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Seizures: What to do when you see one
Seizures can be a very scary experience both for the person who is having one and the person witnessing it. If you see someone having a seizure make sure you know what you need to do. Here are 9 things you should do when you notice someone having a seizure.1. Stay Calm
Try not to get into panic mode, so that you are able to help keep the person safe during the seizure.2. Cushion Head
Place your jacket or something soft under the head so that a more severe head injury does not occur.3. Turn person onto their side
This will keep the person from choking on their saliva or any vomiting that may occur4. Do not put anything in the mouth
Contrary to popular beliefs, a person CANNOT swallow their tongue. Placing anything in someone’s mouth during a seizure risks them choking on it, or clenching down hard on it, injuring their jaw.5. Do not hold the person down
You can cause bodily injury if you try to hold a person down during a seizure.6. Protect the person from nearby objects
Move any sharp or hard objects away from the person so they don’t hit into them during the seizure. If you must, move the patient away from any dangerous objects.7. Monitor the situation
Keep note of the length of time of the seizure and what the person is physicaly doing. This information will be very helpful for any emergency personnel that arrives on scene.8. Stay with the person
Make sure you stay with the person until the seizure stops and the individual is alert. After a seizure, a person may be groggy, confused, and scared because they don’t understand what had just occurred. Stay with them to calm and comfort them. Try to get them to lay and relax.9. Call for help if:
- The seizure lasts for more than 5 minutes
- The person does not resume breathing after the seizure
- Injury occurs
- A second seizure begins
