Seizures After Stroke: Warning Signs, Common Causes And When To Seek Help

Understanding seizure causes and their warning signs together with when to seek medical help is crucial because not all stroke victims will experience seizures.

Seizures are a complication that might arise after a stroke and their occurrence can happen from days to months and even years after the stroke event. A stroke causes blood flow interruption which results in brain tissue damage that creates conditions which produce abnormal brain electrical activity. Understanding causes of seizures, warning signs and when to seek medical are crucial because not all stroke victims will experience seizures.

Post-Stroke Seizures Explained

Brain damage and scarring represent the primary reason which leads to post-stroke seizures. The brain experiences abnormal electrical discharges when its tissues undergo degeneration or death because of oxygen deprivation. Hemorrhagic strokes lead to more seizures than ischemic strokes because their blood flow interruption causes increased brain excitability. The Centres for Disease Control and Preventations (CDC) states, "If your stroke symptoms go away after a few minutes, you may have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also sometimes called a "mini-stroke." Although brief, a TIA is a sign of a serious condition that will not go away without medical help. Unfortunately, because TIAs clear up, many people ignore them. But paying attention to a TIA can save your life."

"Brain swelling, infection, body electrolyte imbalances, and failure to follow prescribed treatment all serve as additional causes for post-stroke seizures," Dr. Bhupesh Kumar Mansukhani, Director, Neurology at Neuromet Wellness, explains. "The medical community considers all seizures which arise within the first week after stroke onset as brain damage-related seizures, whereas all seizures which occur after that time period exist as structural brain abnormalities."

Warning Signs Of Post-Stroke Seizures

The warning signs of a seizure may differ based on the area of the brain affected. The typical symptoms of the condition include:

1. Muscle jerking
2. Loss of consciousness
3. Staring spells
4. Confusion
5. Unusual sensations
6. Difficulty in speech.

At some point, some individuals may experience brief episodes where they feel tingling and see visual distortions and emotional shifts. Additionally, these individuals will eventually experience the sensation known as aura. The postictal stage begins when an individual enters a state of tiredness and dizziness that follows the completion of their seizure.

When To Seek Help?

People should learn how to identify situations that need medical treatment. Here are some crucial points to remember when to seek help, according to Dr. Mansukhani:

1. Emergency care is a must if a seizure lasts more than five minutes
2. If a person is having repeated seizures
3. Does not return to normal between episodes
4. If a person's first seizure occurs after a stroke

"The need for emergency care arises when someone gets hurt during a seizure or when someone experiences breathing difficulties after a seizure or when someone remains in a confused state following a seizure," He added. "The person needs to maintain their healthcare appointments because anti-seizure medication will become necessary for them until their next scheduled seizure time, which may happen after they experience a stroke."

Anyone can have a stroke at any stage but certain medical conditions can increase your risk of this illness. Healthcare professionals note that the best way to protect yourself from a stroke is understanding the risk and ways to control it.

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