There Are 4 Stages Of Seizures - Here’s What They Are

Understanding how a seizure unfolds is important information to know if you or a loved one suffers from epilepsy. Or even if you just want to have a good understanding of how seizures work, so that you could help someone one day if you’re present when a seizure occurs.

Which is why I think it’s so important that more people know that there are actually four stages of a seizure. Therefore that’s what today’s post is about, I hope you all enjoy it and learn something new!

What Are The Four Stages of a Seizure?

The four stages that may occur in relation to a seizure are as follows…

• Prodromal
• Early Ictal
• Ictal
• Postictal

It’s common to hear these stages talked about as “phases” of a seizure as well, so they’re often referred to as “prodromal phase”, “early ictal phase”, etc.

Prodromal Phase -

The prodromal phase occurs before the seizure officially begins, and isn’t classed as part of the seizure itself. In fact, only about 20% of epileptic people will experience the prodromal stage.

For those that do experience the prodromal phase, it serves as a warning sign that a seizure is on its way. But it could occur hours before a seizure starts, and in some cases, it can even occur when the seizure is days away.

Symptoms tend to be things like…

• Changes in behavior, mood, or sleep patterns
• Trouble focusing
• Feeling anxious
• And being lightheaded

Early Ictal Phase -

The early ictal phase is also referred to as the “aura”, and it’s the earliest possible stage of the seizure itself. Similarly to the prodromal phase, the aura doesn’t always happen and in that case… the person will advance straight into the ictal phase of their seizure.

But the aura is a lot more common, and it’s estimated that over half of people with epilepsy will experience this stage. And in some cases, the seizure even starts and stops with the early ictal phase.

This phase tends to come on quite quickly, and sometimes it only lasts a few seconds before the seizure progresses to the next stage.

Different people can have different auras, but common symptoms include… 

• Intense fear and sometimes panic
• Strange feelings of either deja vu or jamais vu
• Issues with vision
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Pins and needles sensations in certain parts of the body or sometimes numbness
• And they may smell, taste, or even hear strange things

Ictal Phase -

The ictal phase is the term used to refer to the seizure from the point the first symptom occurs to when the seizure officially ends. And it’s the only phase that many people actually know of, as it’s the stage where the well known symptoms of a seizure occur.

But depending on the type of seizures a person has, there’s still quite a bit of variation regarding what could happen during this phase. 

Most people who aren’t familiar with various types of epilepsy would probably envision a tonic clonic, but the symptoms could look very different from that. And in some cases, they might not present physically at all. This is why it’s important to remember that seizures can take on many different forms!

The list of potential symptoms is a long one, but here are the most widely seen ones…

• Trouble hearing or speaking
• A racing heart and issues with breathing
• Confusion
• Hallucinations, seeing flashing lights, or experiencing more strange tastes and smells
• A total loss of awareness
• A memory lapse
• A loss of muscle control
• Twitching or repeated movements
• Drooling
• Convulsions

Postictal Phase -

The postictal phase is the final stage of a seizure, and it’s the stage that encompasses the after effects and recovery. 

The length of this phase varies from person to person, and from seizure type to seizure type. The severity of the seizure also plays a large role in it. For less severe seizures, the postictal phase may only last a few minutes. But if they’re more severe, then it could take hours for the symptoms to fade away. Sometimes, it could even be days.

People in the postictal phase may experience…

• Weakness and/or sore muscles that may result in difficulty walking or completing other basic tasks
• Fear, anxiety, and confusion about what happened
• A loss of control of the bladder and/or bowels
• A headache
• Fatigue
• Thirst
• And an upset stomach

Conclusion -

I hope that this post has helped you to understand that there is much more to seizures than meets the eye. And what we see, isn’t always the extent of what’s going on with someone. People can of course have more obvious signs of a seizure, but seizures can also affect them more internally, in which case you wouldn’t even know it's happening.

And I also hope that if you or a loved one has epilepsy, that this information allows you to have a complete understanding of what may be happening before, during, and after a seizure.

As always, thank you for reading! And I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Sources -

WebMD

Cure Epilepsy

Epilepsy Foundation