What to do during a seizure attack

This blog article aims to educate and raise awareness among those who live in close proximity to epilepsy patients.
Learning how to cope with a seizure might be beneficial for friends and family of people with epilepsy.
If a seizure attack occurs, they should follow these procedures for patients.
It's natural to feel terrified and helpless after seeing a seizure, especially if it's your first time.
What signs should we pay attention to before malaise? What typical actions can we expect during the attack? How do we protect epileptic patients from injury, and do we need to do anything else after the seizure?

Read on and get answers to these questions!

Minor seizures have milder symptoms than major seizures, affecting only a certain part of the brain. This malaise is not associated with loss of consciousness, but the patient should be protected from injury.
The simple seizures are limb twitching, vision-hearing-smell-taste hallucinations. The patient is conscious throughout but may be disturbed by unfamiliar feelings.
In complex seizures, the patient stammer for a few seconds, the person may do things repeatedly, like rubbing the hands together. All other symptoms are the same as a simple seizure.
Secondary generalized seizure initially affects only a certain part of the brain but then continues to spread, and eventually, the whole brain is discharged. The seizure goes into a major seizure, the patient loses consciousness.

Minor seizure first aid

With a minor seizure, the patient is normally aware of their surroundings, so the first aid required is different:

    • If you notice the signs or the patient himself signals to you that an attack is approaching, first of all, reassure the patient, ask him to breathe deeply, try to relax.
    • Lead the patient to a safe place, preferably seated, thus reducing the risk of injury.
    • Tell the other people present what kind of behavior is expected of the patient, therefore reassuring the laity.
    • The patient must stop what he is doing and should not resume it until his seizure has passed; this will also help avoid an accident.
    • When the malaise is over, ask the patient how he feels, tell him what happened. Reassure the person that he is safe and that you will stay with him while they recover.

Major seizures involve all of the brain. The attack follows a headache, restlessness, or a feeling of dullness.

Absence Seizures

Also known as petit mal. The patient “dreams” and does not respond when called or touched. He looks away, perhaps his eyes are constantly blinking. It does not cause the patient to blackout. The runoff of the seizure lasts for a few seconds, the patient does not remember anything that happened to him during the malaise. He continues his activity where he left off.

First Aid for absence seizures

Notice the malaise when the patient regains consciousness, reassure them, and repeat what they missed during the attack.

Grand mal seizure

If the patient senses in advance the signs of a grand mal attack, he can lie down safely on the ground in time and speak to the people next to him, who is thus not unexpectedly affected by the event
The patient shuts down, ignores his environment, does not respond when we speak to him. As the seizure spreads slowly in different parts of the brain, so does the patient’s behavior. After a few seconds, the patient's limbs tighten, his head gradually turns to the side, his face grimacing. The air coming out of his lungs may form moans as his limbs begin to twitch continuously. Do not be alarmed if foam comes out of his mouth; if the saliva is red or bloody, he is simply biting his tongue.
After a few minutes, the twitches become thinner and then stop. It takes some time for the patient to regain consciousness, you not being able to communicate with him right away. After such an attack, the patient will most likely become exhausted and tired.
Stay with the patient until he regains consciousness, call a relative, or escort him home.
But if another seizure follows the first seizure, call an ambulance because it may be Status Epilepticus, seizures come one after the other and do not go away. This can be fatal as soon as medical help is needed.

First Aid for Tonic Clonic Seizures

• Lay the patient on the floor. If he is still conscious, ask him to breathe deeply. Certain breathing techniques can be used to stop the seizure.
• Place a soft object under his head to prevent injury from hitting a hard thing.
• Never grab the patient, just remove objects that could cause injury.
• Turn the person to their side. This can help saliva flow out of the mouth by clearing the airways.
• If there is anything in his mouth, such as leftovers, chewing gum, etc., take it out. Remove any eyeglasses or objects that may be tied around his neck.
• Do not put anything in his mouth. The suggestion that the patient may bite his tongue is true, but this normally heals in a few days. We will only injure him more if we try to open his mouth with force. It is incorrect to assume that the patient swallows his tongue.
• Do not leave him alone until his consciousness is clear (within 5-20 minutes after the attack has taken place). Allow the person to rest or sleep.
• Look for an epilepsy bracelet on the person’s wrist, as this may contain further advice that you can then act.
• Measure the duration of the seizure. If the patient is attacking for more than 5 minutes, or if the patient is injured, be sure to tell a person there to call an ambulance. There’s a proven fact that anyone is less likely to call ambulances if we’re just talking to the crowd. Ask the other viewers toleaveo, not stand there
Knowing what NOT to do is important for keeping a person safe during or after a seizure.

DO NOT:

• hold the person down or try to stop his or her movements.
• put anything in the person’s mouth. This can injure teeth or the jaw. A person having a seizure cannot swallow his or her tongue.
• try to give mouth-to-mouth breaths (like CPR). People usually start breathing again on their own after a seizure.
• put your fingers in the person’s mouth.
• restrain the person's movements.
• try to feed food or drink to the person at the time or soon after. This could cause choking.

When to call an ambulance

If the seizure:
  • lasts 5 or more minutes or a second seizure quickly follows.

If the person:
   • remains non-responsive for more than 5 minutes after the seizure stops.
   • stopped breathing, or the situation worsens.
    • did not wake up between fits.
    • injured, goes blue in the face or has swallowed water.
    • pregnant.
    • has high fever.
    • under influence of drugs or alcohol.

Also call for help:
    • if you feel uncomfortable dealing with the seizure at the time.
   • if you are in doubt.

First aid in special situations
Epileptic seizure at the dentist

• Remove movable objects from the assault area.
• Take everything out of the patient's mouth.
• Set the dental chair horizontal.
• Protect the patient from falling off the chair.
• Call his relative if he did not come alone.
• If several seizures follow one another or the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, call an ambulance.

First Aid for Seizures Occurring In Water

Swimming is not recommended for epileptics who do not have well-controlled seizures anyway. There is nothing to beautify this, even if the patient has only one absence attack in the water, which does not involve loss of consciousness, it can very easily end up in a life-threatening situation.
If he goes into water, always have a person next to him who knows about his epilepsy and can save the patient from the water if there is an emergency.
But don’t even have to go that far, bathing in a home bathtub can also be dangerous for epilepsy. If possible, take a shower and never lock the bathroom door.

Patient can drown in a few inches of deep water!

If someone has a seizure in the water:

    • Hold the patient so that his head is above the water.
    • If the seizure stopped, pull the patient out of the water
    • Call an ambulance.
    • If the patient is not breathing, begin oral ventilation and follow further instructions from the dispatcher.

Be sure to call an ambulance because any water that may have entered his lungs may cause further damage to the patient!

Wheelchair First Aid

• Brake the wheelchair.
• If not tied to the seat, ensure the patient does not fall out of the wheelchair.
• Protect the patient's head, place something soft under it if there is no headrest on the chair.
• Remove sharp objects that could potentially cause injury to the patient.
• Once the seizure is over and the patient recovers, reassure the person and tell him what happened.

Do not remove the epileptic patient from the wheelchair, usually the chairs provide safety even in such situations.

It is worth reading the article further, because it will also be about how the patient can prevent the seizure, and the possibilities of Ayurveda to alleviate the epileptic seizure.

How do you stop a seizure before it happens?

Seizure Prevention Tips

• Get plenty of rest each night - create and keep to a regular sleep regimen.
• Learn how to deal with stress and how to relax.
• Drugs and alcohol should be avoided.
• Follow your doctor's instructions for taking all of your medications.
• Avoid bright lights, flashing lights, and other forms of visual stimulation.
• Find the treatment that works best for you, be it medication or holistic therapy
• See a specialist who will prescribe personalized treatment.

Neeraj Epilepsy Clinic has the words best epilepsy specialists. Ask for a consultation opportunity to discuss your health concerns and your doctor will work out an individual treatment plan for you.

Seizure Precautions List

Although the patient cannot control the seizures, he can do so to avoid injuries:
• Use a buddy system if you prefer to go swimming or participate in other activities. It's good if this person knows how to cope with a seizure situation if one happens.
• To avoid injuries, sit rather than stand in the shower if at all possible.
• At home, the floor should be as soft as possible. Put down carpets, prefer parquet over tile.
• Put protective rubber on the pointed corners of the furnitures.
• Do not have glass objects in the room, especially a glass table.
• Because there is no open flame, electric induction cookers can be safer than LPG burners. Cooking on the rear burner is safer because you're less likely to lean directly into the heat.
• Write a seizure care plan, so people will know what to do with the epileptic during the seizure

When you go outside:

There are people with epilepsy who cannot feel the seizure in advance. Many of them have seizures on streets, in public places, where people may not know what to do. In this case, it may help if the patient has a pre-written seizure care plan.
People with epilepsy should carry a seizure first aid card, according to experts. This card carries the name, address, mobile numbers, and help the patient during a seizure step by step.
You can wearing a medical bracelet or wear medical jewelry that lets the people know about your condition so it is easier to get proper help.

Seizure prevention tips using Ayurveda

• If possible, use onion juice drop by drop in the patient's mouth during the time of the assault.
• Bitter gourd powdered preserved in water for one month and inserted into the nose to stop an attack
• A blend of fresh and dried tulsi leaves can be used to stop a seizure right away.
• Specific breathing methods can be used to stop seizures.

Experts stress that during seizures, the golden rule is not to panic. The most important point is never to discontinue medicine without the advice of a doctor. It is better to consult with an ayurvedic physician before you take any other medication.

Note

Please consult an Ayurvedic doctor before using any of the technics described in these pages. However, for any epilepsy patient, it is critical to stop a seizure attack as soon as it begins. This is not a long-term cure for seizure; instead, you should visit a skilled Ayurvedic doctor who has the time to provide you a thorough therapy.

About Neeraj Epilepsy Clinic

Neeraj Clinic is one of the most demanded Ayurveda treatment center for seizure’s treatment and complex neurological disorder in India.
Neeraj Clinic is situated in Rishikesh, Haridwar. Epileptic patients travel from all over India to receive Ayurvedic treatment at Neeraj Clinic. We have treated almost 1 lakh epileptic patients thus far.
For the treatment of seizures, we have core expertise in Ayurveda, Nature Therapy, and Allopathy.