When to go to the ER: Seizures

When to go to the ER: Seizures

If you have ever seen someone have a seizure, then you know that the situation can be quite scary and alarming. As per discussions on the same over at the excellent frontlineer.com, seizures are uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain. For most people, when seizures are brought up, we immediately think of violent convulsions, but the truth of the matter is a seizure can cause symptoms ranging from mild loss of attention to violent muscular contractions and convulsions. Seizures can lead to death and should therefore be taken seriously. It is also important to note that everyone has a potential to suffer from a seizure. This means that seizures are not something that can only be seen in people with seizure disorders such as epilepsy. Given that seizures involve the brain, it is important to know the instances when one should go to the ER for the same, so that one can get the treatment they require and avoid any unwanted consequences and outcomes. This is where this article comes in, as, with the help of the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com, it will look to highlight when one should go to the ER for seizures.

One of the instances when one should be taken to the ER for seizures is if it is their first seizure. If they have never had a seizure before, and they haven’t been diagnosed by a seizure disorder, then as per the gurus over at frontlineer.com, a first seizure should always be taken seriously. There are a number of reasons why one could suffer a seizure for the first time, such as alcohol poisoning or after a knock to the head among others. If one suffers a seizure for the very first time, make sure that are taken to the ER to be assessed and attended to. For a person with a seizure disorder, then if you notice that there is a change in their normal seizure patterns or they are having more frequent seizures, as per the folks over at the excellent frontlineer.com, you should also have them taken to the ER as soon as possible. If someone has a seizure disorder, then their normal seizure pattern should be well documented. Therefore, if you notice that they are having a seizure with a significant change in the type or character to what they usually have, you should consider this a seizure emergency and have them taken to the ER, like the highly rated frontlineer.com, as soon as possible.

The length of time taken by a seizure episode should also help you determine if it is a seizure emergency, warranting a visit to the ER, such as the excellent frontlineer.com. Here, if the seizure one is having continues for more than 5 minutes, then you should have them taken to an ER as soon as possible as this may be a sign of something more serious. Such a long-lasting seizure may also cause serious damage to the brain and therefore taking them to the ER allows them to be assessed. Another red flag as far as seizures are concerned is a case where one is having a series of seizures with no recovery time in between them. If one is going from one seizure to the next without full recovery time in between, then this is a seizure emergency and you should have them taken to the ER pronto. As per discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com, while people with seizure disorders may develop seizure clusters, it usually occurs over a number of hours or days and the affected person usually has enough time to recover between each seizure; and if not, as mentioned above, they should be taken to the ER. Such people usually have rescue medications which should help stop the seizure clusters. If, however, their medication isn’t working, they should also be taken to an ER so that they can be assessed and attended to.

As discussed also over at frontlineer.com, while in most cases a person having a seizure may appear to stop breathing during the episode, their breathing should resume soon after their seizure has stopped. However, if this doesn’t happen and they are having serious difficulties breathing, you should call 911 and have an ambulance come take them to the ER. If also they have stopped breathing completely after their seizure, you should also call 911 for emergency services, who will also talk you through how to give the affected person CPR as you wait for them to arrive. You should also have the affected person taken to the ER if they are experiencing prolonged confusion for more than 10 to 15 minutes after the seizure. Do the same also if they have suffered a loss of consciousness after the seizure or if they are not responsive after a seizure. The gurus over at frontlineer.com also explain that if someone has suffered serious injury during the seizure, then they should also be taken to the ER. It is usually recommended that you remove any objects that may injure someone when they are having a seizure so as to prevent injury during the episode.

As ever, there is more to be uncovered on this and other related topics by heading over at the excellent frontlineer.com.

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