How to respond to someone having a seizure or fit
There are several easy things you may do to help if you notice someone suffering a seizure or fit.If they are in danger, such as next to a busy road or a hot burner, simply relocate them.To facilitate respiration, untie any restrictive clothes around their neck, such as a collar or tie, if they are lying on the ground. When the spasms cease, flip the patient over. As they begin to feel better, remain by their side and speak to them quietly. Take note of when the seizure began and ended.Don't put anything, not even your fingers, in their mouth. They shouldn't eat or drink anything until they are completely well.
Request an ambulance if it is someone's first seizure; the seizure lasts longer than typical for them; the seizure lasts longer than five minutes; the person does not fully recover consciousness; the person suffers numerous seizures without recovering consciousness; the person has major injuries during the seizure.
When having a seizure, people with epilepsy may not necessarily need to call an ambulance or go to the hospital.They often have a care plan that was prepared with physicians, their family, or other caregivers and specifies what to do in the event of a seizure, such as administering emergency medication. You can adhere to their care plan if you are trained and know what to do.Some epileptics carry a card or wear a special wristband to alert medical personnel and anybody seeing a seizure to their condition.
If you see someone experiencing a seizure, you could observe some things that the patient or their doctor might find helpful to know:
- Before the seizure, what were they doing?
- Did the individual describe any strange feelings, like a strange taste or smell?
- Have you noticed a shift in your mood, such as enthusiasm, worry, or anger?
- How did you become aware of the seizure? Was there a sound, like when they tripped over, or was there movement, like their eyes rolling or head turning?
- Did the seizure come on suddenly?
- Was there any changed awareness or loss of consciousness?
- The person's colour did it change? Did they get pale, flushed, or blue, for instance? If so, where—on the lips, on the hands, or both?
- Did any of their bodily parts twitch, jerk, or stiffen? And if so, which areas?
- Did the respiration of the individual alter?
- Did they move about or mutter or fidget with their clothes, for example?
- How long was the seizure?
- Did the individual have bowel or bladder incontinence?
- They bit their tongue, did they?
- After the seizure, how were they doing?
- Did they need a nap? In such case, how long?
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