What to do with epilepsy attacks? This question is of interest to those who have to live next to a person with such a disease. Today, epilepsy is one of the most common neurological pathologies. There have been many rumors and legends around this disease for several centuries.
An epileptic attack may look frightening, but as practice has shown, urgent medical intervention is not required for the patient. Basically, after an attack, a person recovers quickly, but until everything stops, he just needs the help of people who are next to him. This is what will be discussed, each person should know what to do during epileptic seizures, because you can encounter a sick person anywhere, and only the right help will enable him to quickly master the situation and not harm himself.
Epilepsy: what is it?
First you need to deal with the nature of the disease. A seizure occurs when the patient's brain emits too intense electrical impulses. They can affect only one of the areas of the brain, then the patient has a partial seizure, and if both are affectedhemisphere, then in this case generalized seizures occur. These impulses are transmitted to the muscles, hence the characteristic spasms.
To say exactly what causes the disease, doctors still cannot, but there is an assumption that the cause is a lack of oxygen during fetal development, trauma during childbirth, meningitis or encephalitis, neoplasms in the brain or a congenital feature of it development. Pathology can appear at any age, but the risk group still includes children and the elderly.
There are still studies that will help clarify the underlying causes of the disease, but there are suggestions that provoking factors are:
- stress;
- alcohol abuse;
- smoking;
- bad dream;
- hormonal disruptions during the menstrual cycle;
- overuse of antidepressants;
- premature withdrawal of drugs that were prescribed to the patient.
This is only a small fraction of what a person needs to know in order to immediately understand what is happening to him and why. In addition, you need to know what to do with epilepsy attacks in order to provide first aid to the patient.
How to suspect the possibility of a seizure
If a person has already had epileptic seizures before, then his relatives should know when they happen more often, how it all starts and what to do first to cope with the situation. The harbingers of an epileptic seizure can be:
- increased irritability of the patient;
- change in patient behavior - drowsiness or, conversely, increased activity;
- short-term muscle twitches that pass quickly and without assistance;
- In rare cases, symptoms such as tearfulness and anxiety may occur.
If these symptoms appear, then those who are nearby need to know what to do if a person has an epileptic attack so that he does not cause serious harm to himself, because at this moment the patient is not in control of his actions.
What does an epileptic seizure look like?
At first glance, it may seem that everything starts instantly, and the person next to you does not know what to do if an epileptic attack occurs. Most often, the patient lets out a cry and loses consciousness. During the tonic phase, his muscles become very tense, breathing is difficult, and it is because of this that his lips turn blue. After the clonic phase comes, at this moment all the limbs begin to tense up, then relax, from the outside it looks like a random twitch.
Sometimes patients bite their tongue or the inside of their cheeks during a seizure. Spontaneous emptying of the bladder or intestines, excessive salivation or vomiting may also occur. After the end of the attack, the patient often feels drowsy, sometimes there is memory loss. Also, after an attack of epilepsy, the head hurts. What to do to make it easierthe patient's condition, how to reduce seizures and is it possible to prevent them?
Can an attack be prevented or reduced?
Very often, a stressful situation or lack of sleep can become provoking factors for the onset of an epileptic seizure. It is for this reason that patients need to carefully observe the daily routine, relax as much as possible, engage in physical education in order to relieve stress. You can prevent a seizure if you do not violate the regimen of taking the drugs prescribed by your doctor. In no case is it recommended to change the dose of medication or break the course.
Tip: It is worth remembering that patients with epilepsy should not take alcohol, as it can significantly change the effect of drugs and disrupt sleep, which ultimately provokes frequent seizures.
First aid during an attack
As we have already said, the relatives of a patient who suffers from epileptic seizures should know what to do with epileptic seizures if they have not already been prevented. It is necessary to provide assistance on time, but at the same time no excessive physical effort. In those cases, if an attack occurred in front of an unprepared person, then he can greatly frighten him. Convulsive convulsions, foaming at the mouth, high blood pressure, pale skin - all this can cause severe stress. But you definitely need to pull yourself together and do everything possible to help the patient cope with the attack:
- It is necessary to lay the patient on a flat and soft surface as soon as possible, and all becauseduring a seizure, most often it will not be possible to avoid injuries and bruises.
- Remove all tight clothing.
- If possible, turn the patient's head to the side.
- All objects that can harm the patient must be removed away, because he can involuntarily grab them and thereby harm not only himself, but those who are nearby.
- Some people advise to keep the epileptic as strong as possible during an attack, but in fact you should not do this, because he can easily break bones. If necessary, you can only hold back a little.
- Closed jaws should be tried to open, because during an attack the cramps are so strong that the patient can break his teeth.
- Do not put hard objects into your mouth, they can cause serious harm to the patient, you do not need to give him a drink at this moment, and if he fell asleep, then do not touch him, let him sleep.
What to do after an attack?
The attack usually passes very quickly, but what to do after an epileptic attack, what help should be provided at this moment? Only in a few cases out of a hundred does the seizure turn into status epilepticus, in which case the patient must be urgently hospitalized, as the condition is quite serious.
In most cases, after an attack, the patient falls asleep, and after waking up does not remember what happened to him. If drugs to block an attack have been recommended, they should always be on hand so that they can be taken immediately if necessary.drink.
After an attack, the patient should rest, all foods that change the speed of processes in the nervous system must be completely removed from his diet. In this case, coffee, strong tea, too s alty foods, spices, marinades and smoked meats are completely contraindicated.
If the nature of the attacks has not changed, then you need to continue taking the medication that was recommended and prescribed by the doctor, but if they become frequent and intense, then you need to adjust the treatment.
What can not be done during an attack?
We have already talked about what to do during an epileptic attack, but every person who lives near an epileptic should also know what he should never do:
- in order to open the jaw during an attack, you do not need to use hard objects, it is best to make a soft roller from a handkerchief, towel or scarf;
- when opening the jaw, do not apply force, otherwise you will break it;
- no need to restrain the movements of the patient: you will cause him even more harm;
- do not need artificial respiration, during a seizure, the patient may lose rhythm for 20-30 seconds, this is normal;
- do not beat the patient on the cheeks, splash water on him;
- don't let him drink during an attack;
- do not give medication during an attack, do not self-medicate.
Having all the necessary knowledge about what to do after an epileptic attack in a person, you will not do any harm and helpdeal with the situation very quickly.
Doctors advice on first aid for an epileptic seizure
If your loved one was diagnosed with epilepsy, then nothing can be done about it, you need to put up with it and discuss with the doctor what to do after an epileptic attack and during it to help? Here are some tips from doctors to help you quickly cope with the situation and help a person during an epileptic seizure:
- first of all, you don't need to panic, you should pull yourself together;
- you need to be around until the attack stops and the patient wakes up, even if he fell asleep, it is better to watch him;
- look around and remove everything that can threaten a person's life, because during an attack he does not control his actions;
- be sure to remember how long the attack lasted;
- put the person down and slightly raise their head;
- do not force him to try to stop the cramps, at this point nothing will help to relax the muscles;
- you should not open your mouth, because there is an opinion that at this moment the patient's tongue may fall, it's not at all like that, it's better to just put a soft roller in your mouth, so you can protect your teeth from injury.
Be sure to keep track of how long the attack lasts, so that later you can decide whether to call an ambulance or not.
When does a patient not need to call an ambulance?
Skilled medical assistance is not required in these cases:
- if the epileptic attack did not lastmore than 5 minutes;
- when the patient regains consciousness and does not have another seizure;
- if the patient did not injure himself during an attack.
But there are times when the patient just needs medical help and as soon as possible.
When should I call an ambulance?
Medical help in very difficult cases is simply necessary, otherwise any slowdown can be fatal:
- when an attack lasts more than 5 minutes, which is why doctors advise timekeeping;
- if during an attack the patient was injured, his breathing is difficult;
- if a woman had an attack while carrying a baby.
It is easy to help during an attack, the main thing is not to get lost and act quickly, then the patient will endure it more easily and will not harm himself. In the presence of a disease such as epilepsy, it is very important to follow all the recommendations of the attending physician, then you can significantly reduce the likelihood of an attack and improve the quality of life.
