The main symptom of epilepsy is having seizures.
Symptoms of seizures can include:
- becoming stiff or floppy
- suddenly falling to the floor
- jerking or twitching movements
- peeing unintentionally (incontinence)
- losing awareness of what's around you - you may stare into space and cannot respond normally
- unusual feelings or sensations, such as strange smells, numbness or tingling
- changes in your vision, or suddenly feeling scared
- unusual behaviour, such as fidgeting or walking around and not being aware of what you're doing
A seizure may last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. It stops by itself.
You might be aware of having a seizure and remember it afterwards. Or you might not.
Symptoms of epilepsy often start in young children and people over 50. But the condition can start at any age.
Epileptic seizures are different from febrile seizures. These seizures can happen in young children when they have a high temperature.
What to do if someone has a febrile seizure
When to get help
Non-urgent advice: Call 112 or 999 if
you think someone's having a seizure and:
- they never had a seizure before
- the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or longer than usual for them
- they just had another seizure without recovering
- they have injured themselves
- they had 3 or more seizures in the past 24 hours
People who have been diagnosed with epilepsy usually do not need to go to hospital when they have a seizure.
They may have a care plan that says what to do and when to call 112 or 999. If you know what to do and have been trained, you can follow their care plan.
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment if you:
- think you or your child had a seizure for the first time and you did not go to hospital
- had a seizure after having no seizures for a long time
If you cannot contact your GP, call 112 or 999.