LIVING WITH EPILEPSY

MANAGING SEIZURES

Seizure management or first aid is keeping one safe during the course of a seizure. Most seizures are brief and stop within a few minutes.

The first thing in creating a plan in seizure management is getting your doctors advice. Your doctor knows of the seizure history and is able to help you with a response.

Standard First Aid

• Protect from injury while the seizure continues, but don't force restrain movements.
• Whenever possible, try to lay the person on a soft surface and turn on one side.
• Place something flat and soft under the head; loosen anything tight around the neck.
• Do not place anything in the mouth.
• CPR is not required during a seizure.
• Record approximately how long the seizure lasts.
• As the jerking slows down, make sure breathing is returning to normal.
• Do not try to give medicine or fluids until the person is fully awake and aware of what is happening.

 

What to Tell Your Doctor

Most doctors will never see the seizure -- they don't happen often in the doctor's office. It will help the doctor if you took down what the patient was doing just before the seizure began, what happened during the seizure, how long it lasted, and how quickly was recovery.

Emergency Aid

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, a seizure that ends after a couple of minutes does not usually require a trip to the emergency room.

However, if it lasts more than 5 minutes without any sign of slowing down, is unusual in some way, or if a child has trouble breathing afterwards, appears to be injured or in pain, or recovery is different from usual, call for emergency help.