Absence seizures

What is an absence seizure?

Absence seizures are a type of generalised seizure. They often begin in childhood and do not usually continue into adulthood, although they do continue in some types of epilepsy.

It’s like the brain hits pause for a few seconds — it might look like daydreaming, but it’s actually a seizure. 

 

You might carry on walking and talking, and not even realise you're having a seizure. Sometimes you might blink a lot.  

- Description from young people with epilepsy in the Youth Voice Network.

There are two types of absence seizures – typical and atypical. We describe each of them in the sections below. 

Misunderstanding absence seizures

Absence seizures are often subtle. Often, other people might not even notice these episodes. 

If you’re at school, it's possible that staff may mistake absence seizures for not paying attention or daydreaming. This may happen if they do not know how seizures can affect children. Because of this, children with absence seizures may find it hard to learn and keep up at school because they miss information. 

If you don’t believe your absence seizures are being taken seriously in class or they are impacting your learning, read up on the support you are entitled to. If you’re a parent or carer, you can also talk to the school if you’re worried about this.

What do absence seizures look like?

Absence seizures can be easy to miss. They’re often mistaken for daydreaming, but they’re not. What’s really happening is a seizure—it’s like the brain just freezes for a few seconds.  

The person may suddenly stop what they’re doing and stare blankly into space. They won’t respond if you speak to them, and they usually won’t remember it afterwards. 

Sometimes, they might blink a lot or make small movements with their mouth or hands, but it’s often so subtle that people don’t realise anything’s happened. Some people can even carry on walking or talking without making sense. These seizures don’t last long, but they can happen many times a day, which can make things like learning or concentrating really tricky. 

What do absence seizures feel like?

When you have an absence seizure, you are not aware throughout and won't remember the seizure after. You usually won't even know what happened. However, it can be frightening or confusing to face abrupt changes in your environment during an absence seizure (such as being crowded) or after many absence seizures. It can also be embarrassing and isolating when absence seizures are misunderstood.

If you are present when someone comes around from an absence seizure, listen to how they want to be supported.

Treating absence seizures

If you have absence seizures, your doctor may suggest you start by trying a single med. For example, ethosuximide. If this treatment does not work or you have side effects, your doctor may suggest you try a different med either on its own or as an add-on. 

If you’d like to know more about what meds you might be offered, talk to your doctor. Or go to the NICE website to read the most up-to-date guidelines.