Epilepsy is a complex neurological disease in which a person has an attack that can be accompanied by various disorders in the form of convulsions, loss of consciousness, and often requires help. Every adult person should know what to do in case of an epileptic seizure, since this disease affects more than 50 million people around the world and at any time one of them may need your help.
Symptoms accompanying an attack of epilepsy
Not every attack requires an ambulance, but there are certain points, the appearance of which is worth reacting without delay. Such phenomena in generalized attacks will be:
- the sharp appearance of muscle cramps;
- loss of consciousness ;
- stopping breathing;
- biting the tongue;
- urinary incontinence.
Partial or focal seizures are characterized by lighter symptoms, such as impaired consciousness, but without complete loss of it, lack of contact with others, monotonous movements. Such attacks last no longer than 20 seconds and often remain unnoticed. The first aid for such an attack of epilepsy is not required, the only thing is that after it a person should be put in a horizontal position and give a rest, and if the attack is seen in the child, then it is obligatory to inform parents or accompanying persons.
Emergency care for epilepsy
The first stage . Generalized seizures require intervention from outside and assistance. The first principle is to remain calm and not let others create a panic. The next step is support. If a person falls it must be picked up and laid or seated on the floor. If an attack occurs in a person in a dangerous place - on the road or near a moat, it should be pulled into a safe place, supporting the head in the up position.
The second stage . The next stage of first aid for epilepsy will be holding the head and, preferably, the limbs of a person in a fixed position. It is necessary that the patient does not injure himself during the attack. If a person has saliva flowing from the mouth, the head should be turned sideward so that it can flow unhindered through the corner of the mouth, without getting into the respiratory tract and without creating a risk of choking.
The third stage . If a person is dressed in tight clothes, it should be undone to facilitate breathing. If a person has a mouth open, then the first medical care for epilepsy involves eliminating the risk of biting the tongue or traumatizing one another during seizures by placing a piece of cloth such as a handkerchief between the teeth. If the mouth is tightly closed, do not force it to open it, as this is fraught with unnecessary injury, including for the temporomandibular joints.
The fourth stage . Seizures usually last for several minutes and it is very important to remember all the accompanying symptoms, then to inform the doctor. After cessation of seizures, assistance with an attack of epilepsy is accompanied by putting the patient in the "lying on the side" position for a normal exit from the attack. If at the stage of getting out of the attack a person tries to walk - you can let him walk, providing support and if there is no danger around. Otherwise, you should not allow a person to move to a complete cessation of an attack or before the arrival of an ambulance.
What can not be done?
- Do not give medication to a patient, even if they are with him, since special drugs have a strict dosage and their use can only harm. After exiting the attack, a person has the right to decide whether he needs additional medical assistance or enough first aid for epilepsy.
- It is not necessary to focus attention on what happened,
To avoid creating additional discomfort for a person.
The following situations should be accompanied by a mandatory call of a medical team:
- an attack in a pregnant woman;
- an attack in a child;
- an attack in the elderly person;
- primary attack;
- injuries during an attack;
- duration of an attack is longer than 3 minutes;
- lack of consciousness in humans for more than 10 minutes.