Seizures: Types, Symptoms, and Treatment A seizure or convulsion
happens suddenly. There's rarely any signal. Nor can the person
about to have a seizure say, “Watch out! Here comes a seizure!”
The person hasn't a clue that a seizure is about to occur—unless
he or she has had them in the past. Symptoms can be dramatic and
scary to behold (which is usually what's called a grand mal
seizure), or they can be so mild that the few seconds of lost
consciousness goes by without anyone being aware of it (which is
called an absence or a petit mal seizure). Seizures Come in Many
Sizes and Shapes There are more than 20 types of seizures, which
are distinguished by determining where the electrical signaling
in the brain misfired and how far the “brainstorm” spreads. If
the misfiring occurs in the area of the brain that governs the
movement of a particular limb, only that limb will jerk
spasmodically. If the misfiring occurs in the area of the brain
that controls vision or hearing, a person might suffer from
hallucinations