Seizure First Aid—Partial Seizures

There are other seizures that are less recognizable.  Most people don’t associate them as being seizures.  They think the person is confused, clumsy, nervous, or is not paying attention.  However, these are epileptic seizures which affect part of the brain.  Therefore, they are called partial seizures.  There are different classifications
of partial seizures, but I will not get technical by listing them all.  In the poster above, you will see the symptoms people show and experience during these seizures.

First aid for partial seizures is simple.  During a seizure, a person may or may not be aware of his or her surroundings. 

The main thing is to keep the person away from danger. 

If the person does not lose consciousness, just stay with him or her until the seizure is over and offer support afterwards.

If the person does lose awareness, do the following:

·         Lead them gently to a safe place.  Do not force them—otherwise, they might resist.

·         Speak calmly to the person, saying that everything will be all right.  The person probably will not understand you, but it is important to soothe any anxieties he or she may have.

·         Time the seizure.

·         Make sure the person regains full consciousness by asking them questions such as what their name is, the date, etc.  Recovery from a partial seizure will usually take a while. 

·         If the seizure turns into a convulsion, follow the steps for first aid for tonic clonic seizures.

As for myself, my seizures usually last a few seconds, then I’m all right again.  Sometimes they are more serious and I lose awareness.  However, once I wake up and recover, I can resume my everyday activities. 

There is usually no need to call 911.  There have been countless times when people who were unaware of my situation I was taken to the emergency room and recovered fully by the time I arrived there.  I spent useless hours there, waiting to be discharged.

Call 911 if:

·         full consciousness does not return/the seizure does not end

·         the person has an injury, especially a head injury

·         the seizure happens in water

·         the person is pregnant

For more information about first aid for partial seizures, click here.  (http://www.epilepsy.com/get-help/seizure-first-aid/tailoring-first-aid-plans)