What to do in an epileptic crisis: 5 tips and advice

Do you know what epilepsy is? And more specifically, what is an epileptic seizure? Do you live with someone who suffers from epileptic seizures? Do you know how to act in these cases?

In this article we will explain what to do in an epileptic seizure. We will answer the questions raised and we will know the 5 general guidelines for action in the event of an epileptic crisis. In addition, we will explain specifically how to act depending on whether the crisis is partial complex or generalized tonic-clonic.

• Related article: "Epilepsy: definition, causes, diagnosis and treatment"

Epilepsy and seizures: what are they?

Epilepsy is a disorder whose only symptom is recurrent seizures (that is, to be diagnosed, more than one must have appeared). That is why you can suffer from epilepsy and lead a normal life.

Epileptic seizures are produced by an altered function of a group of neurons in the brain, which at one point becomes overactive. That is, there is an excess of the electrical activity of these neurons.

When epileptic seizures appear, there are alterations in the patient's movement (that is, convulsions: a kind of uncontrolled body shaking), in your level of consciousness and in your behaviour. These seizures usually last between seconds and minutes (if they last more than 5 minutes, the emergency room should be called). After seizures end, the brain continues to function normally.

The seizures can be of two types: partial (or focal) and generalized. In the former, a discharge is produced in a specific area of ​​the brain, which can spread to the rest of the cerebral cortex); in the latter, the entire surface of the brain is affected (in addition, they cause loss of consciousness).

• You may be interested: "Types of seizures: why do they occur and what causes them?"

What to do in a seizure

But what to do in a seizure? It is very necessary to know the guidelines for action in the event of an epileptic crisis, especially if we live with someone with epilepsy.

It is known that most epileptic seizures are short-lived, and that they end on their own; that is, we should never do anything to stop them. However, there are a series of guidelines, recommendations and preventions that we must apply in case someone close to them suffers an epileptic seizure.

These guidelines will help prevent possible complications arising from the crisis itself, and will prevent the person from hurting himself.. There are 5 general guidelines for action, although later we will see what to do in each specific case, depending on the type of crisis:

1. Do not hold the person

It is important not to hold the person who is having the seizure. Yes indeed, we will have to remove the objects that are nearby and with which they can hit or hurt. That is, we must clear the area where it is.

2. Place the person on their side

The second step or guideline of action on what to do in an epileptic seizure is to put the person who is suffering the seizure on the side, to avoid hurting themselves. This will be done whenever possible, never in a forced way in case it cannot be done.

3. Do not put anything in the person's mouth

It seems like a no-brainer, but this point is very important. Nothing should be put into the mouth of the person suffering from the seizureNo objects, no food, no water, no medicine.

4. Accompany her

We should not leave the person suffering the crisis alone; we will have to accompany her and be by her side until the crisis ends, the person regains consciousness (in case they have lost it) and recovers.

5. Control the time of the crisis

It is very important to control exactly how long the seizure lasts, using a watch or a stopwatch. In the event that it lasts more than 5 minutes, we must call the Emergency Department (in Spain it is 112).

Depending on the type of crisis

As we explained at the beginning of the article, epileptic seizures can be of two types: generalized or partial. What to do in an epileptic seizure depending on the type of seizure it is? Let's see it:

1. Generalized crisis (tonic-clonic)

When the seizure is generalized tonic-clonic type, it means that It has two phases: the tonic phase (the crisis begins with stiffness in the limbs) and the clonic phase (shaking appears all over the body). It is the most common type of generalized seizure.

In this case, we will follow the following steps:

1.1. Placing the person on the ground

First we will help the person get well on the ground, to prevent harm from being done.

1.2. Placing a pillow under your head

Then we will place a soft and padded object under his head, such as a pillow or a folded blanket. This will prevent damage to the floor.

1.3. Loosen garments

Next, the next step on what to do in a generalized seizure is: loosen the person's belt (if worn), as well as the tie and possible items of clothing that are tightening. We will also remove your glasses if you wear.

1. 4. Clear the area of ​​objects

We will remove objects that could harm you from your environment, such as sharp objects, etc. We will also remove heat sources with which it can burn.

1. 5. Do not put anything in your mouth

As we already mentioned in the 5 general guidelines on what to do in an epileptic seizure, here we also introduce the guideline of not putting anything in the mouth of the person who has the seizure.

1.6. Do not hold the person

We must also avoid holding the person with force so that they do not move. Namely, we must place it well on the ground but never hold it or limit its movements.

1.7. Let rest

Finally, when the crisis is over, we will have to leave the person lying on one side, so that he can rest for a few minutes and recover. With this position we will prevent the saliva that the person may have accumulated from passing to the lungs, or from vomiting.

2. Partial (full) crisis

Instead, what to do in a complex and partial seizure? Remember that this type of seizure, also called focal, originate in a single area of ​​the brain (60% of people with epilepsy have them). In this case we will follow the same guidelines as above, and also:

• In the event that the person walks aimlessly, we will direct them to areas that are not dangerous.
• We should not confront her if she seems angry or aggressive.
• If when the crisis ends the person seems disoriented, we will accompany them to make a full recovery.

Bibliographic references:

• Bethesda (2015). Epilepsies and Crises: Hope in Research. NINDS. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
• Spanish Federation of Epilepsy. (2018). Types of crisis.
• Living with epilepsy. (2019). What to do about a seizure. First aid.