What do I do if someone has a seizure?
Link to National Society for Epilepsy Website page Link to Epilepsy Action Website page Seizures are unpredictable and may occur without warning. This can be very frightening, both for the person having the seizure and those around them. Knowing what to do if you see someone having a seizure may help them and make the event less worrying. First aid for seizures is based on some simple, common sense principles: Most seizures are brief and stop by themselves. They are not commonly life threatening, and do not require the person to go to hospital. First aid is not aimed at affecting the course of the seizure. The person who has had the seizure will normally be back to normal within half an hour or so, but may be very tired and need to sleep.
For a convulsive (shaking) seizure: This may last for 1- 5 mins.
DO: Consider your safety first.
Keep Calm Check the time, to monitor how long the seizure lasts
Prevent others from crowding round
If the person is unconscious loosen any tight clothing around their neck. Prevent injury by cushioning the head, removing sharp objects, or moving furniture. Only move the person if they are in immediate danger i.e. in water or on a road. DONT: Don’t try to put anything in the person’s mouth. Do not try to restrain the person’s movements. Try to move them unless they are in danger Give the person anything to drink until they are fully recovered.
Once the episode has finished, aid breathing by placing the person on their side and gently lift their chin, tilting their head backwards (recovery position)
Stay with them until they are fully recovered and aware of their surroundings
Gently reassure them as they recover
Recovery Once the seizure has stopped, many people feel tired or have a headache and need to sleep for several hours.
For other types of seizures:
In some seizures the person will not become unconsious, but may look blank, or become confused and disorientated. They may fiddle with their clothing or objects they are holding and may wander around in a confused manner. For these types of seizures follow the safety advice above, gently directing the person away from danger if necessary. Stay with them, offering reasurrance until they are able to return to normal activities, which may be after 10-15 mins.
When should an ambulance be called?
It is often not necessary for the person who has had the seizure to go to hospital. However an ambulance should be called if: if you do not know the person or they have not had a seizure before a convulsive (shaking) seizure lasts more than 5 mins. one convulsive seizure follows another without the person regaining conciousness in between. the person has injured themselves during a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or if you are worried about their health in any way.