Types of Epilepsy

According to WebMD there are four major types of Epilepsy

1. Generalized epilepsy

This type of epilepsy has two basic kinds of seizures:

Generalized motor seizures. These used to be called “grand mal” seizures. They cause your body to move in ways you can’t control, sometimes dramatically. Tonic-clonic seizures are one example. When it hits, you lose consciousness and your muscles stiffen and jerk.

Generalized non-motor (or absence) seizures. During this type of seizure, you may stop what you’re doing and stare into space. You may also do the same movements over and over, like smacking your lips. These types of seizures are generally called “absence” seizures because it’s like the person isn’t really there.

2. Focal Epilepsy

Seizures develop in a particular area (or network of brain cells) on one side of the brain. These used to be called “partial seizures.” There are four categories:

Focal aware seizures. If you know what’s happening during the seizure, it’s an “aware” seizure. These used to be called “simple partial seizures.”

Focal impaired awareness seizures. If you’re confused or don’t know what’s happening during your seizure — or don’t remember it — it’s an impaired awareness seizure. These used to be called “complex partial seizures.”

Focal motor seizures. In this type of seizure, you’ll move to some extent — anything from twitching, to spasms, to rubbing hands, to walking around. Some types that you may hear your doctor talk about are atonic, clonic, epileptic spasms, myoclonic, and tonic.

Focal non-motor seizures. This type of seizure doesn’t lead to twitches or other movements. Instead, it causes changes in how you feel or think. You might have intense emotions, strange feelings, or symptoms like a racing heart, goose bumps, or waves of heat or cold.

3. Generalized and Focal Epilepsy

Just as the name suggests, this is a type of epilepsy where people have both generalized and focal seizures.

4. Unknown if Generalized or Focal Epilepsy

Sometimes, doctors are sure that a person has epilepsy, but they don’t know whether the seizures are focal or generalized. This can happen if you were alone when you had seizures, so no one can describe what happened. Your doctor may also classify your epilepsy type as “unknown if generalized or focal epilepsy” if your test results aren’t clear.