epilepsy...first aid

I recently shared a hotel room with someone that unbeknownst to me, suffers from epilepsy. I knew that he took medication because he would sometimes suddenly lose consciousness, but he had so distanced himself from the label of epilepsy that when it happened that he had a violent seizure I was totally unprepared and didn't know what to do. It was extremely frightening but would have been less so if I had at least been prepared for the possibility.

I have since done a lot of research on epilepsy and would like to share the First Aid tips so that if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, you know what to do. To learn more about epilepsy its many forms, famous people with epilepsy (Dicken, Shelly, Lord Byron, Danny Glover, Socrates...) and so much more, please visit http://www.epilepsy.com

Seizure First Aid
Here are a few things you can do to help someone who is having a seizure of any kind:

When encountering someone having a seizure many people feel ill-equipped in handling this circumstance. They forget that they already have within their possession one essential tool- common sense. The following tips below are simple, common-sense steps to take when responding to a person having a seizure. First-aid isn’t complicated, but it involves a sequence of actions and considerations which are beyond the scope of epilepsy.com. If you haven’t taken a course in first-aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) you can check within your community for classes being offered.

Many seizure types-such as generalized absence seizures or complex partial seizures, which involve relatively brief episodes of unresponsiveness- don’t require any specific first-aid measures. (My own personal comment: Wearing a Medical Alert bracelet and/or telling your friends if you experience these so that they are aware and know what's going on can save undue stress on your friends' parts and expensive unecessary medical treatment on yours.)
-Stay calm

-Prevent injury
During the seizure, you can exercise your common sense by insuring there is nothing within reach that could harm the person if she struck it.

-Pay attention to the length of the seizure

-Make the person as comfortable as possible

-Keep onlookers away

-Do not hold the person down
If the person having a seizure thrashes around there is no need for you to restrain them. Remember to consider your safety as well
(Personal comment: my friend was actually choking and turning blue when he was thrashing around on his back. To clear his airway I kept him on his side but this was easier said than done. He kept thrashing and fighting to be on his back, as such I did actually hold him a bit, which was not easy but I feel/felt was necessary to keep his airway clear.)

-Do not put anything in the person's mouth
Contrary to popular belief, a person having a seizure is incapable of swallowing their tongue so you can breathe easy in the knowledge that you do not have to stick your fingers into the mouth of someone in this condition.
(Personal comment as per the Neurologist we consulted: It used to be thought tha putting a spoon in their mouth to prevent them from biting their tongue was helpful, but that has since been debunked. I did try the spoon in the mouth and it was hard to keep it in the mouth of someone thrashing about. It DID stop him from biting his tongue unnless it was a coincidence that the blood stopped coming, but given the Dr's advice and the great difficulty of keeping the spoon in his mouth, I wouldn't do it again.

-Do not give the person water, pills, or food until fully alert

-If the seizure continues for longer than five minutes, call 911

-Be sensitive and supportive, and ask others to do the same

After the seizure, the person should be placed on her left side. Keep in mind there is a small risk of post-seizure vomiting, before the person is fully alert. Therefore, the person’s head should be turned so that any vomit will drain out of the mouth without being inhaled. Stay with the person until she recovers (5 to 20 minutes).

Topic Editor:Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed:7/19/04

Seizures in Airplanes

If a person is having a major seizure is in a crowded plane miles above the earth, the rules for first aid are different. Here are some tips:

-Clear space by folding up seat arms. Ask a flight attendant to find new seats for the other passengers in the row.

-Lie the person down across the seats with the head and body turned on one side. Make sure that the airway is clear and breathing is not obstructed.

-Arrange pillows or blankets to prevent the person's head from hitting unpadded areas.

-When the seizure stops, help the person into a resting position in a single reclining seat.

If the seizure continues for more than about 5 minutes or is immediately followed by another one, tell the flight attendant that the person may be experiencing a medical emergency and may need emergency care.

Seizures in Water

For many people, the scariest aspect of epilepsy is not knowing when or where a seizure will occur. In certain situations, a loss of consciousness is especially dangerous and emergency care must go beyond the routine procedures. A seizure in water is one of these life-threatening situations.

Here are steps to follow if someone is having a seizure in water:

-Support the person in the water with the head tilted so the face and head stay above the surface.

-Remove the person from the water as quickly as possible.

-Check to see whether the person is breathing. If not, begin CPR immediately.

-Call an ambulance. Even if the person appears to be fully recovered, he or she should have a full medical checkup. Inhaling water can cause lung or heart damage.

*Note: All advice concerning first aid for seizures was taken directly from http://www.epilepsy.com