Seizures occur when there is a malfunction in the communication process between the nerve cells in the brain. This interruption can have effects like loss of consciousness or impaired movements of the muscles in the body. While there are different types of seizures, if one has frequent episodes without any known cause, it is diagnosed as epilepsy. One can learn to recognize certain warning signs of seizures to help manage the condition.

Stages of seizure
There are four different stages of seizure in epilepsy attacks, and understanding each stage will help in better management of the condition.

Prodrome stage
This is the stage which is a warning sign before the seizure occurs. These symptoms often go unnoticed because they are very mild and can be difficult to recognize if one is not paying attention. Some of the common symptoms of this stage include confusion, irritability, anxiety, a “funny feeling,” headache, difficulty staying focused, mood changes, difficulty sleeping, and even behavioral changes. These signs can present themselves days or even hours before the seizures are about to occur.

Aura
This is the next stage of the warning sign, which is considered to be the early part of the seizure. There are cases where the aura stage itself is a seizure of sorts; it is also called a simple focal or partial seizure.

When someone experiences simple focal seizures, this happens because the impairment is occurring in one part of the brain. When this malfunction spreads to other parts, it transforms into other types of seizures like generalized tonic-clonic seizures or GTC seizures. Most of the people who experience simple focal seizures do not lose consciousness. Here are some of the symptoms to observe:

Experiencing intense anxiety or fear
Feeling numb or tingly
Confusion
A feeling of deja vu
Experiencing hallucinations in the form of smells, sounds, and even visions
Feeling “butterflies” in the stomach and nausea
Twitching of the muscles or jerking movements on one side of the body
Change in blood pressure and heart rate
Loss of bladder or bowel control

There are some people who experience the symptoms of aura, and the condition subsides without leading to a prolonged or severe seizure.