Seizure

けいれん (keiren)

A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain that can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings, and levels of consciousness. Seizures can be convulsive (with shaking) or non-convulsive. Epilepsy is a chronic condition involving recurrent seizures. A first seizure or prolonged seizure lasting more than 5 minutes is a medical emergency.

Call 119 for a first-time seizure in Japan; do not restrain the person but protect them from injury and time the duration.

In 9 languages

LanguageTerm
English Seizure
Japanese (日本語) けいれん
Chinese (中文) 癫痫发作
Korean (한국어) 발작
Portuguese Convulsão
Spanish Convulsión
Filipino Atake
Thai ชัก
Vietnamese Co giật
Romanization keiren
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Last reviewed: September 2026