How To Treat A Seizure

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Understanding A Seizure

  • Most seizures are due to irregular electrical expulsions in the brain.
  • Symptoms can differ depending on the part of the brain that is affected, but often contains strange sensations, uncontrollable muscle seizures, and loss of awareness.
  • Some seizures might be due to a different medical issue, such as low blood sugar, a virus, an injury sustained to the head, unintentional poisoning, or drug overdose.
  • Seizures can also be caused by a tumor in the brain or other health issues affecting the brain. Anything that causes an unexpected deficiency of oxygen or a decrease in blood flow to the brain can also cause a seizure.
  • In rare cases, the cause of a seizure is never known.
    Most seizures are due to irregular electrical expulsions in the brain
    Most seizures are due to irregular electrical expulsions in the brain
  • Seizures that occur more than once or frequently may point to epilepsy.
  • Some children below 5 years old have seizures related to fevers, which occurs when they get a high fever.
  • While frightening for the parents, these seizures are generally short-lived and rarely cause any severe or long-lasting problems, except if the fever is connected to a severe infection, for example meningitis.
  • Young children also may have episodes known as breath-holding which can also result in a seizure.
  • This is not where children keep in their breath to get back at their parents. Rather, these spells take place in children who have an exaggerated response so that when they’re upset or emotionally distressed they stop taking in breaths.
  • As a result they start turning blue, often blackout, and may have a full seizure in which the body becomes stiff and they become unconscious.
  • While frightening for parents, these spells generally end on their own and the children almost never experience any severe damage from them. Phone your health practitioner if your child experiences such a episode.

Steps To Take

  • A child who is experiencing a seizure should be positioned on the floor in a secure area, if possible on his or her right side.
  • Get rid of any tight items. Release any clothing surrounding the neck or head.

Phone For An Ambulance If Your Child:

  • Has trouble breathing.
  • Skin turns blue.
  • Has sustained an injury to the head.
  • Appears ill.
  • Has a heart condition.

Related Video On Seizures

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