convulsion
Sign in to saveAlso known as seizure, fit, fits, convulsions, seizures
A convulsion is a medical condition where the body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled shaking. Because epileptic seizures typically include convulsions, the term convulsion is often used as a synonym for seizure. However, not all epileptic seizures result in convulsions, and not all convulsions are caused by epileptic seizures. Non-epileptic convulsions have no relation with epilepsy, and are caused by non-epileptic seizures.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Convulsion
- Medical condition (new).field
- Neurology, Psychiatry
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Muscle spasms, uncontrollable shaking
- Medical condition (new).risks
- Epilepsy
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
Show 5 more facts
- NCI Thesaurus ID
- C2962
- ICPC 2 ID
- N07
- exact match
- purl.obolibrary.org/obo/SYMP_0000596
- Commons category
- Seizures
- P8168
- Rado
via Wikidata · CC0
~7 min read
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Causes
- Epileptic seizures
- Generalized seizures
- Febrile convulsion
- Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
- Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia
- Notes
- References
A convulsion is a medical condition where the body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled shaking. Because epileptic seizures typically include convulsions, the term convulsion is often used as a synonym for seizure. However, not all epileptic seizures result in convulsions, and not all convulsions are caused by epileptic seizures. Non-epileptic convulsions have no relation with epilepsy, and are caused by non-epileptic seizures.
Convulsions can be caused by epilepsy, infections (including a severe form of listeriosis which is caused by eating food contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes), brain trauma, or other medical conditions. They can also occur from an electric shock or improperly enriched air for scuba diving.