Witnessing someone having a seizure can be extremely scary, though it’s important to remain calm and focus on minimising the risk to yourself or the individual. If you are with someone having a seizure, you should follow NHS guidelines:
- Do not move the individual unless there is a likelihood of injury from environmental hazards.
- If the individual is on the ground or a hard surface, cushion their head to reduce the risk of injury.
- Ensure the individual can breathe without difficulty – you may need to loosen their clothing to make it easier.
- Once convulsions stop, place the individual into the recovery position and stay with them until they recover.
- Make a note of any useful information that can be helpful for the individual or their doctor to know. This can include the time the seizure starts and finishes, what the individual was doing in the leadup to the seizure and any observations made during the seizure, such as what parts of the body were affected or if the person’s colour changed.