What to do if a person is having a seizure

A seizure is a burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The person may stiffen, jerk, stare, lose awareness, become unresponsive or behave unusually; not every seizure involves shaking. Possible causes include epilepsy, low blood sugar such as hypoglycaemia, alcohol withdrawal, head injury, infection or other medical problems. The person may be confused, tired or have a headache after the movements stop. Keep observing rather than assuming the event has ended when the jerking pauses.

Move hard, sharp or hot objects away and cushion the head with something soft. Loosen tight clothing around the neck, note the start time and stay nearby. Do not restrain the person, put anything in their mouth, give food or drink, or attempt mouth-to-mouth breathing during the movements. When the seizure ends, turn the person onto their side if they are breathing and remain with them until awareness returns. Check for normal breathing.

Call emergency services if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, repeats without the person recovering, causes injury, happens in water, or is the person's first known seizure. Call urgently if the person is pregnant, has diabetes, has trouble breathing after the event or does not regain normal awareness. If the person is not breathing normally after the seizure, begin emergency first aid according to dispatcher instructions.

Tell a clinician what the person was doing before the event, how movements and awareness changed, how long it lasted and how recovery went. Ask whether medicines, blood sugar, alcohol withdrawal, infection or another cause needs checking, and what a future seizure action plan should include.