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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Seizure Disorder - Epilepsy

Symptoms & Signs

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