Symptoms vary based on the type of seizure. They also can range from mild to severe. Seizure symptoms may include:  Temporary confusion. A staring spell. Jerking movements of the arms and legs that can't be controlled. Loss of consciousness or awareness. Cognitive or emotional changes. They may include fear, anxiety or a feeling that you've already lived this moment, known as deja vu.  Health care providers typically classify seizures as focal or generalized. Seizures are classified based on how and where the brain activity causing the seizure began. If providers don't know how the seizures began, they may classify the seizures as unknown onset. Focal seizures Focal seizures result from electrical activity in one area of the brain. This type of seizure can occur with or without loss of consciousness:  Focal seizures with impaired awareness. These seizures involve a change or loss of consciousness or awareness that feels like being in a dream. People having these types of seizures may seem awake but they stare into space and don't respond to their environment. They may perform repetitive movements such as hand rubbing, mouth movements, repeating certain words or walking in circles. They may not remember the seizure or even know that it occurred.  Focal seizures without impaired awareness. These seizures may alter emotions. They also may change the way things look, smell, feel, taste or sound. But the seizures don't cause a loss of consciousness. During these types of seizures, people may suddenly feel angry, joyful or sad. Some people have nausea or unusual feelings that are hard to describe. These seizures may result in trouble speaking and involuntary jerking of a body part such as an arm or a leg. They also may cause sudden sensory symptoms such as tingling, dizziness and seeing flashing lights.   Symptoms of focal seizures may be confused with other disorders of the brain or nervous system. They include migraine, narcolepsy or mental illness. Generalized seizures Seizures that appear to involve all areas of the brain from the time they start are called generalized seizures. Different types of generalized seizures include:  Absence seizures. Absence seizures, formerly known as petit mal seizures, often occur in children. Absence seizures typically cause a person to stare into space or make subtle body movements such as eye blinking or lip smacking. They usually last for 5 to 10 seconds. These seizures may happen up to hundreds of times a day. They may occur in clusters and can cause a brief loss of awareness. Tonic seizures. Tonic seizures cause stiffening of the muscles. These seizures usually affect muscles in the back, arms and legs. People who experience these seizures may lose consciousness and fall to the ground. Atonic seizures. Atonic seizures, also known as drop seizures, cause a loss of muscle control. People having this type of seizure may suddenly fall down or drop their head. Clonic seizures. Clonic seizures are associated with repeated jerking muscle movements. These seizures usually affect the neck, face and arms on both sides of the body. Myoclonic seizures. Myoclonic seizures usually appear as sudden brief jerks or twitches of the arms and legs. There is often no loss of consciousness. Tonic-clonic seizures. Tonic-clonic seizures, previously known as grand mal seizures, are the most dramatic type of epileptic seizure. They can cause a sudden loss of consciousness, body stiffening and shaking. They sometimes cause people to lose control of their bladder or to bite their tongue. They may last for several minutes. Tonic-clonic seizures also may start as focal seizures that then spread to involve most or all of the brain. 
symptoms vary based type seizure  can range mild severe  seizure symptoms may include:  temporary confusion  staring spell  jerking movements arms legs can't controlled  loss consciousness awareness  cognitive emotional changes  may include fear  anxiety feeling you've lived moment  known deja vu   health care providers typically classify seizures focal generalized  seizures classified based brain activity causing seizure began  providers don't know seizures began  may classify seizures unknown onset  focal seizures focal seizures result electrical activity area brain  type seizure can occur loss consciousness:  focal seizures impaired awareness  seizures involve change loss consciousness awareness feels like being dream  people types seizures may awake stare space don't respond environment  may perform repetitive movements hand rubbing  mouth movements  repeating words walking circles  may remember seizure know occurred   focal seizures impaired awareness  seizures may alter emotions  may change way look  smell  feel  taste sound  seizures don't cause loss consciousness  types seizures  people may suddenly feel angry  joyful sad  people nausea unusual feelings hard describe  seizures may result trouble speaking involuntary jerking body part arm leg  may cause sudden sensory symptoms tingling  dizziness seeing flashing lights    symptoms focal seizures may confused disorders brain nervous system  include migraine  narcolepsy mental illness  generalized seizures seizures involve areas brain time start called generalized seizures  types generalized seizures include:  absence seizures  absence seizures  known petit mal seizures  occur children  absence seizures typically cause person stare space subtle body movements eye blinking lip smacking  last 5 10 seconds  seizures may happen hundreds times day  may occur clusters can cause brief loss awareness  tonic seizures  tonic seizures cause stiffening muscles  seizures affect muscles back  arms legs  people who experience seizures may lose consciousness fall ground  atonic seizures  atonic seizures  known drop seizures  cause loss muscle control  people type seizure may suddenly fall down drop head  clonic seizures  clonic seizures associated repeated jerking muscle movements  seizures affect neck  face arms sides body  myoclonic seizures  myoclonic seizures sudden brief jerks twitches arms legs  loss consciousness  tonic-clonic seizures  tonic-clonic seizures  previously known grand mal seizures  dramatic type epileptic seizure  can cause sudden loss consciousness  body stiffening shaking  cause people lose control bladder bite tongue  may last minutes  tonic-clonic seizures may start focal seizures spread involve brain
seizure