11/18/2025
💜Most seizures happen suddenly without warning, last a short time (a few seconds or minutes) and stop by themselves.
💜Seizures can be different for each person.
Just knowing that someone has epilepsy does not tell you what their epilepsy is like, or what seizures they have.
💜Calling seizures ‘major’ or ‘minor’ does not tell you what happens to the person during the seizure. The names of seizures used on this page describe what happens during the seizure.
💜Some people have more than one type of seizure, or their seizures may not fit clearly into the types described on this page. But even if someone's seizures are unique, they usually follow the same pattern each time they happen.
💜Not all seizures involve convulsions (jerking or shaking movements). Some people seem vacant, wander around or are confused during a seizure.
Some people have seizures when they are awake, called 'awake seizures'. Some people have seizures while they are asleep, called 'asleep seizures' (or ‘nocturnal seizures’). The names 'awake' and 'asleep' do not explain the type of seizures, only when they happen.
💜Injuries can happen during seizures, but many people don't hurt themselves and don't need to go to hospital or see a doctor.
