10 first aid rules for an epileptic seizure that everyone should know

An epileptic seizure can look quite frightening, but in reality it does not require urgent medical attention. Usually, after the seizure ends, the person quickly recovers, but until everything stops, he really needs your support. Lifehacker will tell you exactly how to help people suffering from epilepsy.

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What is epilepsy

First, let's figure out the nature of the disease.

An epileptic seizure begins when electrical impulses in the brain become too intense.

They can affect one part of the brain - then we are talking about partialattack, and if an electrical storm spreads to both hemispheres, attacks become generalized(we will discuss them below). The impulses are transmitted to the muscles, hence the characteristic cramps.

The probable causes of the disease are a lack of oxygen during intrauterine development, birth trauma, meningitis or encephalitis, strokes, brain tumors or congenital features of its structure. Usually, when examining, it is difficult to determine exactly why the disease occurred, more often this is due to the combined effect of several conditions. Epilepsy can occur throughout life, but children and the elderly are at risk.

Although the underlying causes of the disease still remain a mystery, it was possible to establish a number of provoking factors:

stress,
excessive alcohol consumption,
smoking,
lack of sleep,
hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle,
abuse of antidepressants,
premature refusal of special therapy, if any.

Of course, from a medical point of view, such a story about the course of the disease looks as simplified as possible, but this is the basic knowledge that every person should have.

How it looks

Usually from the outside it seems that the attack began completely suddenly. The person screams and loses consciousness. During the tonic phase, his muscles are tense, and breathing becomes difficult, which is why his lips turn blue. Then the convulsions enter a clonic phase: all limbs begin to tense and relax, it looks like a disorderly twitching. Sometimes patients bite the tongue or the inner surface of the cheeks. Spontaneous emptying of the bowel or bladder, profuse drooling or vomiting is possible. After the seizure ends, the victim often experiences drowsiness, headaches, and memory problems.

What to do

1. Don't panic. You take responsibility for the health of the other person, and therefore must remain calm and have a clear mind.

2. Stay close throughout the seizure. When it's over, calm the person down and help them recover. Speak softly and fluently.

3. Look around - the patient is not in danger? If everything is ok, do not touch or move it. Move furniture and other objects that he might accidentally bump into.

4. Be sure to time the attack start.

5. Lower the patient to the ground and place something soft under his head.

6. Do not hold it still while trying to stop the convulsions. This will not relax the muscles, but it can easily cause injury.

7. Do not put anything in the patient's mouth. It is believed that during an attack the tongue may sink, but this is a misconception. As mentioned above, at this time the muscles - including the tongue - are in hypertonicity. Do not try to unclench a person's jaws and place any solid objects between them: there is a risk that during the next stress he will either accidentally bite you or crush his teeth.

8. Check the time again.

If the seizure lasts more than five minutes, call an ambulance.

Long-term seizures can cause permanent damage to brain cells.

9. After the seizure has stopped, place the person in a comfortable position: it is better to turn him to one side. Make sure breathing is normal. Carefully check to see if the airway is free; it could be blocked by food pieces or dentures. If the victim is still having difficulty breathing, call an ambulance immediately.

10. Until the person is fully back to normal, do not leave him alone. If it is injured or the first attack is immediately followed by another, see a doctor immediately.

Remember that epilepsy is by no means a stigma or a sentence.

For millions of people, this disease does not prevent them from leading a fulfilling life. Usually, competent supportive therapy and supervision from specialists help keep everything under control, but if suddenly a friend, colleague or bystander has an attack, each of us must know what to do.

(via 1, 2, 3, 4)