"Convulse" redirects here. For Finnish death metal band, see Convulse (band).
Convulsion |
Classification and external resources |
Specialty |
Neurology |
ICD-10 |
R56 |
ICD-9-CM |
125.7 |
MeSH |
D012640 |
A convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body.[1] Because a convulsion is often a symptom of an epileptic seizure, the term convulsion is sometimes used as a synonym for seizure. However, not all epileptic seizures lead to convulsions, and not all convulsions are caused by epileptic seizures. Convulsions are also consistent with an electric shock and improper Enriched Air Scuba Diving. For non-epileptic convulsions, see non-epileptic seizures.
The word "fit" is sometimes used to mean a convulsion or epileptic seizure.[2]
Contents
- 1 Symptoms
- 2 Causes
- 3 Generalized seizures
- 4 References
Symptoms
Nude woman sitting with artificially induced convulsions, photographed by Eadweard Muybridge
When a person is having a convulsion, they may experience several different symptoms. These may include: a brief blackout, confusion, drooling, loss of bowel/bladder control, sudden shaking of entire body, uncontrollable muscle spasms, temporary cessation of breathing, and many more. Symptoms usually last from a few seconds to around 15 minutes. If someone has a fit like this, it is advised to make sure they don't fall and injure themselves, cushion their head and loosen any restricting clothing/jewelry, and also call for medical help.[1] Do not try to pin/hold them in place, as you will only injuring them if you do this[citation needed]
Causes
Convulsions are often caused by some sort of electrical activity mishap in the brain. Oftentimes, the cause is not able to be pinpointed. Convulsions can be caused by chemicals in the blood, as well as infections like meningitis or encephalitis. A very common cause of convulsions is fevers. Other possibilities include head trauma, stroke or lack of oxygen to the brain. Sometimes the convulsion can be caused by genetic defects or brain tumors.[1]
Generalized seizures
Main article: Tonic-clonic seizures
The most common type of seizure is called a generalized seizure, also known as a generalized convulsion. This is characterized by a loss of consciousness which may lead to the person collapsing. The body stiffens for about a minute and then jerks uncontrollably for the next minute. During this, the patient may fall and injure themselves or bite their tongue and lose control of their bladder. A familial history of this puts a person at a greater risk for developing them.[3][4]
References
- ^ a b c MedlinePlus Encyclopedia Seizures
- ^ Merriam-Webster: Fit.
- ^ http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/types-of-seizures-their-symptoms[full citation needed]
- ^ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/grand-mal-seizure/basics/causes/con-20021356[full citation needed]
Symptoms and signs: cognition, perception, emotional state and behaviour (R40–R46, 780.0–780.5, 781.1)
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Cognition |
Alteration of
consciousness |
- Confusion (Delirium)
- Somnolence
- Obtundation
- Stupor
- Unconsciousness
- Syncope
- Coma
- Persistent vegetative state
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Fainting/Syncope |
- Carotid sinus syncope
- Heat syncope
- Vasovagal episode
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Other |
- Amnesia
- Anterograde amnesia
- Retrograde amnesia
- Dizziness
- Vertigo
- Presyncope/Lightheadedness
- Disequilibrium
- Convulsion
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Emotional state |
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Hostility
- Suicidal ideation
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Behavior |
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Perception/
sensation
disorder |
- Olfaction : Anosmia
- Hyposmia
- Dysosmia
- Parosmia
- Phantosmia
- Hyperosmia
- Taste: Ageusia
- Hypogeusia
- Dysgeusia
- Parageusia
- Hypergeusia
- Hallucination: Auditory hallucination
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Index of psychology and psychiatry
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Description |
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Disorders |
- Mental and behavioral
- Mood
- Developmental
- pervasive
- dyslexia and specific
- Substance-related
- Emotional and behavioral disorders
- Symptoms and signs
- Evaluation and testing
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Treatment |
- Psychotherapy
- Drugs
- depression
- antipsychotics
- anxiety
- dementia
- hypnotics and sedatives
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Index of smell
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Description |
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Disease |
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Treatment |
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Index of taste
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Description |
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Disease |
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Treatment |
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Seizures and epilepsy (G40–G41, 345)
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|
Basics |
- Seizure types
- Aura (warning sign)
- Postictal state
- Epileptogenesis
- Epilepsy in children
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Treatments |
- Anticonvulsants
- Electroencephalography (diagnosis method)
- Epileptologist
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Personal issues |
- Epilepsy and driving
- Epilepsy and employment
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Seizure types
Epilepsy types |
Focal |
- Seizures
- Simple partial
- Complex partial
- Gelastic seizure
- Epilepsy
- Temporal lobe epilepsy
- Frontal lobe epilepsy
- Rolandic epilepsy
- Nocturnal epilepsy
- Panayiotopoulos syndrome
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Generalised |
- Tonic-clonic
- Absence seizure
- Atonic seizure
- Automatism
- Benign familial neonatal epilepsy
- Lennox-Gastaut
- Doose syndrome
- West
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Status epilepticus |
- Epilepsia partialis continua
- Complex partial status epilepticus
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Myoclonic epilepsy |
- Progressive myoclonus epilepsies
- Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy
- Unverricht-Lundborg disease
- MERRF syndrome
- Lafora disease
- Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
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Non-epileptic
seizures |
- Febrile seizure
- Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
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Related disorders |
- Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
- Todd's paresis
- Landau-Kleffner syndrome
- Epilepsy in animals
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Epilepsy
organizations |
- Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy
- Epilepsy Action
- Epilepsy Action Australia
- Epilepsy Foundation (USA)
- Epilepsy Outlook (UK)
- Epilepsy Research UK
- Epilepsy Toronto
- International Dravet Epilepsy Action League
- Epilepsy Society
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Index of the central nervous system
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Description |
- Anatomy
- meninges
- cortex
- association fibers
- commissural fibers
- lateral ventricles
- basal ganglia
- diencephalon
- mesencephalon
- pons
- cerebellum
- medulla
- spinal cord
- Physiology
- Development
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Disease |
- Addiction
- Cerebral palsy
- Meningitis
- Demyelinating diseases
- Seizures and epilepsy
- Headache
- Stroke
- Sleep
- Congenital
- Injury
- Neoplasms and cancer
- Other
- Symptoms and signs
- head and neck
- eponymous
- lesions
- Tests
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Treatment |
- Procedures
- Drugs
- general anesthetics
- analgesics
- dependence
- epilepsy
- cholinergics
- migraine
- Parkinson's
- vertigo
- other
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