A decreased level of consciousness characterized by sleepiness and trouble remaining alert. Abnormal drowsiness may be a sign of a head injury, high fever, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level), hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level), meningitis (inflammation of the membranes, or meninges, that surround the brain and spinal cord), or liver failure. Alcohol use or drugs — prescription, nonprescription, or an illegal narcotic — may also produce drowsiness. If a person who is drowsy fails to awaken after being shaken, pinched, or shouted at, the situation is a medical emergency and immediate professional help must be sought.
A decreased level of consciousness that often precedes or follows sleep.
Drowsiness is a state of awareness that lies between being fully awake and asleep, or unconscious. From a medical perspective, drowsiness holds significance if an individual does not respond to awakening stimuli like being shaken, pinched, or yelled at, or if they do wake up but quickly fall back into a state of drowsiness.
Excessive drowsiness should be approached as a medical urgency. It could stem from causes such as a head trauma, elevated body temperature, meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes enveloping the brain and spinal cord), uraemia (an overload of urea in the bloodstream due to kidney failure), or liver failure. The consumption of alcohol or drugs could also induce this condition. For individuals with diabetes mellitus, drowsiness might be due to hypoglycaemia (lowered blood sugar levels) or hyperglycaemia (elevated blood sugar levels).