What to Do When Someone Has a Seizure

(Modern Survival.org) – If someone is having a seizure, the first thing you should do is?

• Clear their mouth

• Hold them tight

• Call 911

• Ensure their safety

Answer: Ensure Their Safety. Here’s why…

Witnessing someone suffer from a seizure can be scary, especially when it’s the first time seeing one. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of every ten people will have a seizure during their lifetime. This means seizures are quite common, and at some point, it may become necessary to help someone who is having one.

Unfortunately, once a seizure has begun, there isn’t much that can be done to help the victim — except to ensure their safety.

How to Recognize a Seizure

When a person begins having a seizure, it usually happens in the following steps:

The person will become unresponsive, unable to react to verbal questions or even to recognize physical movements.
The person’s muscles will clench, making them stiff.
Next, the person will begin to convulse, making big, jerking movements.
Eventually, the convulsions will stop and the person will regain consciousness, though they may be confused for a while afterward.

How to Protect Someone During a Seizure

According to WebMD, in order to protect someone during a seizure, the best thing to do is clear the environment. Then, take the following steps:

Make sure bystanders are away from the victim.
Remove any items the person has which may harm them while convulsions occur.
Don’t try to restrain the person while they are having a seizure.
Roll the person onto their side and ensure they don’t have anything in their mouth if possible. Contrary to popular belief, the chances of them swallowing their tongue are nonexistent. However, they can choke on foreign objects.
Time the seizure. This can be important if medical assistance is required.

When to Contact Emergency Services

The CDC states that most seizures will not require emergency services. However, if the victim shows any of the following symptoms, call 911 and seek help.

It is the first time the person has had a seizure.
The seizure lasts for longer than five minutes.
The person has difficulty breathing once the seizure is over.
A second seizure follows the first.
The person becomes injured during the seizure.
The person has trouble waking up after the seizure.
There are other health issues that could be complicated due to the seizure.

Knowing how to treat a variety of medical emergencies is a key aspect of survival. Emergency services aren’t always an option when SHTF, such as after a natural disaster. Therefore, being able to help someone in need can be a life-saving skill.

To see how to handle another medical emergency, check out our article on what to do when someone has fainted.

~ Here’s to Your Survival!