How to Help Someone Who Is Having a Seizure

Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Last Updated: July 15, 2024 Approved

When someone is having a seizure, they may experience involuntary uncontrollable muscle spasms with twitching and jerking limbs, changes in behavior, or lack of awareness. If you've never witnessed a seizure, you might be shocked, confused, scared, or worried. To help a person who is having a seizure, stay calm, help protect them from injury, and stay with them until they are alert again.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Caring for the Person During a Seizure

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1
Keep the person from falling. When someone has a seizure, they can fall and injure themselves. To help them not get hurt, find a way to keep them from falling if they are standing. One way to help with this is to put your arms around them or catch their arms to hold them upright. Protect their head if you can.
- You may also try to guide them carefully to the floor if they still have some control of their movements.
2
Place the person on their side. If the person is lying down when you find them, try to get them onto their side with their mouth angled towards the floor. This helps protect them by letting the saliva and vomit out of the side of their mouth instead of having it slide back into their throat or windpipe, which could cause them to inhale it.^{[1]
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- Leaving a seizing person on their back can lead to choking and breathing fluids into their lungs.
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3
Clear away any harmful objects. People who have seizures may injure themselves by hitting furniture, walls, or other nearby objects. To help the person avoid injury, move all objects around them as far away as possible. It is especially important to move any sharp objects from around the person.^{[2]
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- Moving the objects is easier than moving the person. However, if the person is walking around confused, try to steer them away from dangerous places, like traffic, high areas, or sharp objects.
4
Protect the person's head. Some seizures may cause the person to hit their head against the floor repeatedly. If their head is striking the floor or an object, protect their head with something soft, like a pillow, cushion, or jacket.^{[3]
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- Do not restrain their head or any other part of their body.
5
Time the duration of the seizure. If someone near you has a seizure, you should try to time the length of the seizure. Seizures generally last between 60 to 120 seconds (one to two minutes). Seizures that last longer than that can indicate a bigger problem, and you should call emergency services.^{[4]
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- Use a watch if you have one for a more accurate time. However, you can count in your head how long the seizure lasts.
6
Avoid placing anything in the person’s mouth. Never place anything in a seizing person’s mouth, even if you think it will help prevent them from hurting their mouth or teeth. People who are seizing will not swallow their tongue. Putting things in their mouth may cause the seizing person to break a tooth.
- You should never place your fingers in their mouth. The person could bite your finger and injure you.
During the seizure, never hold the person down. Never try to restrain them or keep them from moving. This will cause them injury. The person could dislocate their shoulder or break a bone.^{[5]
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8
Check for medical identification jewelry. Some people who have seizures may wear medical identification jewelry. Look on the person's wrist for a bracelet, or around their neck for a necklace. Medical ID jewelry may give you the information needed during an emergency.^{[6]
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- When you have a chance, you can look in their wallet or pockets for any medical ID card.
9
Remain calm. Most seizures only last for a few minutes and are no reason to panic. You should stay calm to help the person who is seizing. If you panic or act stressed, the person seizing may also become stressed. Instead, remain calm and talk reassuringly to the person.^{[7]
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- You should also remain calm after the seizure. Staying calm and helping the person remain calm can help with their recovery.

Part 2

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Determining Whether to Call Emergency Services

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1
Call emergency services unless the person commonly has seizures. If you know that someone has a history of seizures, then you do not need to call emergency services unless the seizure lasts for more than 2-5 minutes or if there is something different about this seizure.^{[8]
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Go to source} However, if a person is having a seizure for the first time or if you are unsure, you should call an ambulance immediately.^{[9]
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- If you don't know the person, check for a medical bracelet to see if they regularly have seizures.
- The person needs to be checked out by a medical professional to determine the underlying reason for the seizure.
2
Call for help if a person has unusual seizure activity. Most people's seizures are over after a few minutes, and then they regain consciousness and become aware of their surroundings. However, if a person has atypical seizure activity, you need to call an ambulance. Abnormal activity may include:^{[10]
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- Multiple seizures without regaining consciousness
- The seizure lasting for more than five minutes
- Inability to breathe
- A seizure after the person complains of a sudden, severe headache
- A seizure following a head injury
- A seizure after inhaling fumes or poison
- If it occurs with other signs of a stroke, such as trouble speaking or understanding speech, loss of vision, and inability to move part or all of one side of the body
Seizing when someone is in a dangerous situation can lead to injury or death. You should call emergency services if the person having the seizure is pregnant or has diabetes, is having the seizure in water, or has injured themselves during the seizure.^{[11]
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Part 3

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Helping the Person After the Seizure

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After the seizure is over, wait until the person is calm. Then, you should turn the person onto their side if they are not in that position already. Look over the person’s body to check for any injuries that may have occurred during the seizure.
2
Clear the mouth if they are having trouble breathing. If you notice the person is having trouble breathing after they have calmed, use your finger to clear the mouth. The person’s mouth may be full of saliva or vomit which may be blocking the airflow.
- If clearing the mouth doesn’t help them breathe better, call emergency services.
3
Discourage crowds. If the person has a seizure in a public place, people may hang around to watch. Once you get the person to a safe place, ask the onlookers to move along and to give the person space and privacy.
- Coming out of a seizure surrounded by strangers who are staring can be very stressful for someone.
4
Allow the person to rest. Give the person a safe area where they can rest. Make sure any tight clothing around their neck and waist is loosened. Don’t let them eat or drink until they are calm, conscious, and cognizant of what is going on around them.^{[12]
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- Stay with the person while they rest and recover. Never leave a confused, unconscious, or sleepy person after a seizure.
5
Time the person’s recovery. Just like you timed the seizure, you should also time their recovery. Evaluate how long it takes for the person to recover from the seizure and return to their normal state and activity level.
- If they take longer than 15 minutes to recover, call emergency services.^{[13]
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6
Reassure the person. Seizures can be frightening and stressful situations. Remember that a person may be confused or embarrassed when they wake up. Remind the person they are safe. When they are conscious and alert, explain what happened to them.^{[14]
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- Offer to remain with the person until they are feeling better.
7
Write down any details. As soon as you get the chance, make a note of the details surrounding the seizure. This can be extremely valuable to the person who had the seizure, as well as to their doctor. Write down any of the following information:
- Part of the body the seizure started in
- Parts of the body affected
- Warning signs before the seizure
- Length of the seizure
- What the person was doing before and after the seizure
- Any changes in mood
- Any triggers, like tiredness, hunger, or feeling queasy
- Any unusual sensations
- Anything you noticed about the seizure, like a noise, if their eyes rolled, or if they fell and which way
- The person's consciousness during and after the seizure
- Any unusual behaviors during the seizure, like mumbling or touching their clothing
- Any changes in their breathing

Expert Q&A

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Question

What can my partner do if I have a seizure with a mouthful of food?

Jennifer Boidy, RN
Registered Nurse
Jennifer Boidy is a Registered Nurse based in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to her nursing career, she also works as a Healthcare Content Strategist & Writer, helping businesses and non-profits market their products and services to healthcare provider organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and other healthcare services vendors. Jennifer’s areas of expertise include pharmaceuticals & life sciences, health technology, medical devices & diagnostics, health insurance & managed care, and healthcare services & facilities. Her certification as a Registered Nurse was issued by the Maryland Board of Nursing. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a BS in Marketing and Finance. She received her Associate of Science in Nursing from Carroll Community College in 2012.

Jennifer Boidy, RN

Registered Nurse

Expert Answer

Advise him to not attempt to remove the food from your mouth during the seizure, but immediately ease you to the floor lying on your side. If you appear to be choking during the seizure, he should call 911. After seizure activity has stopped, if you are not able to cough or clear air passages or are having breathing difficulties, your partner should call 911 immediately, clear your mouth, and perform the Heimlich Maneuver.

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Question

How do I reduce my anxiety after a seizure?

Jennifer Boidy, RN
Registered Nurse
Jennifer Boidy is a Registered Nurse based in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to her nursing career, she also works as a Healthcare Content Strategist & Writer, helping businesses and non-profits market their products and services to healthcare provider organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and other healthcare services vendors. Jennifer’s areas of expertise include pharmaceuticals & life sciences, health technology, medical devices & diagnostics, health insurance & managed care, and healthcare services & facilities. Her certification as a Registered Nurse was issued by the Maryland Board of Nursing. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a BS in Marketing and Finance. She received her Associate of Science in Nursing from Carroll Community College in 2012.

Jennifer Boidy, RN

Registered Nurse

Expert Answer

It is not uncommon to experience anxiety after a seizure or after a diagnosis of epilepsy. Anxiety can be related to fear of having another seizure or due to neurobiological changes related to your condition. If you find you are having difficulty managing anxiety, you may want to seek counseling or consult with a neurologist or psychotherapist.

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Question

I had a seizure, and I'm scared that I'll have another one. How can I tell if a seizure is coming?

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Expert Answer

Sometimes, seizures are caused by stress, lack of sleep, drugs, alcohol, and some medications. Try to reflect back on what might have led up to you having a seizure. If you have another seizure follow up with your doctor to make sure you there aren't any underlying cause. Get plenty of sleep, manage stress, avoid drugs and alcohol, bright flickering lights, and overstimulation.

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