Basic First Aid: Treating a Seizure

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Amy, and we are talking about caring for somebody who is having a seizure. There are some general rules of thumb to follow in regards to protecting their safety when having a seizure. The first thing you want to do is you want to move any objects out of the area that they could possibly hit with their limbs if they are indeed having seizures that are causing their muscles to spasm. If you can, it is nice to cradle their head, depending upon how bad the spasms are as well to protect their head from hitting on the ground. It is very common for people who are having seizures to have difficulty breathing because a lot of fluids sometimes are created while they are having seizures. So it is also good if you can to place them in the recovery position on their side. That way they are not aspirating any additional fluids. So you want to gently roll them to their side and allow the fluid to drain out. One thing you absolutely never want to do for somebody who is having a seizure is to try and place anything into the mouth while they are seizing. You can cause serious jaw and tooth injury as well as the tongue. It is impossible to swallow your own tongue so please keep things out of people’s mouths while they are seizing."