Can absence seizures start at any age?

Can absence seizures start at any age?

Absence seizures are most common in children from age 4 to 14. However, older teens and adults may also have absence seizures.

Can a child suddenly develop epilepsy?

Some children develop epilepsy as a result of their brain being injured in some way. This could be due to a severe head injury, difficulties at birth, or an infection which affects the brain such as meningitis. Epilepsy with a known structural cause like this is sometimes called symptomatic epilepsy.

Can you grow out of childhood absence epilepsy?

Absence seizures are often mistaken for daydreaming. Anticonvulsant medications are the main treatment. Most children outgrow absence seizures during their teen years.

How do I know if my child has absence seizures?

The easiest way to spot an absence seizure is to look for a blank stare that lasts for a few seconds. People in the midst of having an absence seizure don’t speak, listen, or appear to understand. An absence seizure doesn’t typically cause you to fall down.

What can trigger absence seizures?

Causes. Seizures result from overactivity in the brain. Absence seizures occur most often in people under age 20, usually in children ages 4 to 12. In some cases, the seizures are triggered by flashing lights or when the person breathes faster and more deeply than usual (hyperventilates).

Can a child have seizures without having epilepsy?

Jan 05, 2015. When a child falls down and starts jerking their body, most people assume that the child is having an epileptic seizure, which is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. But sometimes this is not the case. Children can have events that look like seizures but actually are non-epileptic events.

What triggers kids epilepsy?

Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a child has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.

What triggers absence seizures?

What causes childhood absence seizures?

Many children appear to have a genetic predisposition to absence seizures. In general, seizures are caused by abnormal electrical impulses from nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. The brain’s nerve cells normally send electrical and chemical signals across the synapses that connect them.

Are absence seizures serious?

Absence seizures are a type of epilepsy. They aren’t normally harmful, and most children grow out of them by puberty. But, you should talk to your child’s pediatrician because, untreated, they can affect your child’s life and learning.”

What happens in the brain during an absence seizure?

The brain’s nerve cells normally send electrical and chemical signals across the synapses that connect them. In people who have seizures, the brain’s usual electrical activity is altered. During an absence seizure, these electrical signals repeat themselves over and over in a three-second pattern.