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convulsion |
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convulsion, sudden, violent, involuntary contraction of the muscles of the body, often accompanied by loss of consciousness. It is not known what causes the abnormal impulses from the brain that result in convulsive seizures, since the disturbance may arise in normal brain tissue as well as in diseased or injured tissue. Convulsions may occur in such conditions as epilepsy, poisoning, high fever (especially in young children), disturbances of calcium or phosphorus metabolism, alkalosis, diabetes, oxygen insufficiency, and a low blood-sugar content, as well as in local irritation or injury of the brain. Persons undergoing convulsions should be guarded against self-injury (see epilepsy epilepsy, a chronic disorder of cerebral function characterized by periodic convulsive seizures. There are many conditions that have epileptic seizures. Sudden discharge of excess electrical activity, which can be either generalized (involving many areas of cells in ..... Click the link for more information. ). Otherwise, treatment must be directed to the underlying cause. convulsion a violent involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles convulsion [kən′vəl·shən] (medicine) An episode of involuntary, generally violent muscular contractions, rhythmically alternated with periods of relaxation; associated with many systematic and neurological diseases. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| But to what did they owe the convulsion and rapture of their transport? We may imagine that stream of white lava had flowed from many parts of the mountain into the lower country, and that when solidified they had bee rent by some enormous convulsion into myriads of fragments. While this dumb convulsion lasted I could only watch it-- which I did the more intently when I saw Flora's face peep at me over our companion's shoulder. |
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