Syncope or seizures? What is the difference?

Seizures and fainting are most often attributed to stress and other psychological factors, but there is a lot more to it than it's thought of.

What is a seizure?

A seizure is a sudden, involuntary change in behaviour, muscle control, consciousness or sensation often accompanied by an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain. The symptoms can range from sudden or violent shaking and total loss of consciousness, altered vision and difficulty in speaking.

What is Syncope?.

It is the medical term for fainting, meaning a sudden loss of consciousness and physical collapse due to lack of blood and oxygen to the brain. Syncope can occur without warning as an isolated event or frequently over time. Its symptoms often mimic an epileptic seizure such as muscle twitching, shaking, convulsions and physical collapse.

Is seizure same as syncope?

No, but it can be very difficult to distinguish between and epileptic seizure and syncope. Fainting may result in movements or behaviour that mimic seizures. The difference is that epileptic seizure produces a brief disturbances in the normal electrical function of the brain, while syncope is caused by a reduction in the blood flow carrying oxygen to the brain. A seizure can sometimes accompany a syncope episode and vice versa.

What causes syncope?.

It usually occurs when the brain does not receive enough blood and oxygen. Some causes of syncope are relatively harmless, but others can be life- threatening.

Cardio vascular causes of syncope can be among the most serious. One of the most common heart- related causes is an abnormal heart rhythm. In these cases the heart beats either too slowly, rapidly or irregularly to pump enough blood to key parts of the body, including the brain.

Other causes of syncope include some neurological disorders , physiological conditions and obvious situations such as standing up too fast or being in a hot room. These factors contribute to making the cause of syncope difficult to diagnose.

How can it be treated

If syncope is caused by an abnormal heart rhythm, therapy options may include medication, an implanatable device such as a pace- maker or a corrective surgery.

With appropriate treatment, a person suffering from cardiovascular syncope can often resume normal activities without fear of having a relapse.

What causes seizures?

Although the cause cannot always be identified, there are many different conditions that can cause seizures. These can be grouped into four categories, neurological, psychological, cardiovascular and other causes.

Neurological conditions stemming from infections, brain injury, tumours, strokes etc, which often lead to changes in brain electrical activity.

Cardiovascular conditions due to heart rhythm abnormalities, blocked vessels, blood pressure irregularities etc, psychological condition including panic attacks, hysteria, emotional distress etc.
How can it be treated?

Correctly evaluating the cause of recurrent seizures requires the collaboration of several medical specialists . This may include a neurologist if a neurological case is suspected, if a cardiovascular case is doubted a cardiologist may be required and if a psychological factor is suspected, psychiatric evaluation may be required.