Las seizuresaccording to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), occur in about one in 10 people around the world, so knowing what to do if we witness one becomes important.
A seizure, as detailed by the American Cancer Society it is an uncontrollable movement of the muscles that can happen “when nerve cells in the brain become irritated, overexcited, or something puts pressure on them so they don’t work properly.”
And blow to the headfor instance, high fever, blood clotsamong other conditions, can trigger a seizure but also the epilepsy.
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The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) details in his text “Epilepsy and its complex treatment” that in our country about 3 million people suffer from this illnesswhich in the world affects 50 million patients.
- UseEpilepsy is characterized by a predisposition to recurrent seizures. It generates neurobiological consequencescognitive, psychological and social.
Regarding its origin, it is known that there are genetic, environmental and sociocultural aspects that may be responsible for this disease.
Given the above, it is important to know how to react when a person has a seizuresince the general recommendation is to help and immediately protect those who suffer from this condition.
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What to do if someone has a seizure near me?
It is important for you to know that most seizures end in seconds and even minutesduring which the best you can do is:
- stay with the person until the seizure has passed and be completely safe.
- When the person recovers, help them to sit down in a safe place, comfort them and talk to them calmly, explaining what just happened without causing an alarm.
- It is important to note whether the person having a seizure wears a medical badge o bracelet with indications.
- Offer to communicate with one of his relatives and even transport such as a taxi so that he arrives safely and calmly at home.
Ojo: You should keep in mind that a seizure is followed by drowsiness and confusionwhich can last several hours or even days.
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When to call an ambulance?
If a person seizures for more than 5 minutes one should be called ambulance (911) for professional and medical attention.
It must also call to emergencydetail the CDCand:
- The person has another seizure shortly after the first.
- He is injured during the episode.
- The seizure occurs in the water.
- The person has a heart condition, diabetes, or is pregnant.
What to do in a seizure due to epilepsy?
Among the types of seizures that are registered are generalized tonicoclonicalso called major epilepsy.
In this type of seizure, the person may scream, fall, have spasms, and not be aware of what is going on around them.
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What you should do in this case is the next:
- Carefully lower the person to the floor.
- Gently turn her on her side so she can breathe properly.
- Remove from your surroundings any hard or sharp object with which you can hurt yourself.
- Placing the person’s head on something soft: a folded jacket, in an emergency, works.
- Remove your glasses, if you wear them.
- Loosen or remove his tie if he is wearing one. Loosen the buttons on the shirt or blouse at the neck.
Myths and facts: This is what you should NOT do if you see someone having a seizure
- Do not hold it or try to stop it from moving.
- The most important: DO NOT put anything in the person’s mouth because you could hurt his teeth or jaw.
Ojo: A person having a seizure cannot swallow their tongue.
- Don’t try to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.. The CDC explains that a person usually starts breathing again on their own after a seizure.
- DO NOT offer watera bread or any other food, to the person until fully recovered and alert.