#First Aid for Seizures

[drrohitgupta]

Seizures can be a frightening experience for both the individual experiencing them and their loved ones. For those living with epilepsy, seizures can occur unexpectedly, which makes knowing how to respond quickly and effectively critical. Family members and caregivers play a crucial role in managing seizures and providing support. This article provides a practical guide on how to handle seizures safely, offering peace of mind to those caring for loved ones with epilepsy. Dr. Rohit Gupta, the best epilepsy specialist in Faridabad, shares essential first aid tips for seizures and explains how proper care can ensure the safety and well-being of individuals experiencing seizures.

[skeleticcs]

Seizure first-aid

Seizure activity and warning signs can look like: Facial twitching, Eye rolling, Myoclonic jerks (these can look like tics but aren’t), Slowed movement or reflexes, Slurred speech, Multiple clusters of smaller seizures(atonic, partial, or absences), Seeming ‘out of it’ or unresponsive, Dilated pupils

If someone near you starts to have a seizure:

1- Time the seizure and have soemone call emergency services(this varies, see below for more info)

2- Stay calm and don’t panic. People are not always unconscious during a seizure and when you freak out it can make the person panic as well, which doesn’t help the situation.

3- If able to, move them to the floor laying on their side(do not try to do this if convulsions are severe) and protect their head with a cushion, jacket, etc. so they’re not hitting it on the floor or anything around.

4- Remove anything from the area that they could hit or bump into, like tables or chairs. Also remove anything that could be a safety hazard such as glasses or tight jewelry/clothes around the neck.

5- Stay with the person until they’re fully conscious and functioning again and make sure they’re okay. Offer things like a snack, water, comfort item, etc if possible(only do this if they can handle it, don’t try to give them food if they’re still out of it and at risk of choking for example).

DO NOT hold the person down or try to stop their convulsions. DO NOT put anything in or near their mouth- it doesn’t help and can be an extreme choking hazard. DO NOT splash them with water, yell at them, or do anything else in an attempt to stop the seizure. It’s not possible and you just have to wait it out

WHEN TO CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES:

If this is a complete stranger it’s always best to be safe and have someone call(unless you find a medical ID stating otherwise). If the person seizing is a friend or someone you know has seizures regularly then there’s usually no need for emergency services(however, ALWAYS ASK the person themselves). If the person has been seizing for 3-5+ minutes non-stop, their lips are blue, they’re choking, or anything else out of the ordinary CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES IMMEDIATELY

Keep in mind that every person is different and they may want/need different things, so make sure to check with friends or people who you know may have a seizure while they’re with you.

[justepilepsy]

If you wanna keep showing strobe and glitch effect heavy movies, then at the very least have cinemas show a seizure first aid clip playing in front of every film.

[explanationation]

Important Life Side quests!

(No particular order)

1. Seizure/Epilepsy Training! (For free) By the Epilepsy Foundation it is an online module based program takes about 60-75 minutes but you will have three weeks to complete it. It will give you a Certification at the end after completing. Why this? It's important to know and quite interesting! Being seizure/epilepsy training certified also looks great on resumes and applications!

2. Food handlers card. Needed for any restaurant or fast food related job, and also generally helpful for at home cooking practices. Found efoodcard.com with a ~$7.99 fee. Online module based course regarding food safety practices. Is required for food related jobs and looks good on resumes and applications. When the course is complete you will have the certificate and 2 food handlers cards (one for you one for employer copies).

3. (If in the US) Memorize your social security number. It's asked for on almost all the important documents, often including hiring packets from employers.

4. Build your resume. This is more complex but if y'all are interested I can post separately an example! Important notes, keep it limited to one page, use only Harvard approved adjectives

5. Build a basic cover letter. Same as number four, I can post separately an example if it's wanted. But it is so much easier to modify a CV than it is to make a new one from scratch.

6. CPR/AED/First Aid training! Definitely important to know no matter your situation. But it is required for various jobs, and looks good on resumes and applications! Found online at RedCross.org with a ~$37.99 fee, you will have a certificate and an expanded knowledge bank at the end of the course!

(edited addition!) 7. Getting a passport! Never know where you will find yourself in the future and in the US these take up to 6 months to process and get back to you.

Links!

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/classes/adult-child-and-baby-first-aid%2Fcpr%2Faed-online/a6R3o000001vv3D.html

www.efoodcard.com/ (your state initials)

[dullahandyke]

I think I'd be good in a medical emergency. Somebody near me needs to suffer so that I can react well and get a good grade in first aid

[gryphonlover]

Internally screeching with rage because the seizure first aid course I'm doing online is broken. I did not just spend the past 1-2 hours working on this to be stopped halfway through because I can't find the button to continue.

I need to go eat a snack and cool off so I can fix this.

[atomiccryptid]

happy disability pride month to ME for figuring out that ive most likely had yet another disability for long while on day two

[tangled-pixel-harpsichord]

Went on twitter for the first time in...6 months?? Since Elon did the shitty rebranding anyway. I was trying to see if my state health insurance marketplace had posted anything about the expected maintenance that was keeping me from looking up something (and they hadn't, good job literal government agency 👍). Anyway I got sucked in and it's just hell. Examples from the 5 minutes I was on under the cut

Lasik is trending bc one person was talking about how he went blind due to complications of the procedure and a number of others are sharing similar stories

someone's on there ""noticing"" that all the tiktoks they've seen about this issue are from women

(the OP of the first lasik post is a guy but ok)

a BUNCH of lasik providers apparently did not actually look to see why it's trending so they're just advertising their practices 👍👍👍

tswift fan talking about the role lasik has played in her music and lamenting the loss of "glasseslor" 👁👁

oh god so much about iowa just so much, why do we even CARE, the republican caucus hasn't matched the national primary selection in DECADES it means NOTHING

ALMOST got pulled in to replying to someone who moved a seizing person around while everyone one else was giving them space, including RESTRICTING THEIR HEAD while they were ACTIVELY SEIZING, and was using this as an example of how society has "failed" bc everyone was "too afraid" to "offend" that they "couldn't be bothered" to "comfort" this person and the emt in me was SCREAMING but i RESISTED

side-note but DO NOT HOLD SOMEONE DOWN IF THEY ARE SEIZING ESPECIALLY BY THE HEAD HOLY SHIT

SEVERAL people pointed this out to OP and OP was Not Convinced they were wrong

I had to close the page at this point bc they were SO SMUG about trying to paralyze "helping" this innocent person I was gonna start dming them and that had negative chance of being either productive or fulfilling

and thus ends my impromptu X-ploration

the insurance site is still offline

i'm gonna go lie down

[seizure-safety-blog]

Tonic-Clonic Seizure First Aid

TW for talk of death, CPR.

Please note that this post is to help in the worst case scenario of someone experiencing a tonic-clonic seizure. All of the things mentioned are possible, but hopefully won't happen. At the end of the post I have written a best case scenario of what it looks like when everything goes right.

What is a Tonic-Clonic Seizure?

A tonic-clonic seizure is the type of seizure that probably pops into your head when someone says seizure. Think muscle spasms, shaking and unresponsive.

Call for Help, Start a Timer

If someone starts seizing, before you jump into action, take a breath. Either start a stopwatch or check and remember the time (to the minute) that the seizure started. This is very important as seizures can be very dangerous the longer they last, and the ambulance will want to know this information.

Speaking of ambulances, call your emergency service number. If you're in public, get someone passing by to call for you. Be specific; say something like "You in the purple shirt! Call an ambulance!". It's shown that people will just assume someone else is going to call if they're not told directly.

Okay, now it's time to start assessing the situation. Anyone who's done a first aid course before might be familiar with the primary survey: DRABC. If not, here is a helpful link for anyone who wants to learn it when applied to general medical emergencies. This primary survey will focus on tonic-clonic seizures.

Danger

The first step of your primary survey is danger. You want to assess the danger to the patient and, more importantly, yourself. If a person is seizing in the middle of a road, wait until the road is clear to approach them (if it becomes safe to approach at all). You are of no help to the person seizing if you're hurt.

While we're on the subject: only move the person seizing if they are in danger where they are. If they're on the floor, they can't fall any further, so don't try and move them onto a bed or sofa. Place something somewhat soft and cushioned (rolled-up sweater, pillow, backpack etc.) under their head to prevent damage. Move things like flowerpots, end tables etc., away if they're likely to hit them.

Also, do not hold someone having a seizure down. Scenario one: the person is stronger than you, and you get dislocated joint. Scenario two: you are stronger than them, and they get a dislocated joint. Either way, bad idea. Their muscles can and will keep spasming no matter what you do. Let them thrash around. If anything that will hurt them if they hit it is out of the way, leave them be.

Once you have assessed danger and removed any potential hazards (if safe to do so), you won't be able to complete the rest of the primary survey until the seizure has finished; however, the information below is good to consider during the seizure.

Response

The person should start coming around within a few minutes of the seizure ending. Speak to them calmly and tell them what happened. Encourage them to sit up, preferably leaning against something. They will likely be disoriented for a while, which is absolutely normal. Be reassuring and let them know that they are safe.

When someone has a tonic-clonic seizure, they will be unresponsive, so there is no need to check their level of response during the seizure.

Once they have stopped seizing, you will need to check their level of response. First, call their name, or say "Can you hear me?" quite loudly into each ear (they may be d/Deaf or hard of hearing on one side). If they don't respond, try shaking their shoulder firmly. Finally, squeeze one of their fingertips quite hard. They are unresponsive if they don't react to any of those stimuli. This is good information to tell the ambulance crew when they arrive.

Airway

If you can, try and look in the person's mouth to see if there is anything obstructing their airway, especially if they were eating before they seized. While it isn't a massive problem for the moment as they aren't breathing (more about that in the Breathing section) when they come around, if there is something blocking their airway, they may choke. Keep in mind though, that a lot of people will clench their jaw when they seize. Do not try and pry it open, you might lose a finger (seriously, jaws are strong). Again, inform the ambulance crew when they arrive if you think there may be something in their airway. Even if you're wrong, better safe than sorry.

Whilst we're on airway: please, please, please do not under any circumstances put anything in the person's mouth. For a very long time, people have held the belief that preventing the person from biting their tongue warrants putting something in their mouth. Yeah, the person may bite their tongue. Yeah, it might bleed. Yeah, it'll hurt like hell. But, better a bitten tongue than choking on something. Seriously, just don't do it.

Breathing

So, like I mentioned before, a person having a tonic-clonic seizure won't be breathing. This is normal for a tonic-clonic seizure but it is obviously dangerous for the person as their brain won't be getting oxygen. There is nothing you can do to fix that they aren't breathing. They will hopefully start breathing on their own again after the seizure finishes. If the seizure ends and they don't start breathing, and the ambulance has not arrived, call emergency services back and let them know. Similarly, if the seizure lasts for more than two minutes, call emergency services again (official guidance in most places says five minutes but the brain starts to deteriorate with no oxygen after two).

If the seizure stops and the person does not start breathing for themselves, re-assess response and airway. If they are unresponsive and their airway is clear, move on to Circulation.

Circulation

Start CPR if the person is no longer seizing and is not breathing. It is imperative to note: the person must not be seizing when you start CPR. If they are moving by themselves, do not start CPR. If they are moving, they do not require resuscitation, and you will crack their ribs for no good reason.

If you have never been taught CPR before, I will explain how to do it here; however, I recommend watching this video on how to perform CPR (the video is for an adult, but the same channel also has child and baby CPR videos).

Start by positioning yourself on your knees, facing the person's torso from the side. Place the heel of your dominant hand in the centre of their chest, directly on the sternum, between the nipples/pectoral area. There is a picture below for reference:

Place your non-dominant hand over your dominant, and interlock your fingers.

You can do two types of CPR: compression-only or compression and rescue breath CPR.

As the name suggests, compression-only CPR is where you only perform compressions. This is done by firmly pressing down on the chest by using your body weight. You should aim to press down around 1/3 of their chest (guidelines suggest 5-6cm, but this isn't always enough for plus-size people). You will need to push incredibly hard. You will feel their ribs crack; this is normal and, frankly, required for effective CPR.

You should pump their chest hard and fast, between 100 and 120 beats per minute. An excellent way to keep track of the rate is by humming "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees or "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen and pushing at the same rhythm as the song. Do this continuously, swapping out with another person where possible when you become fatigued. CPR is tough work, and you will tire very quickly. There is no shame in needing a break.

Compression and rescue breath CPR has the same compression element (1/3 of the chest, 100-120 beats a minute, etc.) but with what are known as rescue breaths added. Please note: you are under no circumstances required to perform rescue breaths. If you are uncomfortable or not confident in doing rescue breaths, do compression-only CPR.

To perform rescue breaths, you need to tilt the person's head back slightly and pinch their nose. Then, form a seal around their mouth with yours, and blow for 2 seconds. You will need to do this twice and remove your mouth from theirs to look down the chest to check if their chest is rising in between the two breaths. Then start compressions again. You will need to perform 30 compressions, then two breaths, then 30 compressions, then two breaths, et cetera. Continue until emergency services arrive and you are told to stop. Swap out with another person when you get tired where possible.

If there is one available, get a defibrillator (so known as an AED). They tend to be in public places such as shopping centres and gyms. The machine will speak and tell you what to do. Most models also have LCD screens with instructions for those of you who are d/Deaf and HOH.

And that concludes first aid for tonic-clonic seizures! If you have any questions, or want to point out anything I missed, please shoot me an ask or a DM!

Apologies for the length of this, but I wanted it to be as comprehensive as possible for people who have never had training or been taught about medical emergencies.

[hesitationss]

also something random i want to do: after i get my license i think i will do some volunteer first responder training...

[hylianengineer]

Hey if anyone is interested, you can get free seizure first aid training here: https://learn.epilepsy.com/courses/seizure-first-aid-cert-ondemand. People tend to get seizure first aid really, dangerously wrong, so definitely worth a look.

[michellemisfit]

I would also like to add:

- Clear movable objects in the vicinity as the person having the seizure could injure themselves on something (chairs, tables, stools… anything with sharp edges and corners basically).

- Remove gawking bystanders. If you know someone, keep one person near by, in case you need help, but otherwise disperse forming crowds. No one wants to come round from a seizure to find 20 people staring at them.

- If you don’t know anyone in the crowd single one person out and put them in charge of dispersing the crowd. Don’t say ‘can you all move please’ but say ‘you, in the blue shirt, can you please be in charge of managing this crowd?’ People respond to individualised direct orders much better than generic mass requests.

- Be calm and matter of fact. During seizures people can loose control of their bladder. If you have a blanket near by then great. If not then a hoodie, extra button up shirt, a scarf, or anything else will work to offer the person some modesty. Goes hand in hand with removing gawking bystanders.

- People often come out of seizures dazed and confused. Seizures can be scary for you to witness, but they can be equally scary to experience, even if it’s a regular occurrence. Please remember that you’re dealing with a person. Do the things you would appreciate, if it was you in that situation. Be calm. Be kind. Be thoughtful.

—

As a (related) aside… if you have the chance to attend first aid training, please do it! It may be the difference between saving a life, and not. But even in less extreme situations, it gives you the confidence to take charge and do the right thing, which makes things easier for everyone involved, including yourself!

[kazifatagar]

New: Heartbreaking video of child having seizure prompts first aid discussion

A recent video shared by Dr. Samhan on X shows a child experiencing a seizure, sparking a conversation on crucial first aid measures for such moments. In the video, the child is visibly shaking, a frightening sight for any parent without medical training. Dr. Samhan advised turning the child onto their side in the recovery position to prevent choking, cautioning against placing objects in the…

[pngmedicalblog]

Understanding and Responding to Seizures in Children: First Aid Guide

Seizures, also commonly referred to as “fits,” are episodes of abnormal, excessive, and synchronized electrical activity in the brain. This electrical disturbance can lead to various symptoms, ranging from minor twitching to intense convulsions. In children, seizures can be caused by factors such as fever, infections like meningitis or encephalitis, head injuries, congenital brain defects,…