First aid for epilepsy

Before an attack, a person develops characteristic signs of epilepsy. These are convulsions, twitching and impaired coordination of movement. If you see these symptoms in a person, get ready to provide first aid. First, look around for sharp objects, furniture, etc.

First aid for epilepsy is divided into several stages: help before the attack, help during an epileptic seizure and help after the seizure.

The disease of epilepsy is widespread, the number of patients with which exceeds forty million people throughout the planet.

Epilepsy is a severe neuropsychiatric disease that affects the central nervous system. Physiologically, it is a malfunction in the brain, as a result of which increased arousal develops and, as a result, seizures in a person. A patient with epilepsy usually anticipates the onset of seizures: the seizure is preceded by dizziness, weakness, and sometimes hallucinations. Then the person loses consciousness, at the same time as the body cramps begin. Since during seizures a person is not aware of what is happening and cannot control himself, an epileptic seizure can be fatal.

It is known that the cause of an epileptic seizure is the simultaneous activation of all nerve cells in a certain area of ​​the brain, which is an epileptogenic source. The factor affecting the appearance of this disease is brain injury, stroke, meningitis, the presence of sclerosis, alcohol and drug addiction, as well as many other factors that damage the structure of the brain. At the same time, there is evidence that the disease can be hereditary.

70% of people with epilepsy have their first seizure before they come of age.

The reasons for the development of epilepsy

Doctors identify two main reasons for the development of epilepsy: genetic and symptomatic. Although epilepsy is not considered a hereditary disorder, having a history of epileptic seizures in the family greatly increases the risk of getting sick. In this case, seizures can occur at any time, regardless of external factors. This form of epilepsy is especially dangerous because seizures are virtually unpredictable. 

Symptomatic epilepsy always appears after any significant life events or diseases. These can be, for example, a strong shock, the presence of tumors or cysts, intoxication, severe trauma. In this form, it is possible to predict an epileptic seizure and, if possible, avoid situations when it may occur.

How to understand that this is an epileptic seizure?

Before an attack, a person develops characteristic signs of epilepsy. These are convulsions, twitching and impaired coordination of movement. If you see these symptoms in a person, get ready to provide first aid. First, look around for sharp objects, furniture, etc. 

As mentioned above, an epileptic seizure accompanied by seizures can be life-threatening. The situation is further complicated by the fact that it is not always possible to predict the onset of an attack, and people around them may not be aware of what epilepsy is and how to provide assistance.

A mild epileptic seizure can be expressed as a short loss of contact with the environment for a short period of time. An attack is accompanied by a weak twitching of the eyelids, facial muscles and, as a rule, passes unnoticed by those nearby. The appearance is created, as if the citizen was thinking about something for a moment. Everything passes quickly and without pronounced signs. Also, even the patient himself may not realize that such an attack has occurred with him.

Before an epileptic seizure, a phenomenon called an aura is often observed. The manifestation of this phenomenon is different and depends on the location of the epileptogenic focus. The close environment needs to understand that during the attack, the patient does not understand what is happening around and loses the feeling of pain. The duration of the attack is a small number of minutes.

So, an epileptic seizure is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Sudden loss of consciousness, accompanied by a cry of a person. It is caused by sudden pain in the larynx, causing the person to bite their tongue. The patient falls almost instantly due to incipient convulsions.
• Very fast cramps, extending to the limbs and the whole body.
• Gradually, the lips begin to turn blue, and the face turns pale.
• Lack of pupillary response to light.

Epilepsy manifests itself very clearly, it is impossible not to notice a sick person during an attack. First aid to a person with an epileptic seizure is the following sequence of actions:

1. If it is possible to notice the beginning of an attack before the patient loses consciousness, it is necessary to protect the person from the effects of people and external objects. The main thing is that a person should suffer a minimum of harm during the onset of seizures and falls.

2. You need to put something soft under the head so that the head is slightly higher than the body.

3. Then you need to free the person from tight clothing, especially the neck and chest area.

4. Make sure that during an attack the patient does not harm himself and others.

5. Under no circumstances should you try to unclench your teeth or calm the person down! This will only aggravate the situation and, in addition, can be life-threatening for the patient.

It should be noted that epilepsy can manifest itself without seizures, only a short-term loss of consciousness. In this case, the seizure happens very abruptly and ends just as quickly. An epileptic seizure of this type can be accompanied by both overtonus of the muscles and, conversely, by their complete relaxation. In the latter case, the person falls, as the leg muscles relax, but this is not accompanied by cramps. In the first case, a stupor occurs, small twitching of the facial muscles of the face may appear.

Help during an attack

Lay the person on their side on a flat surface. This will prevent saliva from swallowing if saliva is abundant.

Prepare a handkerchief or any kind of fabric. Providing first aid with a handkerchief, it is necessary to wipe the patient with salivation , you can also fix the handkerchief in the person’s mouth. This will prevent damage to the maxillofacial part of the head.

IMPORTANT!!! In no case should you try to open the jaw of a sick person! The attack should take place naturally, you need to minimize external influences. Do not put foreign objects into the patient’s mouth! They can damage the mouth!

• Do not hold back convulsive actions; Don’t unclench your teeth.
• There is no need for exposure to the heart or artificial respiration. It is enough to put the patient on a flat place and put something soft under his head.
• Do not transfer the patient from the area where the seizure occurred unless it is life threatening
• Turn your head so that the tongue does not sink, and saliva does not enter the respiratory tract, if vomiting begins, lay the whole body on one side.

What to do after an epileptic seizure?

Be sure to remain calm after an attack. Let the person walk away from the epileptic seizure on their own. If a person does not come to his senses, you can rub the patient’s temples. After an attack, the patient feels lost, the reaction and attention of the victim is impaired. When the attack is over, give the person the right to be aware of what is happening and, if necessary, to sleep well. Often after seizures, memory problems and exhaustion appear, which disappear after half an hour. After that, the person can stand on his own feet. 

Status epilepticus

There is such a thing as status epilepticus. Doctors call this term such a state of an epileptic patient, when after the next seizure he does not regain consciousness, and the next seizure begins literally immediately after the previous one. This condition poses a serious threat to a person’s life: he begins to have cerebral edema, hypoxia, the pulse becomes very frequent or, conversely, slows down. Pupils do not react to light, other reflexes also fade away. Therefore, the onset of status epilepticus requires emergency medical attention. If it is not provided on time, the patient will most likely not survive this.

Epilepsy is a serious neurological disease that requires constant medical supervision from the patient. Not the least important is the attention of close people to the patient: it is they who must recognize the attack in time and help the person avoid terrible consequences.

When is it necessary to call an ambulance?

• an epileptic seizure lasts more than three minutes
• the person affected by the attack does not regain consciousness for more than ten minutes
• an epileptic seizure occurred for the first time
• the attack happened in a child or elderly person
• the attack happened in a pregnant or breastfeeding girl
• during an attack, the patient was injured

If your family members have had such seizures, then you need to register with a neurologist. To understand all the causes and characteristics of possible seizures, visit an epileptologist. Electroencephalography is required to accurately establish the presence of a disease.

In conclusion, we would like to note that the most important thing is to stay calm, remember all the processes and, upon the arrival of the doctor, tell him everything in detail!