How To Cope With An Epileptic Seizure

Knowing how to act in a crisis is essential to provide adequate relief. While there is not much that can be done to stop the crisis, our support can help prevent further damage.

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects the electrical activity of the brain. It is true that there are different types of epilepsy, with different causes and symptoms. However, most are characterized by unpredictable seizures that often have neurobiological, cognitive and psychological consequences.

Many factors contribute to these crises. For example, lack of sleep, drug use, etc. Sometimes sports that require very rapid breathing, such as football or basketball, can also trigger epileptic seizures.

Most of the time, you should know that epilepsy goes away once you hit puberty. However, this can happen again if the trigger comes back.

Some studies confirm that once the diagnosis of epilepsy is made, a first medication will have a 50% chance of controlling seizures. Later, a second phase can improve the situation in 15% more patients, and subsequent trials will result in an even lower success rate.

The choice of drug will revolve around three main axes: the specific context of the patient, the pharmacological properties of the drug and the experience of the caregiver.

How to react to an epileptic seizure

When most people think of a seizure, the image of someone completely losing control comes to mind. In fact, a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, also called grand mal seizure, occurs in these cases, characterized in that it affects the entire surface of the brain, which can cause the person to scream, fall or tremble, and most importantly not to notice what is going on around her.

On the other hand, partial seizures occur in a particular area which can extend to the rest of the cerebral cortex. In some cases, the person even experiences the aura before the seizure. This is a warning that a crisis is about to happen.

If you come across someone who has an episode like this and you don’t know how to deal with it, here is the general procedure to follow:

• Stay with the person during the attack
• Stay calm
• Place the person on the ground to avoid injury
• Gently turn the subject to one side. It will help her breathe
• Place a pillow under her head to prevent her from hitting the ground
• Clear the area around the affected person. Remove any objects that may come in contact with them
• Put something soft and flat, like a folded jacket, under your head
• Loosen his tie or anything around his neck that can make it hard to breathe
• It may be necessary to grasp the jaw carefully and tilt the head slightly back to open the airways
• Don’t let anything get into the person’s mouth. No drugs, no objects, no water
• Do not shake the person or shout. It won’t help you in any way

• Ask people watching you to stay behind. Whoever is attacked may be tired, embarrassed or disoriented behind him
• Call someone for additional help if needed

When should you seek professional help?

The first thing you need to know is that some seizures are more dangerous than others, but most don’t need emergency help. The important thing is to focus on the safety of the person. However, sometimes it is necessary to have a health professional. We recommend that you seek help in the following circumstances:

• It is the first epileptic seizure of the affected person
• The affected person is pregnant or has diabetes
• The attack lasts more than 5 minutes
• The person does not regain consciousness after the seizures
• The individual hurts himself
• Breathing problems occur after seizures
• The individual has a high fever
• The incident occurs in the water
• The person does not regain consciousness
• He has a second stroke

In short, remember that if you find yourself in such a situation, it is important that you take these guidelines into account when treating epileptic seizures. It is a very delicate situation in which your performance can be decisive. If you are unsure of how to help, remember that it is okay to seek professional help.

Our thoughts

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome accounts for between 3 and 6% of children with epilepsy, being more common in boys than in girls.