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What is absence seizure?
25 September 2025
An absence seizure is a type of short-lived, sudden convulsive episode where the person is unaware of what is happening around them, becoming detached from reality. After a few seconds, they return to their normal state of attention. Typically, they don’t cause physical harm and are more common in children and females.
Various studies reveal that absence seizures may be due to hereditary genetic factors where a direct family member suffers from seizures.
During a seizure, the brain’s electrical activity is altered because neurons activate simultaneously and send out different signals. Those who experience seizures may also have altered neurotransmitters.
Some people may have absence seizures every day, which can affect their quality of life and daily activities.
An absence seizure is a type of generalized epilepsy that occurs due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain and usually appears briefly.
Signs and symptoms Absence Seizure
The most characteristic symptom of an absence seizure is a blank stare that can last up to 20 seconds, though this may be accompanied by:
- Interrupting a speech and resuming it moments later.
- Opening or closing the lips, making noises, or chewing movements.
- Suddenly stopping while walking and starting again seconds later.
- Fluttering or moving the eyelids.
- Rubbing the fingers.
- Short movements with both hands.
- Abrupt cessation of a movement.
Occasionally, these absence seizures can start slowly but last longer with more visible changes in muscle activity.
Usually, at the end of these absence seizures, there are no signs of headaches, disorientation, or sleepiness; the person simply doesn’t remember the event.
In children, they are more difficult to notice because they are very brief, so one of the first warning signs is difficulty learning, social isolation, and behavioral problems.
Diagnosis Absence Seizure
Once the specialist analyzes your symptoms and medical history, they will perform a physical examination and order the following tests to assess the brain and nervous system in detail:
- Electroencephalogram
- Brain scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Computed tomography (CT scan)
Treatment Absence Seizure
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will prescribe anticonvulsant medications to control the absence seizures.
Additionally, they will ask you to make lifestyle changes, mainly in your diet, and if they consider it necessary, they may suggest surgery, provided you are a candidate for it.
Some children who experience absence seizures may also develop other types of seizures, so they might have to take anticonvulsant medication for life, as they could develop more severe, full-body seizures as they get older.
At the Epilepsy Clinic of Centro Médico ABC, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
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Ricardo Ostos
Content CreatorLearn more about Ricardo on LinkedIn
The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.
