Seizure

Seizures are uncontrolled spasms or convulsions. They can be isolated events or a sign of epilepsy or many other conditions.

When should you go to the ER for a seizure? Call 911 or come to Goshen Hospital Emergency Department in these situations:

• This is your first seizure.
• The seizure lasts longer than five minutes.
• You have multiple seizures in a short amount of time.
• The person is unconscious, injured or has other symptoms such as trouble breathing.

With advanced technologies and clinical collaboration, our emergency physicians and nurses are highly trained and prepared to treat your seizure.

Signs of a seizure

Seizure symptoms depend on the type of seizure:

• Partial seizures only affect part of the brain. They may have very specific symptoms, for example, you may taste, smell or hear something that isn’t here.
• Petit mal seizures may be a brief period of unresponsiveness and staring.
• Grand mal seizures affect the entire brain, causing entire body spasms and unconsciousness.

After a seizure, it’s normal to feel fatigued and have changes in behavior and mood.

What causes seizures?

Conditions that stimulate unusual electrical activity in the brain or damage the brain can cause a seizure. These may include:

• Epilepsy
• Stroke
• Brain or head injury
• Brain tumor
• Abnormal blood glucose or electrolytes
• Drug or alcohol overdose or withdrawal
• Genetic disorders and brain abnormalities
• Infection in the brain or the surrounding tissues
• Medication side effects
• Poisoning
• Psychological stress

Emergency treatment for seizures

When you come to our emergency room with a seizure, our emergency physicians will give you anti-seizure medicine if your seizure lasts longer than five minutes or if you have multiple seizures. We can refer you to our team of expert neurologists to diagnose whether the seizure was epileptic or nonepileptic and determine the right treatment.