What is a seizure?
A seizure is an uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain (usually sudden). Nerve cells in the brain, known as neurons, create, send and receive electrical impulses. This allows
the cells to communicate, anything that disrupts the communication pathways can lead to a seizure.
What can cause seizures?
- Epilepsy (most common)
- Drugs
- 'Hypo' - low blood glucose (diabetes)
- Extreme temperatures
- After Head injury
- After Stroke
Signs & Symptoms of a seizure:
- loss of responsiveness or sudden collapse
- noisy difficulty breathing
- rigid body with arching back
- grey-blue colour on the lips
- jerky uncontrolled movements
- twitching
- saliva at the mouth
- loss of bladder or bowel
- Make the area safe from hazards & people
- Do not restrain the person or put anything in their mouth
- Protect their head (i.e. put something soft underneath their head)
- When movements have stopped open their airway & check for breathing. If they are breathing put them in the recovery position
- Monitor level of response and take a note of how long the seizure lasted for
- If the individual becomes unresponsive call 999 or 112 for emergency help (see below). Prepare to give CPR if breathing stops.
Call 999 or 112 (UK) for emergency help if:
- it is the casualty’s first seizure
- they are having repeated seizures
- the cause of the seizure is unknown
- the seizure continues for more than five minutes
- the casualty is unresponsive for more than 10 minutes after the seizure
- they have an injury on another part of the body, or they are not breathing normally.