Seizures are increasingly common and it is important to know what to do if you witness a seizure.
Seizures are normally caused by an electric disruption in the brain, but may be caused by stress, drugs, tumors, dementia, low blood sugar, or kidney or liver failure.
More than 2 million people in the United States alone are plagued with epilepsy. Two hundred thousand additional people are diagnosed each year. Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder causing reoccurring seizures.
A seizure is most often characterized by body convulsions, spasms, and tremors. Seizures may be either mild or severe. Each is accompanied by different symptoms.
Sometimes a mild seizure has slight symptoms causing the person to be unresponsive. For example if someone is having a mild seizure they may stare into space and seem dazed. In the case of a mild seizure there is nothing a bystander can do but wait and remain calm.
In the case of a more severe seizure there are steps you can take to help the person suffering until the seizure passes.
The first step in helping a person suffering from a seizure is to roll the person onto their side. This will ensure they do not choke on vomit or fluids.
Support the persons head with a cushion or other form of soft padding. This will prevent them from hurting their heads from the impact of the floor during the convulsions.
Open the person's airway. You may hold the persons jaw and tilt back their head if it seems they are not getting air.
Do not put anything even medication in the person's mouth, as this may cause choking.
You should immediately phone 911 if another seizure occurs before the person regained consciousness after the first seizure.
Phone 911 if the person suffering from the seizure has been previously diagnosed with diabetes, if the seizure occurred in water, or if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes. Stay with the person after the seizure until he or she is completely back to normal consciousness.
If a seizure only occurs once there is not a major concern of epilepsy, but more than two reoccurring seizures may be a sign of epilepsy.
Epilepsy is treatable. There are various medications available to reduce or eliminate the severity of a seizure. Surgery is also an option in the rare cases of severe epilepsy which is untreatable with medications.
For more information, please visit www.DoctorSolve.com/Blog
I have just started to have seizures since June last year, it's not official it's epilepsy yet though, the doctor and Nero have me on tegrotol and epilim, the epilim I take is 6 tablets of 500mg each. So that's 3000.00mg a day and I feel like crap, I want to sleep and be sick all the time. I can't eat or drink or sleep.... :( does everyone have this problem? If so what did you do to reduce side effects...
LittleMissMe86 4 months ago
anyone with deep brain stimulator
luxcretia2 5 months ago
This was extremely helpful. Thank you.
Cherez1003 1 year ago