Patient's question:
When I was in elementary school, there was a rumor that one of my classmates had epilepsy, but I never saw him have a recurrence. I only vaguely remember seeing him collapse once, twitching uncontrollably, and I wasn't sure if it was epilepsy. A few days ago, when my brother went for a health check-up, he was also diagnosed with epilepsy. I was very sad that my brother might be like him, but I don't really understand epilepsy.Doctor's answer:
Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (grand mal): Sudden loss of consciousness, followed by intense pain with tonic and clonic phases. Often accompanied by screaming, bluish complexion, incontinence, bitten tongue, foaming at the mouth with white or bloody foam, and dilated pupils. The intense pain recurs after several seconds or minutes and then subsides naturally, leading to a state of coma. After regaining consciousness, there may be temporary dizziness, restlessness, and fatigue, with no memory of the seizure episode. If the seizure persists continuously, resulting in prolonged coma, it is referred to as status epilepticus, which is often life-threatening.