What to do when a fit occurs
Dealing with someone that is having a seizure can be scary. When someone is having a 'fit' their muscles jerk, they can loose consciousness, they often fall to the ground and can make noises e.g. rasping and shouting out. On top of this the face grimaces, the body can become rigid. Perhaps the most difficult aspect to witness, I think, are the changes to breathing patterns. In some types of seizure the person may not take a breath for what appears to be quite a long time. In fact it is your anxiety that will make it seem longer. In more serious types of seizure the person may begin to turn a slightly bluish (cyanosed) color before they take a breath.
Causes of Seizures
One of the problems of a seizure is that you might not know the cause. In fact 60% of people that experience a seizure will not have a diagnosis and may never get get a diagnosis. Seizures sometimes just happen for no apparent reason. Seizures in adults and seniors can also be caused things like a head injury, a brain tumor, or from cerebral irritability resulting from infectious diseases e.g. meningitis, a stroke, high fevers or from toxic substances.
How to Respond to Seizures
If you need to assist someone having a seizure here is what you need to do:
One problem that a colleague of mine who was epileptic always complained about was that she would find herself in an ambulance before she was given time to recover naturally! Sometimes though it is just safer for the layman to call 911 and risk the their wrath!
