During a myoclonic seizure, the person has sudden, short-lasting muscle jerks. Usually, just one or both arms jerk, but sometimes the person’s head or whole body jerks. The jerking can be very mild, like a twitch, or it can be very forceful. Occasionally, severe myoclonic jerks in the legs can make the person fall and hurt themselves.
Myoclonic seizures may happen as one isolated jerk. Or, they can happen in clusters.
Myoclonic seizures are very brief, but can be extremely frustrating. For example, they can result in spilt drinks or injuries.
How to help
- There’s nothing you can do to help during a myoclonic seizure because they happen so quickly
- Myoclonic seizures are very short and people recover immediately
- You can help by offering assistance if anything needs clearing up after the seizure
Medical help
Medical attention is only needed if the person has badly injured themselves during a seizure
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