Seizure First Aid

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that will impact 1 out of 26 people in the US at some point in their life¹. According to the CDC, 1/4th (25%) of US adults in 2013 reported they would be nervous around a person with epilepsy². Knowing how to provide seizure first aid can reduce fears, and help you stay calm and in control if you ever find yourself around someone experiencing a seizure. Below we outline the steps for seizure first aid, following the Epilepsy Foundation’s simple steps, Stay, Safe, Side.³

Seizure First Aid Steps

1. Stay with the person until seizing ends
2. Keep the person safe by gently guiding them to the floor (clear away any sharp/hazardous objects around them)
3. Roll the person onto their side to help them breathe

Seizure Do’s

• Time the seizure (If the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, call 911)
• Keep yourself and others calm
• Check for any medical tags or bracelets
• Remove glasses, loosen their tie and remove anything else that may be around their neck
• Place something soft under their head
• Tell the person what happened clearly and with simple terms
• Make sure the person gets home safely

Seizure Don’ts

• Do not try to hold the person still or restrict their movements
• Do not place anything in the person’s mouth – this can hurt their jaw or teeth (Despite older ways of thinking, it is not possible for a person to swallow their own tongue when experiencing a seizure, so there is no need to try and block their teeth.)
• Do not try to perform CPR (mouth to mouth)
• Do not offer the person food or water

REMINDER: not every seizure requires a call to 911. Per the CDC⁴, only call emergency services if:

• The person has never had a seizure before
• The person has difficulty breathing or walking after seizure
• Seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
• The person has another seizure soon after the first one
• Person is hurt during the seizure
• Seizure happens in water
• Person has a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or is pregnant
• Person does not return to their normal state

References

1. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on the Public Health Dimensions of the Epilepsies, England MJ, Liverman CT, Schultz AM, & Strawbridge LM, eds. Epilepsy Across the Spectrum: Promoting Health and Understanding. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2012. Doi: 10.17226/13379

2. Cui W, Kobau R, Zack M, Buelow J, & Austin J. Recent changes in attitudes of US adults toward people with epilepsy – Results from the 2005 SummerStyles and 2013 FallStyles surveys. Epilepsy Behav. 2015; 52(Pt A): 108 – 118. Doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.08.040

3. Osborne Shafer P. Epilepsy Foundation. First aid for seizures – Stay, Safe, Side. [Internet]. Landover, MD: Epilepsy Foundation; 2020, June 10 [cited 2020 Dec 1]. Available from: https://epilepsy.com/firstaid

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seizure first aid. [Internet]. Atlanta, GA: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, September 30 [cited 2020 Dec 1]. Available from https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.ht