What To Do When Someone Gets An Epileptic Seizures?

When someone is getting a seizure or fit, do not panic. It might be scary to witness, but there are some simple things you can do to help. On the other hand, most seizures are not emergency. They stop on their own with no permanent ill effects. 

What Really Is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is characterized by repeated seizures in the brain. A seizure occurs when the electrical functioning of the brain changes suddenly leading to a sudden change in behavior. The brain produces tiny electrical impulses continuously in an orderly pattern. Chemical messengers called neurotransmitters carry these impulses along neurons.

In epilepsy, the brain’s electrical rhythms tend to become imbalanced, resulting in recurrent seizures. The normal electrical pattern in patients with seizures is disrupted by sudden and synchronized bursts of electrical energy that may briefly affect consciousness, movements, or sensations.

Symptoms of Epilepsy

The main symptom of epilepsy is recurring seizures. However, your symptoms vary depending on the type of seizure you have which may include:

• Temporary loss of awareness or consciousness
• Temporary confusion slowed thinking, and problems with talking and understanding
• Blank stare 
• Lip-smacking, chewing motion, rubbing hands, finger motions
• Changes in hearing, vision, taste, smell, feelings of numbness or tingling
• Problems talking or understanding
• Uncontrolled muscle movements, muscle jerking, loss of muscle tone
• Faster heart rate and/or breathing
• Psychic symptoms, including fear, dread, anxiety, or déjà vu

What Triggers Epileptic Seizures?

Seizures are more likely to occur for some people with epilepsy due to certain factors. Epilepsy triggers are not the same for everyone. Some things that trigger seizures in one person may not trigger seizures in another. Here are some of the triggers that have been reported by people with epilepsy:  

• Alcohol and recreational drugs
• Monthly periods
• Missing meals
• Not taking epilepsy medicine as prescribed
• Feeling tired and not sleeping well
• Flashing or flickering lights
• Stress
• Having an illness that causes a high temperature

What To Do When Someone Has Seizures?

If you see someone having a seizure, there are some simple things you can do to help:

• Cushion their head if they’re on the ground
• Only move them if they’re in danger, such as near a busy road or a hot cooker
• Turn them onto their side after their convulsions stop
• Loosen any tight clothing around their neck, such as a collar or tie, to aid in breathing
• Stay with them and talk to them calmly until they recover
• Note the time the seizure starts and finishes

You can also recommend medication such as:

• Gabapentin 800mg – this medication is an anticonvulsant used for the treatment of epilepsy in people older than 12 years of age. Gabapentin works in the brain and the nervous system. It stabilizes the electrical activity in the brain and affects the way the nerves send messages to the brain.