What seizure has a blank stare?
An absence seizure causes you to blank out or stare into space for a few seconds. They can also be called petit mal seizures. Absence seizures are most common in children and typically don’t cause any long-term problems.
What do absence seizures look like in children?
Absence seizures involve brief, sudden lapses of consciousness. They’re more common in children than in adults. Someone having an absence seizure may look like he or she is staring blankly into space for a few seconds. Then, there is a quick return to a normal level of alertness.
Can a child outgrow absence seizures?
About 65% of children with childhood absence epilepsy do outgrow their seizures and are able to stop taking medication. The chance that the seizures will be outgrown is lower in those who have: learning problems.
How do you trigger an absence seizure?
There is no known cause for absence seizures, but they do tend to run in families. Like all seizures, they’re the result of abnormal electrical or chemical activity in the brain. Hyperventilation or flashing lights may be triggers, but there may be no such identifiable triggers.
Are Blank stares seizures?
An absence seizure causes a short period of “blanking out” or staring into space. Like other kinds of seizures, they are caused by brief abnormal electrical activity in a person’s brain. An absence seizure is a generalized onset seizure, which means it begins in both sides of the brain at the same time.
What mental illness causes blank stares?
Seizures are caused by abnormal brain activity. These mixed messages confuse your brain and cause a seizure. An absence seizure causes you to blank out or stare into space for a few seconds. They can also be called petit mal seizures.
How do you stop absence seizures?
Certain seizure medicines can help prevent absence seizures. Usually these are recommended for most children. The medicines most commonly used for absence seizures include ethosuximide (Zarontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), valproic acid (Depakene), or divalproex sodium (Depakote).
What does a blank stare indicate?
: a look that shows one does not understand what someone has said or does not know the answer to a question My question only drew/got a blank stare.
Do absence seizures affect the brain?
While absence seizures occur in the brain, they don’t cause brain damage. Absence seizures won’t have any effect on intelligence in most children. Some children may experience learning difficulties because of their lapses in consciousness. Others may think they’re daydreaming or not paying attention.