Doctors group seizures into two big families: focal (starting in one part of the brain) and generalised (involving both sides from the start).
Focal seizures
- May cause twitching on one side, strange smells/tastes, déjà vu, or fear.
- The child may stay aware (focal aware) or lose awareness (focal impaired awareness).
Generalised seizures
- Tonic-clonic — stiffening then jerking, often with loss of consciousness. The classic "convulsion".
- Absence — brief blank stares lasting seconds. Often mistaken for daydreaming.
- Myoclonic — sudden jerks of arms, legs or whole body.
- Atonic ("drop") — sudden loss of muscle tone, child falls.
- Tonic — sudden stiffening.
Why naming matters
The type of seizure guides which medication is most likely to work. Some medications that help one type can actually make another type worse — which is why an accurate diagnosis matters.
Tracking
Keep a diary of:
- Date and time
- How long it lasted
- What happened before (tired? unwell? missed medication?)
- How long until your child seemed back to normal
- Anything unusual