Community Forum Archive

The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.

Seizure First Aid

Tue, 09/10/2013 - 10:41
Hi everyone! This week the Epilepsy Foundation has launched a national seizure first aid awareness campaign through social media. A tip a day is being posted on facebook and via twitter. Can you help spread the word and help someone with seizures? Your help can save a life! Here's the first few tips to get us started! - Stay calm when you see someone having a seizure. The seizure most people think of involves someone falling and convulsing. This is called a tonic-clonic seizure, and it can be scary -- especially if you don’t know what is happening. One key to staying calm is recognizing this kind of seizure and knowing what to do. A tonic-clonic seizure is usually short and rarely dangerous. Staying calm will help you help the person having the seizure. For more on how to recognize seizures and know what to do . #FirstAid #Epilepsy #Seizures - Today’s first aid for seizures tip is: Prevent injury by moving nearby objects away from a person having a seizure. When someone is having a tonic-clonic (convulsive) seizure, they are unaware of their surroundings. Clearing away sharp or hard objects the person could hit while having this kind of seizure is especially important. If the person becomes injured during the seizure, call an ambulance. If you are curious about when to call an ambulance, check out this website. #FirstAid #Epilepsy #Seizures Spread the word and thanks so much! Please feel free to post feedback and questions. We learn best from each other! Have a great day and post and retweet away! Epihelp Resource Specialist pshafer@efa.org

Comments

Re: Seizure First Aid

Submitted by just_joe on Tue, 2013-09-10 - 18:44

I have been very fanilar with first aid for seizures for many years. But thanks because the information does need to get out and into schools and the general public

Will there be any first aid for other seizures? Some seizures I have many people do not know waht is going on because they are absence or partial seizures even some complex partial seizures people do not know what is happening other than I can't do anything with my hand for a short period of time

Thanks
Joe

I have been very fanilar with first aid for seizures for many years. But thanks because the information does need to get out and into schools and the general public

Will there be any first aid for other seizures? Some seizures I have many people do not know waht is going on because they are absence or partial seizures even some complex partial seizures people do not know what is happening other than I can't do anything with my hand for a short period of time

Thanks
Joe

Re: Seizure First Aid

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2013-09-13 - 11:17
Here's another tip! Keep onlookers back a safe distance. If the seizure should happen in a crowded place and people are crowding around simply ask them to move away. #FirstAid #Epilepsy #Seizures Hope you are sharing posts and tweets! Epi_help Resource Specialist

Re: Seizure First Aid

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2013-09-13 - 11:22
And another one! Don't forget this one....Time how long the seizure lasts. Most tonic-clonic seizures will end in a short time. However, if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, call 911 for help. It is NOT recommended that you take the person to the hospital yourself. #FirstAid #Epilepsy #Seizures The same holds true for partial seizures. They usually last only seconds or may a couple minutes. But it can be hard to tell when a seizure ends because people may be confused or have trouble talking for a while. Talk to your health care team about when to call for help with partial seizures. Emergency help is needed if a partial seizure keeps recurring, as in clusters, or the person doesn't return to their baseline within a typical length of time for them. When in doubt about how long to wait or what type of seizure the person has, call for help and let others make sure the person is okay. Epi_help Resource Specialist

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.