Epilepsy is the medical term used to describe seizure activity. These are episodes of a distortion of brain function that cause changes in an individual's attention or behavior. Sometimes, epilepsy is related to a temporary condition, such as when it is drug-related or associated with a high fever. Seizures can also be the result of a permanent brain injury. In some cases, they may be idiopathic, meaning the physician is unable to identify the cause. Observable activity is caused by an abnormality in electrical signals within the brain and will present in three distinct stages: aura, ictal and post-ictal.
Aura
According to University of Maryland Medical Center, individuals will experience an aura as a strange sensation that can affect any of the five senses. It can be the sensation of tingling, smelling an odor that is not present, or changes in emotion or behavior. According to Epilepsy.com, although some auras are unpleasant, they also give the individual time to prepare for the seizure and remove themselves from an area where they may be injured. Auras can happen several minutes to several hours earlier than the seizure occurs. Changes that happen hours before a seizure include depression, irritability, sleep disruption, headache and nausea.
Ictal
This is the middle stage of an epileptic attack and can take on several different forms. According to Epilepsy.com, individuals who do experience an aura may continue to have a complex partial seizure or convulsion. Others, who have no warning that the seizure is coming, may evolve into convulsions. According to Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, most seizures are brief in nature and can last from a few seconds to several minutes. This stage can include an intensely pleasant or unpleasant taste in the mouth, visual hallucinations, inability to speak, or jerking and spasms of the muscles throughout the body. In some types of seizure activity individuals will lose consciousness completely while in others consciousness is impaired but not completely lost. The exact symptoms will depend greatly on the area of the brain that is affected. According to MayoClinic.com, status epilepticus is a life-threatening complication that occurs when seizure activity continues for more than five minutes, or the individual has recurrent seizures without regaining consciousness. This increases the risk of permanent brain damage and death.
Post-Ictal
This is the final stage of an epileptic attack. According to Epilepsy.com, once the seizure has been completed, the individual will experience symptoms as brain electrical activity continues to reduce in intensity. The types of symptoms will be indicative of the area of the brain that was most affected. These symptoms can include memory loss, confusion, depression, frustration, difficulty talking, exhaustion and sleeping, headache, nausea, thirst, weakness, pain or the urge to eliminate bladder or bowel.
