Skip to main content
Epilepsy

What Actually Happens to Your Body During a Seizure

Lauren Smith, MABrian Clista, MD
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Brian Clista, MD
Updated on December 5, 2025
Featuring Padmaja Kandula, MD, FAES, FACNSReviewed by Brian Clista, MD | December 5, 2025

You might have seen someone have a seizure before, but it’s hard to imagine what could possibly be happening inside the body to cause that kind of response. When you zoom into the brain, however, all seizures don’t look exactly the same.

The main categories of seizures include a generalized seizure, which affects both sides of the brain, and a focal seizure, which affects one area of the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this video, learn more about the difference in types and the breakdown of subtypes of seizures.

References

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

why trust our exports reliability shield

Why trust our experts?

Lauren Smith, MA
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MA
Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Brian Clista, MD
Reviewed by:
Brian Clista, MD
Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

Was this page helpful?

Latest articles