Petit mal seizures are also knows as absence seizures. They are most common with children. This is caused by an abnormal current flow of signals in the brain. There are also two more types of common seizures; they are grand mal seizure and temporal lobe seizure. Petit mal seizure is of shorter duration and it causes sudden unconsciousness which can last for few seconds or minutes.
Petit Mal Seizures On Children
A petit mal seizure is often an acute problem in children. During a petit mal seizures there are certain jerks that are noticed in the cheeks or jaws. If any child gets it, he/she might also not notice it. It just comes and goes sometimes that it is even difficult to know about it. Usually, after a petit mal seizure attack, there is no strong reactions and child continues with his regular activities. This often is commonly noticed between the age group of 6 and 12.
Symptoms Of Petit Mal Seizure
There are few things to remember that you can use to identify the seizure attack. It is very important that you know it in the initial stages.
Few symptoms that are commonly noticed during petit mal seizure are:-
- Sudden jerks, muscle stiffness and head movement.
- There is a sudden unusual feeling that you can’t hear or see anything.
- Memory gets affected as person may not be able to remember the thing he/she was currently performing for few minutes.
These are some common symptoms that you notice when the intensity of seizure is low or it’s a normal attack. However, when the attack is beyond a certain level than you might notice following symptoms:-
- Automated fast walking around anywhere
- Chewing despite having nothing in mouth
- Repetitive activities that could be anything in body movements.
Kinds Of Petit Mal Seizures
- Simple
- Complex
Simple partial seizure usually causes sudden movements on the five senses that is hearing, smell, taste, vision and touch. They are also classified based on their length and symptoms. Some of them affects nervous system and some affect the psychological balances.
Complex seizure as the word suggest is more of a dangerous type. It causes impairment of awareness in the body. They are not one time attack but are repetitive in nature. They may cause fidgeting and certain abnormal activities as you lack your awareness when this kind of attack happens. Repetitive seizures when becomes more common often results in developing epilepsy. But there are only a very small percentage of people who have epilepsy after such frequent attacks. Proper care taken at initial stages often help in overcoming the problem or at least it prevents from growing more.
Always Seek Medical Attention
Whenever you notice a petit mal seizure for the first time, you should not wait to ask for a consultation. A doctor may ask for a blood test to check chemical imbalances within your body and also may insist on MRI which helps in drawing out brain disorders. A small seizure attack may also be dangerous so always insist on precautions and seek medical assistance as soon as possible.