How to Help Someone Having a Seizure
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Do you know what to do if someone is having a seizure? November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and although seizures aren’t a common occurrence seen every day, it’s important to understand how to render first aid to someone experiencing one. Here’s what you should know!
How to know if someone is having a seizure.
Seizures will appear differently based on the type of seizure a person is having.
Generalized:
- Tonic-clonic seizures (or grand mal) can appear as an individual shouting, dropping to the ground, losing consciousness, and jerking or having muscle spasms.
- Absence seizures (or petit mal seizure) can appear as someone being completely zoned out or continuously blinking fast.
Focal:
- Simple focal seizures can make an induvial twitch or cause a transition in senses such as an odd smell or taste all of a sudden.
- Complex focal seizures can cause an individual to have confusion, they will need a couple moments following the seizure before communicating normally again.
- Secondary generalized seizures start off on one side of the brain and eventually spread to both sides.
Steps for first aid if your child has a seizure.
Witnessing someone have a seizure can be frightening for anyone, but always remember to keep yourself and those around you calm.
- Comfort and assist the individual experiencing any kind of seizure by:
- Talking in a calming tone.
- Remain with them until the seizure is over and they are fully awake and alert.
- Guide them to a comfortable place to sit.
- Wait until they are alert to explain what happened to them.
Here’s how you can help someone having a tonic-clonic seizure:
- Gently assist them to the ground.
- Put down a pillow-like object underneath their head, such as a folded piece of clothing.
- To encourage easier breathing, roll them on one side of their body.
- Take off their eyeglasses.
- Move any clutter or potentially dangerous objects out of the way.
If you are witnessing someone experience a seizure, remember to:
- Never have the individual drink water or eat unless they are fully alert.
- Never give CPR, the individual should breathe normally on their own following the seizure.
- Never try to restrain the person or hold them down.
- Never put objects in an individual’s mouth as this can cause damage to the jaws or teeth.
When to call 911 for children having a seizure.
- The duration of the seizure runs over 5 minutes.
- They have no history of seizures.
- More than one seizure occurs in the same time frame.
- The seizure happens while in water.
- The individual has trouble walking or breathing properly after the seizure.
- There is an injury during the seizure.
Regardless of the date published, no content on this website should ever be used as a replacement for direct medical advice from your primary care provider or another qualified clinician.