What is the Difference Between Seizure and Syncope?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Seizures and syncope (fainting) are both conditions that can cause a loss of consciousness, but they have different characteristics and underlying causes. Here are the main differences between the two:
Seizures:
- Common symptoms include convulsions, which are unusual in syncope.
- More likely to cause tongue biting.
- More likely to show a specific atypical electroencephalogram (EEG) reading.
- Can arise from different conditions that alter typical brain activity, including epilepsy.
- Indicates a disturbance in the normal electrical activity in the brain.
Syncope:
- Defining symptom is loss of consciousness.
- Less likely to cause tongue biting.
- Less likely to show an atypical EEG reading.
- Often arises due to a drop in blood pressure.
- Indicates reduced blood flow to the brain.
Some key points to remember when responding to seizures or syncope include:
- For seizures, do not put anything in the person's mouth, do not attempt to restrain them, and move hard and sharp objects away from them.
- Call emergency services if it is a person's first seizure, repeated seizures happen one after another, the person appears to be choking or having difficulty breathing, the seizure happens in water, it lasts more than 5 minutes, or the person is injured.
- If you experience syncope or seizure, it is essential to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
It is crucial to differentiate between seizures and syncope to provide appropriate treatment and manage underlying conditions effectively.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Seizure and Syncope? Comparative Table: Seizure vs Syncope
Comparative Table: Seizure vs Syncope
Here is a table highlighting the differences between seizures and syncope:
Feature | Syncope | Seizures |
---|---|---|
Definition | Loss of consciousness due to reduced blood flow to the brain | Loss of consciousness with convulsions, often associated with epilepsy and other conditions that alter typical brain activity |
Causes | Drop in blood pressure, vasovagal reflexes, orthostatic hypotension, decreased cardiac output, or vertebrobasilar ischemia | Various conditions, such as electrolyte imbalances, drug withdrawal, fever, brain infections, brain injury, and stroke |
Symptoms | Convulsions and tongue-biting can occur, but they are less likely than in seizures | Common symptoms include convulsions, and more likely to cause tongue biting |
Diagnosis | Less likely to show an atypical electroencephalogram (EEG) reading | More likely to show a specific atypical EEG reading |
First Seizure | Important to call emergency services if it is a person's first seizure, repeated seizures happen one after another, the person appears to be choking or having difficulty breathing, the seizure happens in water, it lasts more than 5 minutes, or the person is injured | No specific criteria for calling emergency services |
While both syncope and seizures can cause a loss of consciousness, they have different causes, diagnostic approaches, and treatments. It is essential to differentiate between the two to provide appropriate care and management.
Read more:
- Fainting vs Seizure
- Seizure vs Stroke
- Seizure vs Convulsion
- Seizure vs Epilepsy
- TIA vs Seizure
- Epileptic Seizures vs Dissociative Convulsions
- Vasovagal Syncope vs Hypoglycemia
- Epileptic vs Nonepileptic Seizures
- Fits vs Epilepsy
- Cataplexy vs Catalepsy
- Orthostatic Hypotension vs Vasovagal Syncope
- Cataplexy vs Sleep Paralysis
- Simple vs Complex Febrile Seizure
- Idiopathic Hypersomnia vs Narcolepsy
- Brain Hemorrhage vs Stroke
- TIA vs Stroke
- Apnea vs Hypopnea
- Hypersomnia vs Insomnia
- Idiopathic vs Cryptogenic Epilepsy