Mini Seizures
Important Facts About Causes and Treatment for Mini Seizures
There are a number of different medical conditions that can cause both seizures and mini seizures, especially in children. Seeing a child go into a seizure can be terrifying for anyone involved, but there are definite steps that can be taken during a seizure to help the child get through the situation. Mini seizures are not as dramatic and a grand mal seizure, but they can still be alarming and require attention by a medical professional.
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Causes of Mini Seizures
Seizures are thought to be caused by electrical discharges in the brain that do not follow normal patterns. In many cases, there is a particular medical condition that is causing the seizures. Head injuries and brain tumors can both lead to seizures, as can epilepsy. Other medical conditions that may cause a seizure include drug overdose, high fever, infection, low blood sugar, oxygen deprivation and poisoning. There are times, however, when the reason for a seizure is never discovered.
What Does a Seizure Look Like
The most common indicators that a person is having a seizure are muscle spasms that cannot be helped or controlled and losing consciousness. It is also common for their eyes to roll back into their head. Seizure sufferers will also report that they felt odd sensations before or during a seizure – things like smelling something that is not real or feeling a nonexistent breeze.
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How to Treat a Seizure
The first step to take whenever a seizure comes upon a child or adult is to place the victim on the floor, away from anything that can cause injury. Clear away any furniture and other objects in the area surrounding the person while they are having a seizure. The muscle spasms that occur during a seizure can cause a lot of moving around and thrashing, which is why they should be cleared of anything that could be hit, moved or fall on the person while they are incapacitated.
It is important to allow the seizure to run its course to prevent injury to the victim. This should be accomplished by making the person as comfortable as possible and guarding them from objects or pieces of furniture that can cause harm. Unbutton their shirt and loosen anything that is around the neck. If they happen to be wearing a tie, remove it or make it looser. Never restrain a person while they are having a seizure, and do not try and hold their mouth open or put something between their teeth.
In most cases, a seizure will last anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. Stay with the person through the seizure, and then once it has subsided help the victim to roll over onto their side and just let them lie in rest for a few moments. It is normal for the victim of a seizure to feel extreme exhaustion after they have gone through a seizure, no matter how long it lasts. Children especially will fall into a deep sleep once the seizure episode is complete.
A seizure should never be ignored. Since they do not usually last very long, it may not be possible to get medical attention during the seizure, but the doctor should definitely be contacted as soon as possible after the incident. Since there are several different causes for seizures, the doctor will usually perform a variety of tests to try and find out the underlying cause.
Seizures are a serious problem, so anyone who experiences seizures – especially on many occasions or for more than 4 or 5 minutes – should get medical attention as soon as possible.