Top of this page
Skip navigation, go straight to the content

Types of Seizure

I knew nothing. I heard about people who fall down and that was all. I had no idea about epilepsy.

Anja, Germany

The symptoms experienced by a person during a seizure depend on the part of the brain that is affected.

Seizures are classified into two types - generalised and partial seizures and are often referred as 'the epilepsies'.

Click on a term in the list below to see an explanation of what it means.

Partial Seizures

Only part of the brain is affected and consciousness may be altered but not lost.

Generalised Seizures

The whole brain is affected and consciousness is lost. Seizures in this category include:

Absences seizures

During an absence seizure the person may look blank for a few seconds and may not respond when spoken to or realise they have had a seizure. This type of seizure can happen repeatedly and will only last a few seconds.

Common symptoms include

  • Blank staring

Although the vast majority of seizures do not cause accidents, their existence causes uncertainty and insecurity in people with epilepsy, their family and friends.