Epilepsy Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

There are many kinds of seizure disorders with a variety of symptoms such as:

Aura—a sensation at the start of a seizure, may involve the perception of an odd smell or sound, spots appearing in front of the eyes, or unusual stomach sensations; an aura is a seizure
Staring
Loss of consciousness
Repeated jerking of a single limb
Generalized convulsion, with uncontrollable jerking of muscles throughout the body
Hand rubbing
Lip smacking
Picking at clothing
Perception of an odor, sound, or taste
Loss of bladder or bowel control
Postictal state—a state of drowsiness, alteration in responsiveness, and/or confusion that commonly occurs after a generalized tonic-clonic seizure; may last minutes, hours, or days

Symptoms of Generalized Seizure Disorders Include:

Generalized tonic-clonic seizures—classic convulsions; there is a loss of consciousness and the muscles throughout the body jerk uncontrollably
Absence seizures—characterized by staring, eye blinking, or eye rolling

Symptoms of Partial Seizure Disorder Include:

Complex partial or temporal lobe seizures—may cause loss of contact with reality, stop purposeful activity, and begin a series of automatic gestures (eg, lip smacking, hand-wringing, or picking at clothing)
- May simply appears as a brief moment of confusion or loss of attentiveness
- May also have a perception of unusual sights, sounds, or smells
- Complex describes a seizure has alteration of consciousness
Simple partial seizures—will retain contact with reality and consciousness; a single area of your body may move uncontrollably (eg, leg or arm shaking)
- May include the perception of an odor, sound, or taste, or an unrelated emotion

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. You may need to see a neurologist. These doctors specialize in the nervous system and brain.

Tests may include the following:

Blood tests—to look for abnormal levels of different substances in the blood
Electroencephalogram (EEG) —a test of the electrical activity of the brain; may be done for a brief amount of time, or may be given an ambulatory monitor to use for several days, or you may be admitted to the hospital for several days
MRI scan (or sometimes CT scan )—to look for abnormalities in the brain, such as tumor, blood, infection, malformed blood vessels, scarring or swelling
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)—may be performed to look for infection and/or bleeding
Magnetoencephalogram (MEG)—evaluates for seizure activity and combines it with imaging to localize where the seizures arise

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © 2026 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.