10 rules of first aid in a fit of epilepsy, that everyone should know
Health / / December 19, 2019
Today, epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases, ranking third after a stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Around this disease has long, there are many myths and prejudices. What can help a person who has suffered a stroke, and that the only harm? Read the article and remember.
Epileptic attack can look pretty intimidating, but in reality it does not require urgent medical intervention. Usually after the completion of the fit people rather quickly recovers, but until everything stopped, he really need your support. It is about how to help people who suffer from epilepsy and tells Layfhaker.
Go to the rules of first aid →
What is epilepsy
To begin with we shall understand the nature of the disease.
Seizure starts when electrical impulses originating in the brain become too intense.
They can affect one part of the brain - then we are talking about partial attack, and if an electrical storm covers both hemispheres, the attacks are becoming generalized (Which we will discuss below). The pulses are transmitted muscles, hence the characteristic seizures.
The probable cause of the disease - the lack of oxygen during fetal development, birth trauma, meningitis or encephalitis, stroke, brain tumors, or congenital characteristics of its structure. Usually during the examination it is difficult to determine why there was a disease most often it is due to the combined effects of several conditions. Epilepsy can occur over the entire lifetime, but at risk are children and the elderly.
Although the underlying cause of the disease still remains a mystery, it was possible to establish a number of trigger factors:
- stress,
- excessive alcohol consumption,
- smoking,
- lack of sleep,
- hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle,
- the abuse of antidepressants,
- premature failure of the special treatment, if any has been assigned.
Of course, from a medical point of view, this story about the course of the disease looks the most simplistic, but it is basic knowledge that should master each person.
How it looks
Usually by it seems that the attack started suddenly completely. Man utters a cry and faints. During the tonic phase of its strained muscles and breathing more difficult, because of which are blue lips. Then the seizures come into clonic phase: all the limbs begin to tighten and relax, it looks like a chaotic twitching. Sometimes patients bitten tongue or inside the cheeks. The possibility of spontaneous bowel movements or bladder, excessive drooling or vomiting. At the end of a seizure victim's disease often experience drowsiness, headaches and memory problems.
What to do
1. Do not panic. You take responsibility for another person's health, and therefore obliged to remain calm and clear mind.
2. Stay close for an attack. When it's over, calm person and help to recover. Talk softly and smoothly.
3. Look around you - the patient is not in danger? If everything is in order, do not touch or move it. Move away furniture and other items about which he might accidentally hit.
4. Be sure to note the time the beginning of an attack.
5. Lower the patient to the ground, and put him to something soft under his head.
6. Do not keep it from moving, trying to stop the seizures. Muscle is not to relax, but could easily cause injury.
7. Do not put anything in the patient's mouth. It is believed that the language can stock up during the attack, but this is misleading. As I mentioned above, at this time the muscles - and language, including - are hypertonia. Do not try to pry the man of the jaw and put in between some hard objects: there is a risk that during the next voltage it or accidentally bite you, or crush his teeth.
8. Recheck time.
If the seizure lasts more than five minutes, call an ambulance.
For many attacks can cause irreversible damage to brain cells.
9. After the seizure has stopped, put the person in a comfortable position: it is better to turn it on its side. Ensure that breathing returned to normal. Carefully check that the free breathing ways: they can overlap pieces of food or dentures. If the victim of the attack is still hard to breathe, immediately call an ambulance.
10. Until a person is not completely back to normal, do not leave him alone. If he is injured, or after the first attack follows immediately repeated, seek medical attention immediately.
Remember that epilepsy is in any case not a stigma or judgment.
Millions of people the disease does not prevent a full life. Usually, competent maintenance therapy and monitoring specialists help to keep everything under control, but if suddenly a friend, colleague or casual passer-attack begins, each of us needs to know what it takes do.
(via 1, 2, 3, 4)