By Estefan Ellison
In the book, Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll, the title character finds herself growing and shrinking in one chapter. It is interesting to note that some people have actually felt like they have experienced this and this symptom was named after Alice, because of that chapter in the book. However, in the book, Alice grows because of eating and drinking some strange creations. People with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (or AIWS) feel that their body is changing, because of migraines and headaches. They don’t just see themselves changing in size, though, but they also see other people, animals and objects look larger or smaller than they actually are. They can also feel that their hearing and sense of touch have changed. Like what happens to Alice in the beginning of the book, some people with epilepsy who also have AIWS can feel like they are falling down a hole. Lewis Carroll himself had epilepsy and that is what inspired some of Alice’s adventures (most notably falling down a hole and feeling like everything is growing or shrinking). AIWS can also be referred to as Micropsia. Some of the causes of Micropsia are complex partial epilepsy and drugs (like the way it is depicted in the Lewis Carroll story).
Like other types of epilepsy, children are the most affected demographic with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. Most of the effects of AIWS occur in the dark, where children feel scared the most. Some cough syrup ingredients might cause AIWS and since parents give cough syrup to their children while they are young, they will most likely get it. Other causes for AIWS in children are Epstein-Barr virus and Mononucleosis (or Mono for short). However, sometimes Micropsia will not last for the entire child’s life. Most times, the symptom will last for only one month.
Even though, it is mostly caught by children, adults are able to get Alice in Wonderland Syndrome as well. In fact, Lewis Carroll was said to have gotten the migraine, which helped inspire the fifth chapter of his book. Ever since then, Micropsia has been linked to Carroll and his fairy tale world as well as his plucky heroine’s poor food choices.