Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that can cause, in some cases, loss of consciousness. Here’s how to react.
- Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that affects 50 million people worldwide, including more than 650,000 in France.
- Epilepsy benefits from numerous treatments which, in the majority of cases, allow the disease to be balanced.
Epilepsy is a misunderstood disease, and few people know how to react in the event of a seizure. The Epilepsy-France Association remind you of the procedure to follow.
During the crisis
► What to do:
– as soon as the crisis occurs, the victim must be immediately secured, i.e.: clear the space and move away from her anything that could hurt her: furniture, objects, tools, sources of heat…
– place a pillow, cushions or clothing under his head to protect it.
– remove the glasses if the person wears them.
– loosen his clothes, collar, belt.
– put it in the lateral safety position (PLS) as soon as possible.
– do not try to transport the person, unless they are in a dangerous place: road, stairs, water’s edge, immediate proximity to a fire or an accident.
– if possible, note the start and end time of the crisis, its duration is important information for the doctor.
►What you should not do :
– not hamper his movements.
– do not try to sit it down.
– do not give him to drink.
– do not give him medicine.
– nothing should be put in the mouth of a person having an epileptic fit. “Sometimes during the crisis, the victim can bite his tongue. But he never risks swallowing his tongue. Believing to do well, many people often think that it is necessary to retain the tongue. It is a received idea to fight absolutely! The idea that the person can swallow his tongue and choke is false”, recalls the association.
After the crisis
► What to do :
– reassure the person, explain to them what has just happened to them, remind them where they are, who you are. Because when the person has regained his consciousness, he is most often disoriented.
– Let her recover: after an epileptic fit, the victim is often very tired. She may need rest.
– Stay with her until the period during which she is confused has passed.
► What not to do:
– do not immediately give a drink. It is necessary to wait until the person has completely regained his senses.
Should I call a doctor or the fire department?
This is not necessary if the person is known to have epilepsy. However, it is strongly recommended:
– if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or if the person does not regain consciousness 5 minutes after the convulsions end.
– If two crises follow one another without return to normal in the interval.
– If the person is injured.
How to recognize an epileptic seizure?
Generalized seizures seize both cerebral hemispheres seemingly simultaneously. The most spectacular is the generalized tonic-clonic crisis, comprising crying, falling, loss of consciousness, general shaking of the four limbs, drooling, cyanosis, respiratory blockage, sometimes emission of urine or stools. However, it is not the most frequent crisis.
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