First aid for epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disease that has a psychoneurological nature. It is common among people of different age groups, and proceeds in a chronic form, manifesting itself with exacerbations that occur with varying frequency – the so-called epileptic seizures or seizures. Seizures usually occur spontaneously, under the influence of some external and internal factors, as a reaction to certain stimuli. During an attack, a person has a temporary disorder of motor, autonomic, sensory and mental functions. The patient during an attack is not able to control himself and his body.

How and why epilepsy develops

The spread of the disease with classic epileptic seizures is observed in approximately 9-11% of the total population of the planet. Climatic and economic factors do not affect this indicator in any way.

The reasons why a person can develop epilepsy are grouped by doctors into several groups for convenience: the first includes idiopathic causes, when the disease is of a hereditary origin. The tendency to its appearance can be transmitted through a certain number of generations. The brain does not have organic damage, however, the pathology manifests itself due to specific reactions of neurons. The appearance of seizures in this case is not amenable to medical explanation – they can be provoked by any criterion.

Symptomatic causes of seizures are associated with the presence of foci of pathological impulses in the brain, which appear as a result of injuries, intoxications, cysts and tumors. This form of the disease is the most unpredictable, since a seizure can be triggered by any reaction of the body.

The cryptogenic form of epilepsy is by far the most common form, but it is impossible to establish the causes of its occurrence.

Very often, an epileptic seizure is observed in newborn children as a reaction to the birth. However, this does not mean that in the future the person will have repeated epileptic seizures.

It should be noted that children and adolescents most often experience the onset of epilepsy; in adulthood, it develops somewhat less frequently. For older people, the danger in this regard is a stroke and brain injury – because of them, seizures can appear even at the age of 50-60 years.

Reasons for the formation of an attack

The pathological activity of the brain of a patient with epilepsy is a process that can “start” for a variety of reasons.

The most common factors in the development of an epileptic seizure are:

• photostimulation (exposure to sharply flickering light);
• stress;
• lack of sleep;
• taking certain types of medications;
• deep intense emotions: sharp fright, fear, anger, and others;
• alcohol consumption;
• frequent and deep breathing (hyperventilation);
• electrical impact, for example, electrophoresis;
• acupuncture and massage;
• the use of psychostimulants.

Symptoms of the disease: Jacksonian seizures

Given the peculiarities of the formation of epilepsy, the variety of causes that cause it, as well as the individuality of the reactions of each specific organism to certain stimuli, the signs and manifestations of the disease are very specific and individual in each patient.

Depending on which part of the brain is damaged, a person may experience:

• movement disorders;
• increase or decrease in muscle tone;
• violation of speech abilities;
• disorders of the processes and reactions of the psyche.

In patients with Jacksonian seizures, increasing impulse stimulation covers one specific area of ​​the brain, without spreading to neighboring ones. The reaction, accordingly, extends to a certain muscle group.

The attack is characterized by short psychomotor disorders, the person remains conscious, but it is confused, he loses contact with the outside world and people. At the same time, the patient is not aware of the appearance of a disorder in him, rejects attempts to help. After a couple of minutes, the attack ends, and the condition returns to normal.

Muscular activity is characterized by convulsive twitching or numbness of the hand, lower leg, or foot. Further, the spasm can turn into a generalized seizure – a large generalized seizure.

A major seizure is a sequential change of several phases:

• harbinger of a seizure;
• tonic convulsions;
• clonic convulsions;
• stupor;
• sleep.

The harbingers of an attack manifest themselves as an alarming condition that covers the patient. The focus of pathological activity gradually grows.

Tonic convulsions – a condition when all the muscles tighten sharply, the head involuntarily throws back, the patient cannot stand on his feet and falls to the floor. His body is arched. There may be respiratory arrest and a blue face. This phase lasts up to 30 seconds.

With clonic convulsions, the muscles of the body begin to contract with a certain rhythm. The patient has increased salivation in the form of foam coming from the mouth. The stage lasts about 5 minutes. Further, breathing is gradually restored.

During stupor, the focus of pathological activity undergoes a sharp inhibition. Muscles relax, a person may involuntarily pass feces and urine. In this state, the patient loses consciousness, there is a loss of reflexes. The stage ends in about half an hour. The epileptic goes into a state of sleep.

Small seizures of epilepsy: how they happen

This type of seizure is less pronounced. The mimic muscles of the face may twitch, muscle tone decreases, or, conversely, it rises sharply. A person can fall to the floor or freeze in one position. Consciousness is preserved. The patient has a state of temporary “absence”, when he freezes and does not respond to external stimuli.

If the patient is haunted by a series of seizures, one after the other, this condition is called status epilepticus. Between seizures, the patient is unconscious, he has no reflexes and reduced muscle tone. The pulse is disturbed, hypoxia of the brain increases. In the case of the development of status epilepticus, a person must be provided with medical assistance.

The onset and end of epileptic seizures are usually spontaneous.

Classifications of epileptic seizures

All types of seizures are divided into:

• primary generalized, when pathological sources of excitation are localized in both hemispheres of the brain;
• focal or partial: in this case, the epileptic focus covers only one hemisphere.

Seizures can also be:

• simple, that is, occurring without loss of consciousness;
• difficult when the patient loses consciousness;
• secondary-generalized: they begin as a partial attack of convulsions, or absense (“absence”) of the patient, and then turn into convulsive activity of all muscle groups.

How do you know if a person is having an epileptic seizure?

Epilepsy is an incurable disease. In most cases, it has a favorable course if the patient receives adequate medical care throughout his life.

In terms of prevalence, epilepsy is in third place among all neurological mental pathologies, after stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

Given that seizures can happen in any situation, due to many annoying external and internal factors, even if no one from the immediate environment suffers from epilepsy, each person should still have at least a general idea of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbwhat to do if a person develops epileptic seizure – one day this knowledge can save someone’s life.

You can recognize the precursors of a seizure by the following manifestations:

• strong pupil dilation;
• increased anxiety;
• untimely hyperactivity or drowsiness;
• increased irritability;
• decrease in reaction to external stimuli, the state of “absence”.

Preparing for an attack: what to do

If a nearby person has the signs of an impending seizure described above, you need to prepare for it mentally and physically, since it is impossible to prevent it.

The space surrounding the patient must be cleared of potentially dangerous objects – glass, breaking, sharp, electrical appliances. All objects and things must be removed from the person’s neck – scarves, jewelry, a tie, unbutton the shirt collar. On the floor you need to prepare a soft object, such as a blanket or pillow.

Windows are opened in the room to ensure normal ventilation and fresh air access.

How to behave during an attack

A mandatory requirement for the one who accompanies the patient during the attack and provides him with first aid is to remain calm, not to panic, not to irritate the patient himself.

The appearance of severe convulsions or foam from the mouth should not be frightening, since this is normal during an attack.

It is necessary to facilitate breathing for a person as much as possible, remove outer clothing, unbutton jeans or trousers. The head should be turned to the side so that the person does not choke on the foam. It is impossible to put pressure on it, it is necessary to keep it elevated in relation to the body in order to prevent the tongue from entering the respiratory tract.

It is also impossible to keep the patient during convulsions by force, as this threatens him with dislocation or bone fracture.

It is pointless to open tightly closed jaws – until the attack ends, this will still not be possible. If the jaws are not reduced, a not very hard object, for example, a tissue tourniquet, is placed between the teeth. So the victim will not be able to bite his tongue.

It is strictly forbidden to try to get a person drunk during a seizure.

A soft object must be placed under the head – a pillow, folded outerwear, a blanket, a towel.

A short-term cessation of breathing during an attack, in general, does not pose a danger to the patient, since breathing is quickly restored without any action from the outside. However, the pulse must be monitored.

In case of involuntary urination, a person is covered from below with a dense cloth until the end of the attack in order to prevent irritation of his olfactory receptors with a specific smell.

Without extreme need or a threat to life, it is impossible to carry or move the victim during an attack. Otherwise, the patient is lifted by the armpits and dragged, holding the torso.

Emergency resuscitation measures such as heart massage or artificial respiration are not used, unless there is water in the lungs of a person.

It makes no sense to offer any medicine to the patient during an attack – taking medication is possible only after it ends.

Panic and turmoil are bad for first aid measures for an epileptic seizure, so the mind must be kept cool and clear.

The end of the attack: first aid

At the end of the seizure, the person gradually begins to come to his senses. He should not be left alone during this period. The patient should be placed on the side. If the attack was on the street, and a crowd of curious people gathered around, they should be asked to disperse so that the patient does not feel significant discomfort from increased attention.

When a person tries to get up and move around on their own feet, they must be supported and not let go alone, as they may still have residual convulsions for the next 15 minutes. In general, 15 minutes is enough for the patient’s condition to normalize. Patients with epilepsy usually know exactly what medications and when they need to take after an attack, so it is impossible to force the patient or forcibly “shove” medicines into a person.

Coffee, spicy and salty foods can provoke a second attack, so they should not be offered.

After an attack, the patient may experience drowsiness, therefore, if possible, he needs to provide conditions for rest, carry him to his home or medical institution.

In what cases it is necessary to call an ambulance

An epileptic attack is an unpleasant, but not fatal manifestation of the disease, and, most often, it does not require mandatory medical intervention. However, in some cases it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance team, or transport the victim to the hospital.

Medical assistance should be provided to a person if the attack lasts more than 3 minutes, and the person is not breathing all this time. An ambulance is called if a seizure occurs in children, pregnant women, the elderly, if breathing has not been restored after a seizure, if an involuntary injury occurred during an attack, or when the convulsions have ended, but the patient is still unconscious.

Water entering the respiratory tract can lead to impaired respiratory function – in this case, he will definitely need the help of doctors.

If the attack occurred to a person for the first time, he must be examined by medical workers.

Epilepsy and alcohol intake

Doctors emphasize to people suffering from epilepsy that the use of alcoholic beverages and treatment for epilepsy are completely incompatible. Alcoholic epilepsy occurs in 2-5% of all patients with epilepsy, but one cannot ignore the fact that alcohol, in principle, can provoke seizures even in those who initially had the disease onset regardless of alcohol consumption. Therefore, patients with epilepsy are advised to completely abandon alcohol.

Epilepsy seizures are a pathological condition that occurs in both children and adults, although it is children who are more susceptible to the disease. The algorithm of actions during the provision of first aid to the patient, first of all, assumes the absence of panic.

All actions of the person accompanying the patient must be calm and clear.

The attendant has no way to influence the course of the attack in any way: all he can do is prevent the patient from harming himself, getting injured during convulsions, choking on saliva or foam.

After an attack, the patient is helped to recover and transferred to the doctors if an ambulance was called.