What Are The Major Types Of Seizures?

Tonic Seizures

A tonic seizure is a type of seizure that is brief and includes sudden, unexpected commencement of increased tone in the affected individual's extensor muscles. The extensor muscles in the body increase the angle between the two parts of an individual's limb, like straightening the knee or elbow. Axial tonic seizures mainly affect the neck, respiratory, and abdominal muscles. A tonic axorhizomelic seizure affects an individual's upper limbs, such as the shoulders and arms. This type of seizure is known to affect the full extent of the upper and lower limbs. Asymmetric tonic seizures are known to produce tonic musculature contractions on a single side of the body. Tonic seizures are diagnosed with the use of EEG, as they include characteristics of medium and high voltage bilateral synchronous spikes between ten and twenty-five hertz. Tonic seizures are often accompanied by tiredness, confusion, headache, and postictal impairment.

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Febrile Seizures

A febrile seizure is a type of seizure that occurs due to a sudden spike in total body temperature. Most febrile seizures do not indicate the patient has a serious health problem. An individual may experience a spike in body temperature when they contract and develop an infection. The body has a mechanism in place to help eliminate the causative pathogen by increasing the total body temperature to a point where the environment becomes inhospitable for bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. This mechanism helps stop the pathogen causing the infection from growing further. The most common infections known to cause febrile seizures are roseola and influenza. Febrile seizures are provoked by a known cause and do not indicate the patient has any form of epilepsy. Most febrile seizures do not produce any form of brain damage, learning disability, or intellectual disability.

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