ONE DAY YOU MIGHT NEED TO HELP SOMEONE HAVING A SEIZURE - HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure in his or her lifetime. That means seizures are common, and one day you might need to help someone during or after a seizure. Would you know what to do?

When most people think of a seizure, they think of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, also called a grand mal seizure. In this type of seizure, the person may cry out, fall, shake or jerk, and become unaware of what’s going on around them.

Here are things you can do to help someone who is having that type of seizure:
1. Ease the person to the floor.
2. Turn the person gently onto one side. This will help the person breathe.
3. Clear the area around the person of anything hard or sharp to prevent injury.
4. Put something soft and flat, like a folded jacket, under his or her head.
5. Loosen ties or anything around the neck that may make it hard to breathe.
6. Time the seizure. If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, call a medical emergency number.

Stop! Do NOT

1. Do not hold the person down or try to stop his or her movements.
2. Do not put anything in the person’s mouth. This can injure the teeth or jaw. A person having a seizure cannot swallow his or her tongue.
3. Do not try to give mouth-to-mouth breaths (like CPR).
People usually breathe on their own after a seizure.
4. Do not offer the person water or food until he or she is fully alert.

Seizures don’t usually require emergency medical attention. Only call 112 or 767, if one or more of these things happen:

1. The person has never had a seizure before.
2. The person has difficulty breathing or waking after the seizure.
3. The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
4. The person has another seizure soon after the first one.
5. The person is hurt during the seizure.
6. The seizure happens in water.
7. The person has a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or is pregnant.

First Aid for any Type of Seizure

Here are many types of seizures. Most seizures last for a few minutes. Here are general steps to help someone who is having any type seizure:

1. Stay with the person until the seizure ends and the person is fully awake. After it ends, help the person sit in a safe place. Once they are alert and able to communicate, tell them what happened in very plain terms.
2. Comfort the person and speak calmly.
3. Keep yourself and other people calm.
4. Check to see if the person has any medical/emergency information on.
5. Offer to call a taxi, friend, or relative to make sure the person gets home safely.

I urge Lagosians to dial 112 or 767 (LASAMBUS) on their phones anytime they have or observe a medical emergency.
Taking pictures and recording videos of the situation will not help the person rather it would only induce stigma. 

HAPPY SUNDAY!
Pharm G B. IDAMKUE

Reference:
1. link accessed on the 12th, April 2018
2. link accessed on the 12th, April 2018
3. link accessed on the 13th, April 2018