When doctors are trying to diagnose illnesses, one of the biggest challenges is that different conditions can have very similar symptoms. Take fainting and seizures, for example. With both conditions, people’s muscles may go limp, they can lose consciousness, and they might fall over. With both seizures and fainting, people may twitch and jerk too, before waking up.
Let’s compare fainting vs. seizures, and see how these two conditions differ from each other. If you have had new fainting or seizure experiences, book an appointment with your physician.
Fainting and seizures - what are they?
Before we compare fainting vs. seizures, it’s helpful to understand what each event actually is.
Fainting, which is also known as ‘syncope’, is when there isn’t enough blood getting to a person’s brain. They lose consciousness and fall down. About a third of people will experience syncope at least once in their lives.
Fainting is caused by many things, including a fall in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), problems with blood flow to the brain, plus things like hot weather, standing too long, or feeling stressed and tired.
Seizures are when there is a sudden discharge of electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can cause many different symptoms, which may include falling over, losing consciousness, arm and leg movements, or shouting out. One person in ten will have a seizure in their lives. And one person in 26 will develop epilepsy (which is when you have two or more unprovoked seizures).
Epilepsy may be caused by a genetic condition, brain damage, or an unknown cause. ‘Provoked’ seizures (which aren’t epileptic) may be caused by things like sodium deficiency, alcohol withdrawal, or brain infection, among other things.
Although seizures and fainting are different events, there is one kind of epileptic seizure that is triggered by fainting. This is called anoxic-epileptic seizure.
Seizures vs. fainting: key differences
To understand the difference between fainting and seizures, the following table can help. This table is for information only - it’s important to get a diagnosis of fainting or seizures from a medical doctor.
Underlying causes:
- Seizure
A sudden discharge of electrical activity in the brain.
- Fainting (syncope)
Not enough blood reaching the brain. Often due to a loss of blood pressure (for several reasons).
Main symptoms
- Seizure
Many different symptoms, but often includes losing consciousness, convulsions, repetitive movements, jerks and twitches, shouting out.
- Fainting (syncope)
Losing consciousness, jerks and twitches.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) test
- Seizure
May show ‘epileptiform’ brain activity.
- Fainting (syncope)
Shows normal brain activity.
Treatment
- Seizure
If epilepsy is diagnosed, it usually requires treatment for many years.
- Fainting (syncope)
Depends on the cause of syncope. For many cases, small lifestyle changes are enough, but can also suggest the person has another condition which needs treatment.
Fainting vs. seizures: similarities
Fainting and seizures can be confused because they sometimes share similar symptoms:
- Convulsive syncope: It is estimated that between 6% and 25% of of people with the most common kind of syncope (vasovagal syncope) have convulsions. To the untrained eye, this may look like an epileptic seizure.
- Unpredictable nature: Both syncope and seizures may happen at unpredictable moments.
- Loss of muscle tone: Most of the time, your muscles are able to hold you up. But in fainting and some types of seizure, your muscles lose this ability and so you may fall over (if you were standing).
Visit a medical doctor if you have had a seizure or fainting events.
Keep learning: What are nonepileptic seizures?
Seizures that look like fainting
Many seizures look very different to fainting. However, there are some types of seizure that may be mistaken for syncope. An article in the Pediatric Neurology journal describes several kinds of seizures that could be mistaken for syncope. These include:
- Atonic seizures: Your muscles may lose their ‘tone’, causing you to collapse if you were standing.
- Myoclonic seizures: One or more arm or leg jerks uncontrollably, and you may lose consciousness and collapse
- Tonic clonic seizures: You lose consciousness and, if standing, you collapse and your body jerks and shakes.
- Absence seizures: You stop what you were doing, lose consciousness, and may make repetitive noises or movements with your hands.
Keep learning: Panic attacks vs. seizures
Getting help for fainting and seizures
If you, or someone you know, has started losing consciousness and falling over, then it is vital to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
- If it’s fainting: According to Johns Hopkins, fainting could be a sign of an underlying condition - including heart problems. Your physician will do various tests (such as checking your blood pressure) to learn more about what may be causing your fainting.
- If it’s seizures: If you are falling over because you’re having epileptic seizures, getting treatment is really important. Your doctor will do epilepsy tests, including blood tests, EEG and MRI to identify the cause of the seizures.
By getting help for fainting and seizures, you can get to the bottom of these events, and receive the right treatment for your situation.
