, or chewing motions. These are often seen in partial seizures, where abnormal electrical activity occurs in only one part of the brain.
3. Unexplained Negative Emotions
A sudden surge of intense fear, anxiety, or a sense of impending doom without any reason may be seizure-related. Some people describe a rising sensation in the stomach, similar to the drop on a roller coaster. These symptoms are often confused with panic or psychological issues but can actually be linked to seizure activity.
4. Strange Sensory Experiences
Seizures can begin with an aura, unusual sensory experiences such as buzzing or humming sounds, strange smells like burning rubber, flashing lights, blurry vision, coloured spots, or tingling/numbness on one side of the body or face.
5. Sudden Confusion or Loss of Awareness
A person may seem awake but behave in a confused or disoriented manner. They may stop an activity abruptly, fail to respond when spoken to, walk aimlessly, or speak incoherently. They often have no memory of the episode afterward. This confusion may last from a few minutes to several hours.
6. Unexplained Injuries or Tongue Bites
Seizures can occur during sleep without the person knowing. Waking up with a bitten tongue (often on the side), severe headache, extreme fatigue, or bruises with no recollection of injury are classic signs of nocturnal seizures.
7. Sudden Jerks or “Electric Shock" Sensations
Sudden, shock-like jerks of the arms or upper body especially shortly after waking may indicate a type of seizure activity. These can be easy to dismiss as muscle spasms.
Seizures aren’t always dramatic. The quiet, easily overlooked ones may be the most dangerous because they delay diagnosis and treatment. If these symptoms occur repeatedly, it is important to consult a neurologist. Diagnosis typically involves an EEG and brain imaging. The good news: most seizures can be effectively managed with medication and lifestyle changes once identified early.