038: Seizure First Aid

We at Brain Ablaze are not medical professionals. Instead, we rely on Seizure First Aid information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC. Here’s an overview of what they have on their site,

Seizure first aid is critically important because of just how often seizures occur. One is statistically more likely to witness a seizure than a heart attack. Yet, most people have no idea what to do. There are multiple types of seizures, but here’s a short but good overview of what the CDC says to do to help someone who is having a seizure.

• Stay Calm If you panic others around you will panic.
• Guide Them to the Ground If it looks like the person is going to fall, make sure that their head is supported while getting them to the ground as quickly as possible.
• Time the Duration of the Seizure — Most convulsive seizures last only a couple of minutes. If you witness a convulsive seizure that lasts five minutes, it is a true EMERGENCY SITUATION. Make sure to for an ambulance right away.

• Protect their Head If it is a convulsive seizure, one might hit their head repeatedly on the ground. To protect their head, make sure to put something soft under their head. It can be something as simple as a sweater, jacket, or pillow.
• DO NOT Put Anything In Their Mouth This is an antiquated idea that went out of favor generations ago. We are not going to swallow our tongue. It is physically impossible to do so.
• DO NOT Restrain Them If you are worried they will hit anything, make sure to move any debris away from them.
• Put Them In the Recovery Position If the seizure involves convulsions, wait for them to stop. After they do, rotate the person so they are on their side. The left is best.
• Stay with the Person Until they Regain Consciousness and are Aware (or until Emergency Services arrive) Just because someone has stopped shaking (in the case of tonic-clonic seizures) doesn’t mean they are safe to be left alone. Always make sure to stay with the person. They will be groggy when they come out of the seizure. Make sure to soothingly say to them what happened. It might take a few tries. Be patient.

Make sure to always review the content that the CDC provides for seizure first aid.

An estimated one out of ten people will have a seizure sometime in their lifetime.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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