information about auras and simple partial seizures??

[wanderlust]

hi all,

i was just wondering if you could all help me to understand what exactly an aura is and what exactly a simple partial seizure is. i am familiar with the terms and have a rough idea of what they are (i think..) but i was wondering, how long can they last for? what are yours like? yesterday i had a very uncomfortable feeling on two occasions. what stood out to me was the feeling that something wasn't right, and that something bad might happen. i also felt slightly nauseated and exhausted all of a sudden. it confused me, because right before i began to feel that way, i felt totally fine. nothing serious happened in the end, but it was a very unsettling feeling - is this an aura or am i reading into things too much?

sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but i am trying to understand as much about epilepsy and seizures as i can, as i feel that the more i understand it the easier it might become to adjust to the fact that i have epilepsy.

also - can i just say how much i love that i can log onto this site and ask you all questions! it's a great help to me, and a great comfort as well.

[Nakamova]

Simple partial seizures and auras are basically the same thing. They're called auras when the sensations are a warning sign of what's coming next (in epilepsy that would be a tonic-clonic, and in migraines, it warns of the impending headache).

Simple partial seizures can take all sorts of forms depending on where in the brain they originate. Usually they're some sort of sensory disturbance. They can affect movement, emotion, sensations, and feelings in unusual. A few examples:

Uncontrolled movements: Eyes may move from side to side; there may be blinking, unusual movements of the tongue, or twitching of the face. Shaking of a hand or foot which might spread to involve an arm or a leg or even one whole side of the body.

Emotions: A sudden feeling of fear or a sense that something terrible is about to happen. Feelings of anger and rage, or sudden joy and happiness. Sudden, uncontrolled bursts of laughter or crying.

Sensations: All five senses -- touch, hearing, taste, smell, and sight -- are controlled by various areas of the brain. Sense of a breeze on the skin; unusual hissing, buzzing or ringing sounds; voices that are not really there; unpleasant tastes; strange smells (also usually unpleasant); and distortions in the way things look. Sudden nausea or an odd, rising feeling in the stomach is quite common. Stomach pain also may, in some cases, be caused by simple partial seizures. Episodes of sudden sweating, flushing, becoming pale, or having goosebumps.

Visions of people and places from the past. Out of body experiences. Time may seem distorted. Well-known places may suddenly look unfamiliar. Or the opposite -- déjà vu.

The length of time varies from person to person too, sometimes it's a quick thing, other times it might last for hours or recur throughout the day. It's not unusual to feel tired or nauseous afterwards.

Hope this helps!

[dfwtexas]

Generally, my simples are visual. I tell people it looks like a dream sequence on tv show...the edges are wavy and hazy.
I did have one simple, and it was strange because all my simples are followed by a complex...but not this one time. That aura was just a sense of doom, I just couldn't get over the feeling, but it was only a simple that time.
I know a lot of people on here talk about their simples being metal taste, strange smell, deja vu.....all of our simples are varied and may or may not stay the same.
It's a lot to get your head around...literally!

[Crystal11]

What I know about auras and simple partial seizures are one difference between the two. If you have no movement at all, then its considered an aura. Aware is still there but you feel odd. If you have movement then its considered a simple partial seizure.
I have auras before my complex partial seizures. I get an odd feeling in my stomach as if I get adrineline all of a sudden and if like nothing else I get during normalness. The sound around me condences and settles in the middle of the room- then I get the smell of a warm plastic smell that isn't totally unpleasant but its odd. After 40sec or 1minute of this, my awareness becomes less and less over time. My eyes go to the right and gets "stuck" and sometimes my head and half my body goes to the right. Sometimes I fidget with things, my necklace, my shirt or pick on my fingers. This has lead to my fingers bleeding but I don't realize I'm doing it. Other times I do it when I'm a little stressed or upset- which I've done since 1st grade. Anyway an aura for me definitly gives me time to lay down, sit down in the grass if I'm outside, or tell someone that I know something is up.

Sometimes I have just an aura and nothing else which is strange to me- sometimes frigthening because I'm used to a longer seizure starting up right after..

The oddities of our brains.. lol

Take care

[rong]

I've had auras (deja vu) and grand mal seizures all my life. The auras would last 2 minutes or less. When I was young I would get terible headaches following an aura. I would also be disoriented and feel lost for quite some time. Eventually the auras were followed by grand seizures.

I was undiagnosed for many years until the big ones started. Don't be like me, if you feel there is a problem see a doctor.

Today, I am seizure because of medication

rong

[valeriedl]

I just want to make sure I get this right so that when I have my next visit with my neurologist I know what to tell him what it is called.

I think that I have alot of simple partial seizures. I'll look at the room and the things that are on the shelves just don't look right. I won't think I'm in the right place. I do crossword puzzles and I may not understand what I am reading, the clues just don't make sense. My eyes "flutter" alot, that's how I describe it, I don't know if anyone knows what I mean by that.

Is this a simple partial? To other people experience this too? I have a VNS implant, should I use my magnet when this is going on?

Thanks for the help

[Brent]

I just want to make a small correction or clarification to a couple of posts that have otherwise described this well. In actuality, there is a fine line between an aura and a seizure, and a growing tendency to not distinguish between the two. Generally though, as Nakamova pointed out, it is called an aura when it precedes another event.

A simple partial seizure does not have to involve motor disturbances to be classified as such. The person remains aware and can experience any range of symptoms including sensory, motor, and emotional disturbances. They generally only last a few minutes, but as others have pointed out, can leave you feeling poorly for a time afterward.

Physiologically, for people who have seizures, there is no difference between an aura and a simple partial seizure. "Aura" is just the name assigned to a simple partial seizure that precedes a more serious seizure. If an aura includes motor disturbances, it is generally not called an "aura", though it technically could be if it precedes or signals a more serious event.

For me, I frequently get a strange sensation of motion accompanying visual and auditory hallucinations. This is one form of simple partial seizure. Frequently, this is followed by an episode of reduced or loss of consciousness and atonia or other motor disturbances, typically isoloated to half of my body. I drop to the ground and am unaware or sporadically aware for a few minutes. This latter episode, as it is not generalized, is also classified as a simple partial. When the former precedes the latter, the former is called an aura. When they occur separately (as they often do), they are each called simple partial seizures.

I hope this clears it up.

[Brent]

Valeriedl,

This sounds like a simple-partial. If it is indeed a seizure, then that's what it is called. If it precedes another seizure event, then it is a simple partial seizure that is frequently referred to as an aura.

I don't know anything about VNS implants, but I do know that there are certain things I can do that will sometimes prevent an aura from developing into a more serious seizure. Since one doesn't always precede the other, it is hard to tell if these are effective or just coincidental some of the time.

-B