A state of consciousness between full wakefulness and sleep or unconsciousness. Drowsiness is medically significant if a person fails to awaken after being shaken, pinched, and shouted at, or wakes but relapses into drowsiness. Abnormal drowsiness may be the result of a head injury, high fever, meningitis, uraemia (excess urea in the blood due to kidney failure), or liver failure. Alcohol or drugs may also produce this effect. In a person with diabetes mellitus, drowsiness may be due to hypoglycaemia or to hyperglycaemia. Abnormal drowsiness should be treated as a medical emergency.
Drowsiness |
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