Absence Crisis In Adults: Symptoms And Consequences

There are two types of absence seizures in adults and older people that present certain differences from each other. Both types of crises are brief and the person does not realize them. They tend to come and end very quickly so that no one may realize what just happened or people may think that the person is not paying attention or is sleepy. The two types are:

Typical absence seizures

• They are the most common
• The person suddenly stops the activity they are doing. It’s like his mind is somewhere else or goes blank.
• The eyes look up and there is a continuous flashing
• The crisis usually lasts approximately less than 10 seconds

Atypical absence seizures

• These crises are called atypical because they are usually more durable have a longer or slower start and end and include different symptoms
• The crisis also begins as if the person had gone blank or was in another world.
• There is usually a change in muscle tone and movement.
• The person can be seen performing the following behaviors:

1. Blinking over and over may even seem like fluttering of the eyelids
2. Lip grinding or chewing movements
3. Rubbing your fingers together or doing other hand movements

• An atypical seizure lasts longer than a typical seizure, up to 20 seconds or more

The easiest way to detect an absence seizure is a blank stare that lasts a few seconds. People who are having an absence seizure do not speak, listen, or seem to understand anything around them. They usually don’t fall to the floor, they could be walking around the room, writing an email while having the seizure. Then they suddenly snap out of themselves and continue as if nothing had happened.

Other symptoms of absence seizures can be:

• be very restless
• Smacking lips or chewing
• Fluttering eyelids
• Stop activity suddenly and resume it after the crisis
• If sudden movements are experienced, it may be an indication that another type of seizure is occurring along with the absence seizure, for example, an epileptic seizure.

Absence seizures usually last between 10 and 15 seconds. When an absence crisis ends, the person usually continues with what he was doing before the crisis, has the ability to think clearly and concentrate again on the task without problem. Usually, the crisis is not remembered while it is the people around him who realize it.

When a person has many crises throughout the day every so often, they may seem confused or lose track of what they were doing, therefore interfering with their daily life.

Although this disorder of consciousness occurs in the brain, does not cause brain damage. In some cases, the long-term effects of anxiety attacks occur if the person falls or hurts themselves. Falls are not common during crises, but they can occur.

For the diagnosis of an absence seizure it is essential:

• A good description of what happens during the crisis is very important. Because the person is not aware of the crisis, this information is usually provided by people around them.
• A Electroencephalogram (EEG) that will be performed if the events present seizures or other symptoms appear during the seizure. The EEG checks electrical activity in the brain for patterns typically seen in absence seizures.
• During the EEG you may be asked to breathe quickly or close your eyes while the lights turn on quickly. This makes it easier to see typical patterns of absence seizures on an EEG.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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