A partial seizure, also known as a focal seizure, is caused by abnormal electrical activity affecting a small part of the brain. These seizures are categorized into two types: simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures. While both are types of partial onset seizures, they exhibit some distinct differences. In this blog, we will explore partial epilepsy, its symptoms, causes, the differences between simple and complex partial seizures, and the best treatment for partial epilepsy in India.
Simple Partial Seizures
Simple partial seizures, also known as partial simple seizures, are a type of focal seizure where the patient does not lose consciousness. These seizures are typically brief, lasting between 1 to 2 minutes, and can be challenging to detect. During a simple partial seizure, individuals may experience changes in emotions and how their senses perceive stimuli. These seizures can manifest in various forms, affecting different parts of the body.
Types of Simple Partial Seizures
Simple partial seizures can be classified based on the symptoms they produce:
Motor Partial Seizures
Affect muscles, causing movements like jerking or twitching in a specific part of the body.
Sensory Partial Seizures
Affect the senses, leading to unusual sensations such as tingling or numbness.
Autonomic Partial Seizures
Affect autonomic functions, causing symptoms like sweating, nausea, or changes in heart rate.
Psychic Partial Seizures
Affect thoughts and feelings, causing experiences such as déjà vu, fear, or hallucinations.
Symptoms of Simple Partial Seizures
Patients with simple partial epilepsy may exhibit various symptoms, including:
- Staring blankly into space
- Muscle tightening
- Pain and discomfort
- Unusual head movements
- Tingling or numbness
- Eyes moving from side to side
- Hallucinations
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dilated pupils
- Sweating
- Vision troubles
- Mood and emotion swings
- Temporary loss of speech
A simple partial seizure can also present as an aura, a sensation or feeling that serves as a warning of a larger seizure. Recognizing and treating these seizures promptly is crucial to prevent more severe episodes.
Complex Partial Seizures
Complex partial seizures result in a loss of awareness and consciousness. These seizures, also known as focal dyscognitive seizures, can lead to non-purposeful movements, such as rubbing hands together or smacking lips. Complex partial seizures may start in the frontal lobe, resulting in shorter episodes, or in the temporal lobe, leading to relatively longer seizures.
Symptoms of Complex Partial Seizures
During a complex partial seizure, patients may:
- Appear to be daydreaming or staring blankly into space
- Lose awareness of their surroundings
- Exhibit repetitive movements called automatisms, including:
- Oral automatisms: Chewing, swallowing, lip-smacking
- Verbal automatisms: Screaming, laughing, crying, repetitive speech
- Manual automatisms: Picking at objects, fumbling, head rolling, patting, walking
After a complex partial seizure, individuals may feel fatigued, disoriented, and confused. While these after-effects typically do not last longer than 15 minutes, some patients may experience prolonged recovery times.
Aura
An aura is an early warning sign that a seizure is about to occur. It involves a range of sensory, emotional, or cognitive experiences that precede the actual seizure. Auras are considered focal aware seizures because the person remains conscious during this phase.
What does an aura look like?
Patients may experience unusual sensations like tingling, numbness, or changes in vision, smell, taste, or hearing. For instance, some might report seeing flashing lights or hearing buzzing sounds.
Auras can evoke strong emotions such as fear, anxiety, a sense of impending doom, or even euphoria.
They can also induce cognitive and/or perceptual changes, such as feelings of déjà vu or jamais vu, where familiar situations feel new or strange, respectively.
What does an Aura indicate?
Auras serve as a warning signal, allowing the individual time to find a safe place or inform others that a seizure is imminent. The nature of the aura can provide clues about the origin of the seizure in the brain, aiding in diagnosis and treatment planning.
Types of Auras
- Visual Auras: Seeing bright lights or colours
- Auditory Auras: Hearing unusual sounds
- Olfactory Auras: Smelling unusual odours
- Gustatory Auras: Tasting unusual flavour.
- Somatosensory Auras: Feeling tingling or numbness in a specific part of the body
Causes and Triggers of Partial Seizures
Causes
The causes of partial seizures can vary, including:
- Head trauma
- Stroke
- Brain infection
- Tumors
- Genetic factors
Triggers
Identifying triggers can help manage seizures more effectively. Common triggers for simple partial seizures include:
- Exhaustion
- Dehydration
- Sleep deprivation
- Skipping anti-seizure medication
- Certain medications (e.g., antibiotics, painkillers)
- Infections
- Alcohol and caffeine consumption
- PMS
- Flashing lights
Triggers for complex partial seizures can include:
- Fever
- Flashing lights
- Fatigue
- Loud noises
- Low blood sugar
- Stress
- Side effects of medications
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Intensive physical activity
How to Manage Simple Partial Epilepsy
If you are a caregiver for someone with partial epilepsy, here’s how you can help during a simple partial seizure:
- Remain calm and note the time the seizure starts
- Stay with the person until the seizure ends
- Place something soft under their head
- Turn the person on their side to keep airways clear
- Speak calmly after the seizure and offer reassurance
- Ask simple questions to determine their lucidity, like their name or the date
What Not to Do
- Do not hold the person down
- Do not try to stop their movements
- Do not put anything in their mouth
- Do not give CPR
- Do not offer food or water until they are fully alert
When to Call for Help
Call emergency services (102 or 108) if:
- The seizure lasts more than 5 minutes
- The patient is pregnant
- The patient has more than one seizure
Diagnosis
Diagnosing partial seizures typically involves:
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Records electrical activity in the brain, identifying unusual patterns associated with seizures.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Detects abnormalities like scar tissue, structural problems, or tumors.
Computed Tomography (CT)
Provides detailed images of the brain’s structure, helping to locate abnormal activity.
Traditional Treatment Options
Depending on the frequency and symptoms of the partial seizures, doctors may prescribe:
- Anti-seizure medications
- Brain surgery
- Low-level electrical charge devices
Comprehensive Care at Plexus
Plexus offers custom treatment plans based on your unique condition, age, frequency of seizures, as well as other health factors and comorbidities. Our aim is to facilitate overall improvement by making structured routines a part of the patient’s daily life. This can go a long way in helping them better manage their condition.
We have been able to effectively control seizures with the correct use of anti-epileptic drugs. However, in some cases, drugs do not help as much as we would like them to. Sometimes seizures still occur or some patients cannot tolerate some drugs. And this is why we offer other kinds of therapy for patients who are unable to benefit from medications and conventional treatments.
At the Plexus Epilepsy Clinic, we help you to –
- Minimize your need for anti-seizure medications
- Significantly improve your quality of life
- Reduce associated costs of living with Epilepsy
- Lower risk of complications and emergencies associated with seizures
- Increase your chances of returning to work
Understanding the symptoms and triggers of simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures can aid in better managing these conditions. With the right treatment and support, individuals with partial epilepsy can lead fulfilling lives. If you or a loved one is experiencing seizures, please contact our Epilepsy Clinic to explore comprehensive treatment options.
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FAQs
What do simple partial seizures feel like?
Patients with simple partial epilepsy have experienced unusual sensation, like a rising feeling in your stomach, or a feeling of déjà vu.
Is partial epilepsy a disability?
Epilepsy is a disabling condition. But with the right treatment it doesn’t have to be a disability that inhibits you from leading a quality life.
Do simple partial seizures show on an EEG?
Yes, an EEG is an effective test to detect and diagnose simple partial seizures. The spikes and sharp waves on the EEG can indicate the part of the brain that has abnormal electrical activity.
Are partial seizures normal?
Partial seizures are most common in children as young as 1 year old. While they are common and usually harmless, they also need immediate medical attention.
What are the effects of a simple partial seizure?
Simple partial seizures can affect –
- Muscles of the body (motor partial seizures)
- The senses (sensory partial seizures)
- Automatically controlled functions (autonomic partial seizures)
- Thoughts and/or feelings (psychic partial seizures)
How long can a partial seizure last?
Partial seizures can last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.
Simple partial seizures typically last less than two minutes, while complex partial seizures may last between 30 seconds and two minutes. Some seizures may be longer, requiring medical attention if they exceed five minutes.
Can you talk during a partial seizure?
During simple partial seizures, individuals typically remain conscious and may be able to speak, although speech might be affected by the specific area of the brain involved.
In contrast, during complex partial seizures, awareness and ability to communicate are usually impaired, making it difficult for the person to talk coherently or respond to questions.
Is partial epilepsy curable?
Partial epilepsy is manageable with appropriate treatment. Medications, lifestyle changes, and in some cases surgical interventions, can greatly lower the frequency and severity of seizures. At Plexus’ Epilepsy Clinic, we aim to achieve seizure control and improve the quality of life for individuals with partial epilepsy.
