Seeing someone have a seizure can be frightening, especially if you have never witnessed one before. The most important thing to remember is to stay calm, protect the person from injury, and avoid actions that could make the situation more dangerous.
During most seizures, you should not try to stop the person’s movements, put anything in their mouth, or give them food, water, or medicine while they are unconscious. Instead, stay with them, clear nearby hazards, protect their head, and keep track of how long the seizure lasts.
Knowing basic seizure first aid can help you respond safely and recognize when emergency medical help is needed.
What Is a Seizure?
A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can look different from person to person.
Some people may suddenly lose awareness, stare blankly, or become confused. Others may fall, become stiff, and have repeated jerking movements of their arms and legs.
A seizure may last for a few seconds or several minutes. The person’s behavior and level of awareness may also remain unusual for some time after the seizure ends.
What to Do During a Seizure
If someone is having a seizure, focus on keeping them safe rather than trying to stop the seizure itself.
1. Stay Calm and Stay With Them
Try to remain calm. A seizure can look dramatic, but your priority is to prevent injury.
Stay with the person until the seizure ends and they are fully awake or help arrives.
2. Move Dangerous Objects Away
If possible, gently move nearby objects that could cause injury.
For example:
- Move chairs, tables, sharp objects, glass, or other hard items away.
- Keep the area around the person clear.
- If they are near traffic, water, fire, or another dangerous environment, move them away from the hazard if it can be done safely.
Do not try to move the person unnecessarily if there is no immediate danger.
3. Protect Their Head
If the person is on the floor, place something soft under their head, such as a folded jacket or towel.
This can help reduce the risk of head injury from repeated movements.
4. Loosen Tight Clothing Around the Neck
If the person’s clothing is tight around the neck, loosen it gently. This may make breathing more comfortable.
5. Turn Them Onto Their Side When Possible
Once the seizure stops, or if you can safely position the person without forcing their movements, place them on their side.
The recovery position can help keep the airway clear, particularly if they are unconscious or drowsy after the seizure.
6. Time the Seizure
Use your phone or a watch to note when the seizure starts and ends.
The duration is important information for doctors and emergency responders.
A seizure lasting 5 minutes or longer is a medical emergency and requires immediate emergency medical help.
7. Stay With Them After the Seizure
After a seizure, the person may be confused, sleepy, tired, or have difficulty speaking. This is often called the postictal period.
Stay with them until they become more alert.
Speak calmly and reassure them. Avoid asking too many questions at once.
What Not to Do During a Seizure
Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do.
1. Do Not Put Anything in Their Mouth
Never put your fingers, a spoon, cloth, water, medicine, or any other object into the person’s mouth during a seizure.
A person cannot swallow their tongue during a seizure. Putting something in their mouth can cause choking, dental injury, or injury to your own fingers.
2. Do Not Hold Them Down
Do not try to restrain their arms or legs or stop the jerking movements.
Restraining someone during a seizure can cause injuries to their muscles, joints, or bones.
Instead, make the surrounding area safe and allow the seizure to run its course.
3. Do Not Give Food, Water, or Medicine
Do not give anything by mouth while the person is unconscious or not fully alert.
They may have difficulty swallowing, which creates a risk of choking.
If the person has a prescribed rescue medicine, follow the instructions provided by their doctor or seizure care plan.
4. Do Not Try to Move Them Unless Necessary
If there is no immediate danger, avoid moving the person during the seizure.
If they are in a dangerous location, such as near traffic, water, fire, or a height, take reasonable steps to protect them from the danger.
5. Do Not Perform CPR During the Seizure
Most seizures do not require CPR while the seizure is happening.
After the seizure stops, check whether the person is breathing normally. If they are not breathing normally and you are trained to provide CPR, begin CPR and call emergency medical services.
When Should You Call Emergency Medical Help?
Not every seizure requires an ambulance, particularly when a person has a known seizure disorder and the seizure follows their usual pattern. However, emergency medical help should be called when there is a serious concern.
Call emergency services if:
- The seizure lasts 5 minutes or longer.
- Another seizure begins before the person fully recovers from the first one.
- The person has difficulty breathing or does not regain consciousness normally after the seizure.
- The seizure happens in water.
- The person has suffered a significant injury.
- It is the person’s first known seizure.
- The person is pregnant or has another serious medical condition and there is concern about their condition.
- The seizure occurs after a serious accident or head injury.
- You are unsure whether the person is recovering normally.
- The seizure continues or repeated seizures occur without recovery in between.
If you are ever unsure about the severity of the situation, it is safer to seek emergency medical assistance.
What to Do After a Seizure
Once the seizure has stopped, the person may need time to recover.
You can:
- Help them lie or sit somewhere safe.
- Place them on their side if they are sleepy or not fully conscious.
- Stay nearby and monitor their breathing.
- Speak calmly and reassure them.
- Allow them to rest.
- Check for injuries once they are alert enough to respond.
- Note how long the seizure lasted and what happened before, during, and after it.
If possible, write down useful details for the doctor, such as unusual movements, loss of awareness, possible triggers, injuries, and how long recovery took.
Can You Prevent Someone From Having a Seizure?
You generally cannot stop an active seizure by holding the person down or trying to control their movements.
For someone who has epilepsy or recurrent seizures, following the treatment plan provided by their neurologist can help reduce the risk of future seizures. Taking prescribed medicines as directed and attending recommended follow-up appointments are important parts of seizure management.
If seizures are new, changing in pattern, becoming more frequent, or occurring despite treatment, a neurological evaluation may be needed.
When to Speak With a Neurologist
A seizure should not simply be ignored, particularly if it is the first episode or if the pattern has changed.
A neurologist can assess the person’s symptoms, medical history, and possible causes and decide whether further evaluation or testing is appropriate.
For neurological evaluation and guidance related to seizures, Idika Neuro Clinic, led by Dr. Shruti Agrawal, Neurologist, can be an option for consultation. Dr. Shruti Agrawal has 9+ years of experience in neurology.
Idika Neuro Clinic
Alpine Primo, B-7, JP Rd, opposite Navrang Cinema, Fish Market Area, Navneeth Colony, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400058
Phone: 72082 80587
For consultation or WhatsApp assistance, you can contact the clinic directly.
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