There are two types of epileptic seizures, grand mal and petit mal. When someone suffers a grand mal seizure, he passes out for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes or more. Grand mal, or generalized seizures, affect all areas of the brain. The person may make a sound or cry out, then stiffen up for a few seconds, then he may shake. The shaking is often rhythmic movements of the arms and legs. The eyes are usually open and it may look as though the person is not breathing. Sometimes the person may lose control of his bladder. He is almost always confused for a few minutes after a seizure.
A petit mal seizure or absence seizure is not as drastic, and is more common in childhood. The person may stare blankly for a few seconds or repeatedly blink or make some other small movement for a few seconds. A person with petit mal seizures can have many seizures during the course of a day, and may not even realize when he is having a seizure.
Both types of seizures affect daily life. The grand mal seizures often force people to stay at home. A person is not usually allowed to drive if she is diagnosed with grand mal seizures. She has to rely on family and friends to take her places, including shopping and doctors' appointments, as she could lose control of her body at any time.
A person with petit mal seizures is less likely to be affected in a noticeable way, but the seizures can still affect daily life. If she blanks out during meetings, the information that is being given at meetings during the few seconds of blanking out is lost to the seizure sufferer. She may not be able to give talks or become an attorney or doctor because of the petit mal seizures.
The medications prescribed for seizures also puts a damper on a person's daily life. The medication does not always prevent all seizures. Seizure medication is a narcotic and can make a person very sleepy throughout the day. A common seizure medications is phenobarbitol. Even a small dose of phenobarbitol can make you feel drowsy. Also, as with most narcotics, you cannot drive while taking most seizure medications.
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