Partial Seizures : Symptoms

Patients with focal seizures can have any of the symptoms below, depending on where in the brain the seizure starts. Patients with simple focal seizures do not lose consciousness and will be aware and remember the events that occur at the time. Pa...

Hallucinations involve sensing things that aren't there while a person is awake and conscious.

A hallucination is a false perception occurring without any identifiable external stimulus and indicates an abnormality in perception. The false perceptions can occur in any of the five sensory modalities. Therefore, a hallucination essentially is seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, or smelling something that is not there. The false perceptions are not accounted for by the person's religious or cultural background, and the person experiencing hallucinations may or may not have insight into them. Therefore, some people experiencing hallucinations may be aware that the perceptions are false, whereas others may truly believe that what they are seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, or smelling is real. In cases when the person truly believes the hallucination is real, the individual may also have a delusional interpretation of the hallucination. Hallucinations must be distinguished from illusions, which are misperceptions of actual external stimuli. In other words, an illusion is essentially seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, or smelling something that is there, but perceiving it or interpreting it incorrectly. An example of an illusion might be hearing one's name called when the radio is playing. There is an external auditory stimulus, but it is misperceived. True hallucinations do not include false perceptions that occur while dreaming, while falling asleep, or while waking up. Unusual perceptual experiences one may have while falling asleep are referred to as hypnagogic experiences. Unusual perceptual experiences one may have while waking up are referred to as hypnopompic experiences. Hallucinations also do not include very vivid experiences one may have while fully awake (such as especially vivid daydreaming or imaginative play). Hallucinations are a symptom of either a medical (e.g., epilepsy), neurological, or mental disorder. Hallucinations may be present in any of the following mental disorders: psychotic disorders (including schizophrenia , schizoaffective disorder , schizophreniform disorder , shared psychotic disorder , brief psychotic disorder , substance-induced psychotic disorder ), bipolar disorder , major depression with psychotic features, delirium , or dementia . Auditory hallucinations, in particular, are common in psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Use of certain recreational drugs may induce hallucinations, including amphetamines and cocaine, hallucinogens (such as lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD), phencyclidine (PCP), and cannabis or marijuana. For example, visual hallucinations are commonly associated with substance use. Individuals may report false perceptions of little people or animals (sometimes referred to as Lilliputian hallucinations). In addition, withdrawal from some recreational drugs can produce hallucinations, including withdrawal from alcohol, sedatives, hypnotics, or anxiolytics. Withdrawal from alcohol, for instance, commonly causes visual hallucinations, especially at nighttime.

Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be real perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any external stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even smelled or tasted.

A charley horse is the common name for a muscle spasm, especially in the leg. Muscle spasms can occur in any muscle in the body. When a muscle is in spasm, it contracts without your control and does not relax.

Muscle spasms and cramps are spontaneous, often painful muscle contractions.

Disorientation, the lack of being able to correctly identify oneself, one's location, or the date and time, is a sign of an altered mental status. An alteration in mental status is often an indication of a serious medical problem, requiring prompt medical attention.

Uncontrollable movements are slow, twisting, continuous, and involuntary movements of the arms, legs, face, neck, or other parts of the body. See also: Tardive dyskinesia

Movement disorders are a group of diseases and syndromes affecting the ability to produce and control bodily movements.

Dizziness is light-headedness, feeling like you might faint, being unsteady, loss of balance, or vertigo (a feeling that you or the room is spinning or moving. Most causes of dizziness are not serious and either quickly get better on their own or are easily treated.

Dizziness is a general term that describes sensations of imbalance and unsteadiness, such as vertigo, mild turning, imbalance, and near fainting or fainting. Feelings of dizziness stem from the vestibular system, which includes the brain and the parts of the inner ear that sense position and motion, coupled with sensory information from the eyes, skin, and muscle tension.

As a disorder, dizziness is classified into three categories—vertigo, syncope, and nonsyncope nonvertigo. Each category has a characteristic set of symptoms, all related to the sense of balance. In general, syncope is defined by a brief loss of consciousness ( fainting ) or by dimmed vision and feeling uncoordinated, confused, and lightheaded. Many people experience a sensation like syncope when they stand up too fast. Vertigo is the feeling that either the individual or the surroundings are spinning. This sensation is like being on a spinning amusement park ride. Individuals with nonsyncope nonvertigo dizziness feel as though they cannot keep their balance. This feeling may become worse with movement.

As a disorder, dizziness is classified into three categories: vertigo, syncope, and nonsyncope nonvertigo. Each category has its own set of symptoms, all related to the sense of balance. In general, syncope is defined by a brief loss of consciousness (fainting) or by dimmed vision and feeling uncoordinated, confused, and lightheaded. Many people experience a sensation like syncope when they stand up too fast. Vertigo is the feeling that either the individual or the surroundings are spinning. This sensation is like being on a spinning amusement park ride. Individuals with nonsyncope nonvertigo dizziness feel as though they cannot keep their balance. This feeling may become worse with movement.

Dizziness is classified into three categories—vertigo, syncope, and nonsyncope nonvertigo. Each category has a characteristic set of symptoms, all related to the sense of balance. In general, syncope is defined by a brief loss of consciousness (fainting) or by dimmed vision and feeling uncoordinated, confused, and lightheaded. Many people experience a sensation like syncope when they stand up too fast. Vertigo is the feeling that either the individual or the surroundings are spinning. This sensation is like being on a spinning amusement park ride. Individuals with nonsyncope nonvertigo dizziness feel as though they cannot keep their balance. This sensation may become worse with movement.

When the brain receives conflicting signals, or when there is a problem with blood flow, dizziness or fainting can occur.

Can arthritis in neck and shoulders be the cause of "positional vertigo?" In the past, when I've experienced vertigo symptoms I've visited my chiropractor for an adjustment that would successfully relieve my misalignment, which was pinching a nerve in my neck and causing the dizziness. My last episode was not as successful, though.

Falls or accidents can lead to pain, broken bones, and fear of future falls. Protect yourself and others by preparing for episodes. Simple steps can help increase your safety at home and wherever you go.

Nausea is the sensation of having an urge to vomit. Vomiting is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.

Vomiting can deplete you of fluids and electrolytes, so repeated vomiting requires medical treatment if it results in a lasting lightheaded feeling or weakness.

 A Recipe to Ease Nausea: Gingerbread With Brown Sugar Meringue"Gingerbread. Ginger cookies.

Nausea is the sensation of having a queasy stomach or being about to vomit. Vomiting , or emesis, is the expelling of undigested food through the mouth.

Will excess fluid in the ear cause dizziness and nausea? David Vernick, M.D. is assistant clinical professor of otology and laryngology at Harvard Medical School and interim chief of the Division of Otology and Laryngology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Vomiting is the forceful discharge of stomach contents through the mouth.

Although nausea and vomiting can make you feel miserable, it's important to remember that these are not diseases, but rather symptoms of many illnesses.

Nausea with or without vomiting is common in children. Most of the time, the cause is not serious. The symptoms usually go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, there are times when you should alert your child's doctor immediately.

Vomiting is very common in babies. Sometimes it can be entirely normal, like when babies spit up mouthfuls of breastmilk or formula after eating. Sometimes it can be a sign of illness or a blockage somewhere in the intestines. Less commonly, it can even be a sign of accidental poisoning or be caused by a bad bump to the head.

When should parents be concerned about their child vomiting? If the child, age 5 and a bit overweight, has what the parents think is a stomach bug that causes vomiting, and this happens for a couple days at least every two months or sometimes shorter periods in between, should they have tests done or should they just assume its a virus?

Memory loss (amnesia) is unusual forgetfulness.

A practical guide to the causes of memory loss and the steps you can take to improve your ability to learn and remember for a lifetime.

Memory loss can be partial or total. Most memory loss occurs as part of the normal aging process. However, memory loss may also occur as a result of severe emotional trauma or due to brain damage following disease or physical trauma. Memory loss can be described as amnesia, forgetfulness, or impaired memory.

In older people, it's easy to mistake memory problems for the everyday forgetfulness that some people experience as they grow older.

The health of your heart can affect your mind: Research shows risk factors for heart disease and stroke may also contribute to memory loss or Alzheimer's disease.

This report is an important reference tool for patients and caregivers alike. Offers information on the symptoms, causes, and treatments for this debilitating condition, as well as caregiving tips.

Amnesia refers to the loss of memory. Memory loss may result from two-sided (bilateral) damage to parts of Memory loss may result from bilateral damage to the limbic system of the brain responsible for memory storage, processing, and recall. (Illustration by Electronic Illustrators Group ). the brain vital for memory storage, processing, or recall (the limbic system, including the hippocampus in the medial temporal lobe).

Unpredictable, frustrating and, at times, embarrassing memory lapses can be common. So if frequent bouts of forgetfulness are causing you stress and worry, take note: there is most likely a simple explanation.

Although the cause of rosacea is unknown, people with fair skin who blush easily may be at the greatest risk for it.

Visual disturbances are abnormalities of sight. Visual disturbances associated with neurological disorders often include double vision (diplopia), moving or blurred vision due to nystagmus (involuntary rapid movements of the eyes), reduced visual acuity, reduced visual field, and partial or total loss of vision as in papilledema, a swelling of the optic disc, or in blindness. Visual disturbances are often symptoms of other disorders, in particular neurological disorders, but can also occur due to muscular disorders, vascular diseases, cancer, or trauma. Additionally, diseases such as diabetes and hyperthyroidism can contribute to the visual abnormalities. Some visual disturbances arise from congenital conditions that are often hereditary.

Sleep walking is a disorder that occurs when a person walks or does another activity while they are still asleep.

Sleepwalking disorder, also called somnambulism, is characterized by repeating episodes of motor activity during sleep such as sitting up in bed, rising, and walking around, among others. The person appears to be awake because their eyes are usually open and they can maneuver around objects, but is considered asleep. Sleepwalking disorder is one of several sleep disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , often called DSM-IV-TR , produced by the American Psychiatric Association and used by most mental health professionals in North America and Europe to diagnose mental disorders.

Somnambulism is also known as sleepwalking. It is a common disorder among children that involves getting out of bed and moving about while still asleep.

Also known as sleepwalking, a common disorder among children that involves getting out of bed and moving about while still asleep. Somnabulism, or sleepwalking, affects an estimated 15% of children in the early school years. It is similar to pavor nocturnus (night terrors) in that it occurs during the non-dreaming stage of sleep, usually within an hour or two of going to bed. The sleepwalking child feels an intense need to take action and may appear alert, purposeful, or anxious as he moves about. For many years, people believed that it was dangerous to waken a sleepwalker, but there is no basis for this view. There is, however, little reason to waken a sleepwalking child, and it may be impossible to do so. Sleepwalking children should be gently guided back to bed, and will usually be cooperative in this effort. Episodes of sleepwalking may be signs of a child's heightened anxiety about something. Parents should give careful consideration to events and environmental changes that may have triggered the onset of sleepwalking. If sleepwalking is common among family members, it is more likely that the child may respond to even slight increases in anxiety with sleepwalking behavior.

Detailed information on excessive sweating, including symptoms and treatment

A Harvard Medical School physician discusses excessive sweating while eating in diabetics, called diabetic gustatory diaphoresis.

My friend has a week-and-a-half old baby, who has been profusely sweating. The baby even became soaked with sweat while lying in his bassinet in only a diaper and socks. What could be the cause of this? Mom has had to give him sugar bottles because of constipation. She is worried the baby could be diabetic, because dad is diabetic.

Muscle rigidity is an alteration of muscle tone in which the muscles are in an involuntary state of continual tension. Muscle rigidity can be a manifestation of neurological damage (basal ganglia diseases) or a side effect of certain medications.

Total blindness is the inability to tell light from dark, or the total inability to see. Visual impairment or low vision is a severe reduction in vision that can't be corrected with standard glasses or contact lenses and reduces a person's ability to function at certain or all tasks. Legal blindness (which is actually a severe visual impairment) refers to a best-corrected central vision of 20/200 or worse in the better eye or a visual acuity of better than 20/200 but with a visual field no greater than 20° (e.g., side vision that is so reduced that it appears as if the person is looking through a tunnel).

What Is Low Vision?When you have low vision, you need more than glasses or contact lenses to see well enough to get around and do day-to-day tasks.

Detailed information on problems with vision in children

If you have low-vision symptoms, talk to your eye-care professional, who can help you find resources and visual devices to make the most of your remaining vision.

Detailed information on problems with vision in children

Treatment for Low VisionUsing vision aids can help you do the things you need and want to do. There are many kinds of vision aids.

The number of people losing their vision is growing, yet experts say much of this vision loss could be prevented.

Detailed information on correcting or improving vision problems

Have you noticed the sudden onset of any of these symptoms: vision loss, seeing double, the feeling of a shade over the eye, lights are surrounded by halos, or light sensitivity?

Reports of a rare eye condition developing in men after use of Viagra are a reminder that erectile dysfunction medications should be used with the same caution given to other prescription drugs.

Decreased consciousness is reduced alertness or awareness.

Spasticity is stiff or rigid muscles with exaggerated, deep tendon reflexes (for example, a knee-jerk reflex. The condition can interfere with walking, movement, or speech. See also: Muscle cramps

Spasticity is a form of muscle overactivity. A spastic muscle is one in which a muscle resists being stretched out, and the resistance to stretch is greater the faster the muscle is moved. Spasticity is often used as an umbrella term for other forms of muscle overactivity that often occur at the same time in the same patient.

Spasticity is an abnormal increase in muscle tone. It may be associated with involuntary muscle spasms , sustained muscle contractions (dystonia), and exaggerated deep tendon reflexes that make movement difficult or uncontrollable. Although it most commonly affects the legs and arms, spasticity can affect any part of the body including the trunk, neck, eyelids, face, or vocal cords.

Moist skin is an indication that the body is sweating (perspiring). Perspiration is the release of liquid from the sweat glands of the body, a normal body function to help the body stay cool.

Hazy vision, cloudy vision, blurred vision are all problems with seeing clearly. Any change in your normal vision is cause for concern and is a good reason to call a doctor for an examination.

Skin blushing or flushing is a sudden reddening of the face, neck, or upper chest.

Aimless movements can be a symptom of a primary or secondary movement disorder, side effect of a medication, psychiatric disturbance or dementia. Aimless or purposeless movement is therefore a significant symptom requiring evaluation by a physician to determine the origin of the problem.