Epilepsy
Alternate Names : Seizure Disorder
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?
Signs and symptoms of epilepsy vary according to the type of seizure.
Absence seizures used to be called petit mal seizures. They have the following characteristics:
include small movements of the face or eyes
involve staring into space
last from a few seconds to a minute
may include dulling of consciousness
most commonly appear in children
Tonic-clonic seizures were formerly called grand mal seizures. These seizures have the following characteristics:
begin suddenly without warning
cause confusion or fatigue afterward
include jerking of the arms and legs
include loss of bladder control
involve stiffening of the body
last 1 to 2 minutes, with consciousness returning up to 15 minutes later
Following are some of the characteristics of atonic seizures:
consciousness may or may not be lost
involve a loss of muscle tone
last a few seconds
the person may drop to the ground without warning
Myoclonic seizures generally are characterized by the following:
involve quick muscle jerking
may be triggered by too much alcohol
may be triggered by lack of sleep
usually don't cause loss of consciousness
usually happen in the early morning
Clonic seizures may have the following characteristics:
cause loss of consciousness
involve muscle jerking
most common in childhood
Simple partial seizures usually can be identified by the following:
consciousness is not changed
last a few seconds
may involve body movements
may lead to a generalized tonic-clonic seizure
may result in a complex partial seizure
things may look, sound, feel, or taste differently
Complex partial seizures may include the following characteristics:
automatic behaviors, such as lip smacking
confusion after the seizure is over
loss of contact with the environment, even though the person is conscious
loss of memory for events that occur during the seizure
may go on to a generalized tonic-clonic seizure
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