Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Epilepsy history and symptoms
Introduction
Overview
Overview
A positive history of family member with epilepsy, brain traumatic injuries, meningitis and encephalitis, febrile seizure in the childhood, enuresis, drug abuse and previous episod of seizure is suggestive of epilepsy. The most common symptoms of epileptic seizure include: Paroxysmal manner, similarity to each other in a patient in the aspect of duration and general characteristics, presenting with a motor phenomena which can be accompanied with sensory and autonomic manifestation, impaied consciousness, aura (sensory, autonomic, or psychic symptoms), starting with a triggers, post-ictal drowsiness, tongue biting and urine and fecal incontinence.
History and Symptoms
History and Symptoms
History
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- Patients with epilepsy may have a positive history of:[1][2]
- Family member with epilepsy
- Brain traumatic injuries
- Meningitis and encephalitis
- Febrile seizure in the childhood
- Enuresis
- Drug abuse
- Previous episode of seizure:
- When was the first episode?
- Tongue biting?
- Urine or fecal incontinence?
- Post-ictal drowsiness?
- Seizure characteristics?
- Triggers?
- Eyes condition? (open or close)
- Amnesia?
Common Symptoms
- Common symptoms of epileptic seizures include:[1]
- They happen in a paroxysmal manner such as:
- Sudden fall
- Sudden loss of consciousness
- automatic behaviors (repetitive movement)
- Seizures are often similar to each other in a patient in the aspect of duration and general characteristics.
- They usually present with a motor phenomena which can be accompanied with sensory and autonomic manifestation.
- Based on the type of seizure, consciousness might be impaired or intact.
- Patients may have aura (sensory, autonomic, or psychic symptoms) before seizure such as:
- Nausea
- Warmth sensation
- Spark visualization
- There might be triggers for the seizure such as:
- Alcohol consumption
- Sleep deprivation
- Fever
- There can be post-ictal drowsiness in patients.
- There can be tongue biting which mostly happens in seizures with impaired consciousness.
- urine and fecal incontinence may be present.
- They happen in a paroxysmal manner such as:
Less Common Symptoms
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mattle, Heinrich (2017). Fundamentals of neurology : an illustrated guide. Stuttgart New York: Thieme. ISBN 9783131364524.
- ↑ Cendes F, Andermann F, Carpenter S, Zatorre RJ, Cashman NR (January 1995). “Temporal lobe epilepsy caused by domoic acid intoxication: evidence for glutamate receptor-mediated excitotoxicity in humans”. Ann. Neurol. 37 (1): 123–6. doi:10.1002/ana.410370125. PMID 7818246.
- ↑ Sheth RD, Drazkowski JF, Sirven JI, Gidal BE, Hermann BP (April 2006). “Protracted ictal confusion in elderly patients”. Arch. Neurol. 63 (4): 529–32. doi:10.1001/archneur.63.4.529. PMID 16606764.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Fahimeh Shojaei, M.D.