First Aid for Epilepsy

• Keep calm and reassure other people who may be nearby.
• Don’t hold the person down or try to stop his/her movements.
• Time the seizure with your watch.
• Clear the area around the person of anything hard or sharp.
• Loosen ties or anything around the person’s neck that may make breathing difficult.
• Put something flat and soft, like a folded jacket, under the person’s head (do not force).
• Turn the person on his/her side. This will keep the airway clear. DO NOT TRY TO FORCE THE MOUTH OPEN with any hard implement or with your fingers. A person having a seizure cannot swallow their tongue. Efforts to hold down the tongue can in fact injure teeth and/or the jaw.
• Don’t attempt artificial respiration except in the unlikely event that the person stops breathing.
• Speak to the person in a calm voice. Avoid giving multiple directions at once.
• People are often confused during and after a seizure. They may want to wander or walk. Allow this but stay nearby to observe for any gait instability.
• Alert the physician or health care provider.
• Stay with the person until they recover.