How to treat someone having a seizure
Absolutely do not put your fingers or hard objects into the mouth of a person having a seizure to avoid damaging the oral mucosa, breaking teeth, or choking.
Doctor Nguyen Tran Nam, City Children's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that when giving first aid, do not move a person who is having a seizure. Do not try to press on the patient or do anything to stop the seizure.
"Do not use your hands, do not put hard objects such as spoons, chopsticks or lemon juice into the mouth of a person having a seizure because it is ineffective and can easily cause damage to the oral mucosa, broken teeth, or choking," Dr. Nam emphasized.
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Dos and don'ts for first aid for someone having a seizure. |
First aid steps for people having seizures
Everyone needs to stay calm and make sure the environment around the person having the seizure is safe. Remove all sharp objects away from the victim. People having seizures often lose consciousness and cannot control themselves, and can hurt themselves or others around them.
Place a soft object under the victim's head to prevent head injury during a seizure.
Loosen any tight clothing around the neck or abdomen to avoid suffocation.
Turn the person having a seizure onto their side (preferably the left side) to avoid allowing vomit or saliva to block the airway.
Allow the victim to jerk naturally, avoid pressing down or limiting the victim's jerking power. This action can cause muscle and skeletal injuries if the pressure is too great.
The seizure will stop in about 2 to 4 minutes. If the patient is still unconscious after the seizure, quickly call the nearest emergency medical facility for a doctor to examine and treat promptly.
