Seizure First Aid

20 ,April 2023

About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure during his or her lifetime. That means seizures are common, and one day you might need to help someone during or after a seizure.

Learn what you can do to keep that person safe until the seizure stops by itself.

First aid for any type of seizure

There are many types of seizures. Most seizures end in a few minutes.

These are general steps to help someone who is having any type seizure:

Stay with the person until the seizure ends and he or she is fully awake. After it ends, help the person sit in a safe place. Once they are alert and able to communicate, tell them what happened in very simple terms.
Comfort the person and speak calmly.
Check to see if the person is wearing a medical bracelet or other emergency information.
Keep yourself and other people calm.
Offer to call a taxi or another person to make sure the person gets home safely.

About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure during his or her lifetime.

Stay with the person until the seizure ends and he or she is fully awake.

Do I call 911?

Seizures do not usually require emergency medical attention. Only call 911 if one or more of these are true:

The person has never had a seizure before.
The person has difficulty breathing or waking after the seizure.
The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
The person has another seizure soon after the first one.
The person is hurt during the seizure.
The seizure happens in water.
The person has a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or is pregnant.