| Definition: | Agitation refers to an unpleasant state of extreme arousal, increased tension, and irritability.
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| Alternative Names: | Restlessness
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| Considerations: | Extreme agitation can lead to confusion, hyperactivity, and outright hostility. Agitation can come on suddenly or gradually. It can last for just a few minutes or for weeks and even months. Pain, stress, and fever can all increase agitation.
Agitation by itself may not have much clinical significance; but, if viewed with other symptoms, it can be a good indicator of a disease state.
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| Common Causes: |
Agitation can be assoicated with anxiety and depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
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| Home Care: | A calm environment, plenty of sleep, adequate lighting, and any measure to reduce stress may help to decrease agitation. Avoid restraining an overly-agitated person if possible, since this usually makes the problem worse.
Communication of feelings is important.
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| Call your health care provider if: | - there is prolonged or severe agitation, especially if accompanied by other unexplained symptoms.
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| What to expect at your health care provider's office: | Your health care provider will obtain a medical history from either the patient or a family member and do a physical examination.
To help better understand your agitation, your doctor may ask the following:
- type
- Is the patient more talkative than usual or is there a feeling of pressure to keep talking?
- Does the patient show increased purposeless activity (e.g., pacing, hand wringing)?
- Is the patient extremely restless?
- Is the patient trembling or twitching?
- time pattern
- Was the agitation a short episode?
- Is the agitation persistent?
- How long did it persist -- for how many day(s)?
- aggravating factors
- Does the agitation seem to be triggered by reminders of a traumatic event?
- Did you notice anything else that may have triggered agitation?
- Does the patient take any medications, in particular, steroids or thyroid medicine?
- How much alcohol does the patient drink?
- How much caffeine does the patient drink?
- Does the patient use any drugs, in particular, cocaine, narcotics, or amphetamines (speed)?
- other
- What other symptoms are also present?
- Is there confusion, memory loss, hyperactivity, or hostility (these symptoms may play an important role in diagnosis).
Diagnostic tests may include:
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