Epilepsy: Symptoms & Causes

Doctors classify seizures in several ways, including where in the brain they start, how much awareness a person has during the episode, and what parts of the body or mind are affected. As a result, there are many types of seizure, but most involve some combination of the following seizure symptoms:

• Changes in senses or perception
• Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or smelling things that aren’t there)
• Loss of consciousness
• Loss of awareness without full unconsciousness
• Uncontrolled movements, such as shaking or jerking of the limbs
• Repetitive movements, like lip smacking or hand rubbing
• Muscle stiffness
• Muscles suddenly relaxing, often leading to a fall or loss of control
• Behavioral or psychological changes during the seizure

Most people with epilepsy experience only one or two types of seizures, even if they have them frequently. In more complex cases, a person may experience multiple types of seizures.

Temporal lobe epilepsy means that seizures are happening in the temporal lobe, which are the areas on the right and left sides of the brain. They help control memory, emotion, and how you process sensory information.

A temporal lobe seizure often begin with unusual sensations like a sudden strange taste or smell, sudden feelings of fear or joy, and a fluttering feeling in your stomach.

As the seizure progresses, you may:

• Lose awareness even if you remain conscious
• Stare into space
• Perform repeated motions, such as smacking your lips, chewing, or picking with your fingers

Seizures happen when there is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain.

The brain normally uses electrical signals to control everything from movement and speech to sensation and behavior. When you have a seizure, this electrical activity becomes unusually strong or chaotic, disrupting how the brain sends messages. When that happens, you experience a seizure related to the part of the brain where the surge occurred.

Yes, it's possible to develop epilepsy at any age, though it's more commonly diagnosed in young children and older adults.

Most seizures don't cause lasting damage. However, recurrent, uncontrolled seizures that last a long time can sometimes harm brain cells over time.

Epilepsy can affect memory, but not always. It's normal not to have any memory of a seizure because the brain is unable to store information during the event. If you have frequent seizures, it can disrupt your memory even more.

Some memory issues may be caused by factors related to epilepsy, such as medication side effects or mood disorders like depression and anxiety, which can also affect concentration and recall.

The most common causes of epilepsy in children vary by the age of the child when they develop the condition:

• Newborns: May develop epilepsy due to congenital brain malformations, metabolic conditions, lack of oxygen at birth, or exposure to drugs or alcohol in the womb.
• Babies and young children: Often triggered by infections, high fevers, or brain tumors.
• Children: May develop epilepsy due to injuries, genetic factors, or as a secondary effect of brain diseases or other congenital conditions.

The Pediatric Epilepsy Program at Mass General for Children provides comprehensive care for children with epilepsy, including surgical evaluation and wellness support.

For some people, epilepsy goes away on its own. Others may need treatment for their whole life. Your doctor can help you understand what to expect based on your individual condition.

Many people with epilepsy live full, active lives, especially when their seizures are well controlled with medication. However, severe or treatment-resistant epilepsy can impact daily activities, employment, and independence.

Some people with uncontrolled seizures may face restrictions on driving or need to avoid activities that could be dangerous during a seizure, such as swimming or operating machinery.

Some people experience auras, which are often described as warning signs before a seizure. Auras are actually mild seizures themselves and may include sudden emotional shifts, hallucinations, unexpected sensations in the head and stomach, or twitching and jerking movements.

Each patient is unique. If you have recurrent seizures, pay attention to what happened in the hours leading up to it. Keeping a journal or log of your seizures and other events during the day can help you identify any potential triggers for you, making it easier to manage your condition.

Common seizure triggers include:

• Stress
• Illness
• Sleep disturbance
• Bright, flashing lights like strobe effects
• Drug use
• Low blood sugar

The most common form of epilepsy is idiopathic epilepsy, which means the cause is unknown.