What happens with Reflex Anoxic Seizures?

Reflex anoxic seizures are paroxysmal, spontaneously-reversing brief episodes of asystole triggered by pain, fear or anxiety. Anoxic seizures are non-epileptic events caused by a reflex asystole due to increased vagal responsiveness. They are often misdiagnosed as epilepsy.

What is an anoxic episode?

Anoxia happens when your body or brain completely loses its oxygen supply. Anoxia is usually a result of hypoxia. This means that a part of your body doesn’t have enough oxygen. When your body is harmed by a lack of oxygen, it’s called a hypoxic-anoxic injury.

Can Reflex Anoxic Seizures cause death?

In the pre-school years, some children may have several reflex anoxic seizures a month, but most will grow out of them by the time they start school. Some children will continue to occasionally have them into adult life. Reflex anoxic seizures are involuntary, aren’t dangerous and don’t cause brain damage or death.

How common is Reflex Anoxic Seizures in adults?

However, in rare cases, true generalised and even prolonged clonic seizures may follow the tonic episodes. These have been named anoxic epileptic seizures. The prevalence is estimated to be 1 in 1000. The patient may express upward deviation of eyes as well as urinary incontinence and usually recovers rapidly.

What does a reflex anoxic seizure look like?

Any unexpected stimulus, such as pain, shock, fright, causes the heart and breathing to stop, the eyes to roll up into the head, the complexion to become deathly white, often blue around the mouth and under the eyes, the jaw to clench and the body to stiffen; sometimes the arms and legs jerk.

Are breath holding spells seizures?

No. Children with breath-holding spells do not have epilepsy. As breath-holding spells may look like epileptic seizures, the 2 are often confused. Breath-holding spells happen after your child has been frustrated, startled or hurt.

How long can you go without oxygen before you pass out?

Time is very important when an unconscious person is not breathing. Permanent brain damage begins after only 4 minutes without oxygen, and death can occur as soon as 4 to 6 minutes later.

What is a anoxic seizure?

Anoxic seizures are nonepileptic events consequent upon abrupt interruption of the energy supply to metabolically active cerebral neurones. Anoxic seizures are the most common paroxysmal events misdiagnosed as epilepsy. Neurally mediated syncopes have numerous appellations, especially in the young.

What causes anoxic seizure?

Reflex anoxic seizures are a form of syncope usually starting in infancy or early childhood. They are precipitated by noxious stimuli, which can be physical or emotional. For reasons yet unknown, the noxious stimulus causes a vagally mediated brief asystole, which is responsible for the syncope.

Are breath-holding spells seizures?

What is anoxic seizure?