What is a Sensory Seizure, Know its Symptoms, Treatment, Risk Factors, Diagnosis

A sensory seizure occurs when neural disturbances originate in the part of the brain which involves controlling the senses. A sensory seizure can affect any five of the senses. Symptoms involve unusual sensations that affect the sensations of touch, taste, hearing, vision and smell.

The symptoms of sensory seizures are varied. It depends on which of the senses are affected. Some of the symptoms include-

• Smelling things that are not present.
• Getting a strange taste of things that are not present.
• Having auditory hallucinations like hearing a person’s voice or a ringing sound.
• Having visual hallucinations.
• Feeling of floating or spinning.
• Feeling of numbness.

Sensory seizures are known to be linked to several factors:

• If a patient has unusual brain development, he is at a risk of developing sensory seizure.
• If is seen that a patient having an attack of stroke becomes susceptible to sensory seizures.
• If a patient has some kind of serious head injury, he may develop a risk of sensory seizure.
• When a patient is diagnosed with a brain tumor, he may have a chance of having a sensory seizure.
• If a person has some sort of brain infection (meningitis or encephalitis), there can be a chance of sensory seizure.
• Sometimes, due to a reduced level of oxygen in the brain, a patient can have a sensory seizure.

The diagnosis of the type of seizure along with the causal factors is very important. For proper diagnosis, the doctor may ask various questions about the seizures to understand its type, and if they are caused by epilepsy.

The doctor will have to take a detailed medical history to understand the etiological factors of the sensory seizures. Medical history also helps in ruling out the conditions that may have caused such seizures.

The patient may have to undergo a neurological exam. The patient is asked to recall what exactly happens before, during and after the episode of a sensory seizure.

The patient may be asked to undergo an electroencephalogram (EEG). The EEG records electrical activity in the brain. It can record the different types of epilepsy and the seizures associated with it

Sometimes, the patient may be asked to go for an MRI or CT- scans. These tests help to understand the cause and exact locations of seizures in the brain. The scans can show scar tissue, tumors or structural problems in the brain.

The treatment procedure for sensory seizures includes intake of medicines prescribed by the neurologist. Proper medicines if taken regularly can lower the episodes of sensory seizure. Sometimes, some patients may not have further seizures for the rest of their life.

The treatment procedure for sensory seizures are based on-

• The type of seizure
• The frequencies of the seizures, which means how many times do seizures occur to the patient.
• The severity of the seizures
• The patient’s age
• The patient’s condition of the overall health.

Antiepileptic medicines are helpful in controlling seizures in patients. As the causes of seizures are different, thus medicines may be different for different patients. Thus, getting the right kind of drugs and the correct dosage may take a few tries. The patient has to work with the doctor to understand the side effects and find the best medicine. Apart from this, a healthy lifestyle with proper food intake and a good amount of sleep is important.

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Also Read:

• What Causes Nocturnal Seizures in Adults?
• Can You Control Seizures Without Medication?
• What Causes Sudden Seizures in Adults?
• Can Benzos Cause Seizures?
• Different Types of Seizures