Can seizures cause dysphagia?
Dysphagia is frequently present in individuals with MR and epilepsy. Drugs, which act as CNS depressants may further, compromise swallowing function and the patient’s ability to protect the airway.
What type of seizure causes drooling?
The symptoms of a complex partial seizure depend on the part of the brain that is affected. They involve some loss of consciousness and may include rhythmic jerking of the hand or arm, feelings of nausea or fear, drooling, vomiting and involuntary movements such as blinking or swallowing.
Why are epileptic patients at risk for aspiration?
Epilepsy itself is known to increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia due to increased oral secretions, impaired swallowing mechanism, and difficulty in attaining adequate patient positioning 35 .
Does stuff come out of your mouth when you have a seizure?
Foamy saliva can occur during a seizure because the mouth is forced closed, which stimulates the salivary glands and makes you produce extra spit. When the mouth opens again, drool or frothy saliva can come out. Foaming at the mouth can also occur following a provoked seizure.
What is focal epilepsy?
Focal epilepsy is a neurological condition in which the predominant symptom is recurring seizures that affect one hemisphere (half) of the brain.
What does increased saliva mean?
Other conditions. Drooling is usually caused by excess saliva in the mouth. Medical conditions such as acid reflux and pregnancy can increase saliva production. Allergies, tumors, and above-the-neck infections such as strep throat, tonsil infection, and sinusitis can all impair swallowing.
What is a complex seizure?
A complex partial seizure is a type of seizure that arises in one lobe of the brain, rather than the whole brain. The seizure affects people’s awareness and may cause them to lose consciousness.
Can seizures cause aspiration?
The medical team neglected the fact that seizures can predispose a patient to aspiration pneumonia. Any condition that impairs level of consciousness can cause a person to aspirate oropharyngeal or gastric contents. If these contents travel up into the lungs, permanent and serious damage can occur.
What is seizure aspiration?
Aspiration can occur during a seizure and in the post-ictal period due to the loss of airway reflexes. Commonly aspirated contents include saliva, blood, or vomited gastric contents.
How are oral secretions related to neurological disease?
Problems due to oral secretions are common and can be distressing in several neurological conditions. Oral secretion-related symptoms can result from saliva, which may vary in consistency from thin and watery to thick and tenacious, but may also be caused by secretions originating in the nose, throat or lungs.
How to prevent aspiration after an epileptic seizure?
For patients on restraints who have a GTCS while restrained (i.e., agitated telemetry patients), bedside aspiration of the oral cavity may be adequate and sufficient to prevent aspiration [8], [9]. Epilepsy Foundation of America. First Aid for Seizures.
What causes excessive serous saliva in the mouth?
Saliva and mucoid secretions form a vital part of a patient’s barrier immune system. 4 Sialorrhoea is an inconsistently used term most commonly describing excessive serous saliva in the mouth that can result from hypersecretion of saliva, anatomical abnormalities or facial–bulbar weakness.
How to treat thickened saliva in neurological disease?
There are a number of options for alleviating the discomfort associated with thickened saliva, many of which are conservative. Simple approaches include checking the patient’s fluid intake, thinning secretions with juices and ice cubes—grape, apple, pineapple or papaya—or frequent swabbing of the mouth.
