Seizure in Spanish

What it means

A seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occur during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. MedlinePlus describes seizures as symptoms of a brain problem that happen because of sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term is often used interchangeably with "convulsion," but not all seizures cause convulsions, in which the body shakes rapidly and uncontrollably; some seizures have mild symptoms without shaking. Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and do not cause lasting harm. It is a medical emergency if a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes or if a person has many seizures and does not wake up between them. Emergency signs need urgent care (call 911 in the U.S.).

Spanish term: Convulsión
Gender and article: feminine: la convulsión
Pronunciation: kohn-bool-SYOHN

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
ataque	General	MedlinePlus en español says the term "convulsión" is often used interchangeably with "ataque".
ataque epiléptico	General	Appears in the alternative names MedlinePlus en español lists for its article on seizures, written as "Convulsiones - ataque epiléptico".

Convulsión is the word MedlinePlus en español uses for a seizure; its health topic opens Las convulsiones son síntomas de un problema cerebral. The noun is feminine: una convulsión, las convulsiones. English separates "seizure" from "convulsion" (MedlinePlus says not all seizures cause convulsions), but the Spanish page keeps convulsión for the event and describes the shaking with another word: No todas las convulsiones provocan estas sacudidas. The encyclopedia article adds that convulsión is often used interchangeably with ataque, and it uses the verb convulsionar.

Related words on the same pages are convulsiones focales, also called convulsiones parciales (focal or partial seizures), convulsiones generalizadas (generalized seizures), convulsiones febriles (febrile seizures) and epilepsia, which MedlinePlus en español uses for recurrent seizures due to a brain disorder. Staring spells are períodos de mirada fija. The emergency wording in the Spanish article is Llame al 911 o al número local de emergencia, and the Spanish topic page says it is a medical emergency if seizures last more than five minutes.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My son had a seizure this morning; his whole body was shaking.	Mi hijo tuvo una convulsión esta mañana; le temblaba todo el cuerpo.
Clinician	How long did the seizure last?	¿Cuánto tiempo duró la convulsión?
Patient	About two minutes, and afterward he did not remember anything.	Unos dos minutos, y después él no recordaba nada.
Clinician	Is this the first time he has had a seizure?	¿Es la primera vez que tiene una convulsión?
Clinician	Did he lose control of his bladder or bite his tongue?	¿Perdió el control de la vejiga o se mordió la lengua?
Patient	Before it started, he said he felt afraid and saw flashing lights.	Antes de que empezara, dijo que sentía miedo y veía luces centelleantes.
Clinician	We are going to order blood tests and an EEG to look for the cause.	Vamos a pedirle análisis de sangre y un electroencefalograma para buscar la causa.
Clinician	If a seizure lasts more than five minutes, call 911 right away.	Si una convulsión dura más de cinco minutos, llame al 911 de inmediato.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Seizure
Spanish (Español)	Convulsión
Chinese (中文)	癲癇發作
Korean (한국어)	발작
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Co giật
Filipino (Tagalog)	Atake / Seizure
Portuguese (Português)	Convulsão
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ชัก
Japanese (日本語)	発作

Where you'll see it

emergency noteneurology reportchartmedical recordintake form

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: R56 → Convulsions, not elsewhere classified

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Brain and nerves

All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.