Seizures and epilepsy
1
Keep them safe.Ask people to step back, and move anything dangerous away, such as hot drinks or sharp objects. Note the time it started.
2
Cushion their head.Put something soft under their head and loosen any tight clothing around their neck.
3
Don't hold them down, and put nothing in their mouth.Don't move them unless they're in immediate danger.
4
When it stops, check their breathing. If they're breathing normally, put them in the recovery position.
5
Stay with them and keep checking how responsive they are, and how long the seizure lasted.
Call 999 if
- It's their first seizure, or you don't know the cause
- It lasts more than 5 minutes
- They have one seizure after another
- They're still unresponsive more than 10 minutes after it stops
- They've hurt themselves, or their breathing isn't normal
Recognising a seizure
They may suddenly collapse. Their body may go rigid, sometimes with an arched back, and then jerk. Their breathing may be noisy, with saliva around the mouth. Their lips may look grey-blue. They may lose control of their bladder or bowels.
Filming it
If you can, a video of the seizure on your phone can help doctors.