Authors : Ana Catarina Franco e Carla Bentes How to act if you are with someone who has an epileptic seizure If it is a generalized crisis: Stay calm and calm other people who watch the crisis; Try to count the duration of the crisis; Place the person on his side, with his head down, so that saliva can flow out of the mouth; Loosen any clothing you may have around your neck; Put anything soft under the head, or hold it with your hand, preventing it from hitting the floor or against objects; Do not try to wake the person up or force to get up; Do not put anything in the person mouth or give anything to drink; Do not pull the tongue; Stay with the person until he or she breathes again calmly and begins to wake up. If it is a focal crisis : In these crises there is no fall, nor convulsive movements. For example, there may be only a period of confusion and unusual behavior. You should: Keep an eye out and protect the person from possible dangers during the crisis; Provide the necessary support until complete recovery of consciousness. When to call 112 Contact 112 emergency service whenever: You have doubts about what to do; It is the person first crisis, or you do not know if there were previous crises; The seizure is longer than usual (usually the seizures do not exceed 2-3 minutes in duration) or if repeated seizures are observed, without conscience recovery between it; The crisis has caused serious injuries; There is difficulty in resuming normal breathing at the end of the crisis. What is an epileptic seizure In an epileptic seizure there are transient symptoms and / or signs due to a temporary disorder of the brain electrical activity. The electrical activity of is caused by complex chemical changes that occur in nerve cells Cells in the brain either excite or inhibit (stop) other cells from sending messages. There is usually a balance between excitatory and inhibitory activity. However, when a crisis occurs, there may be too much or too little activity, leading to an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory activity. The resulting chemical changes lead to a disturbance of electrical activity, triggering a crisis. Epileptic seizures are not a disease in themselves. They are a symptom of several diseases that can affect the brain. Some epileptic seizures are very disabling, while others can go almost unnoticed. Useful links for information on epileptic seizures and epilepsy Epilepsy Foundation International League Against Epilepsy Liga Portuguesa Contra a Epilepsia Meet the Neurology team of Hospital da Luz network. The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
