Andrew Ulrich, MD, discusses seizures, their common triggers, and provides practical advice on managing a seizure situation for maximum safety. This discussion provides vital insights to help the public understand seizures and how to respond when they occur.
"Seizures can occur at any stage in life and depending on what’s causing it, it may be a one-time event or it may happen again. From our perspective in the emergency department, the primary objective is to stop the seizure activity because prolonged seizure activity is dangerous for the brain. Sometimes we're able to do that. Sometimes we're not and then the neurologists get involved to help us determine what's caused the seizure and whether this is something that is going to be problematic down the road.", said Andrew Ulrich.
People with conditions like epilepsy, brain injuries, meningitis, extremely low blood sugar levels or tumours are more prone to experiencing seizures. These medical issues could trigger abnormal electrical activities in their brains which result in visible seizure symptoms. Despite being alarming, most seizures are not severe and do not last long. Nonetheless, having knowledge on how best to handle such situations could mean enhanced safety for individuals suffering from seizures; thus stated a press release from Yale New Haven Health.
There are several types of seizures which manifest differently. Tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures which typically involve uncontrollable shaking and flailing limbs are most widely known. However there are also less conspicuous types like absence or petite mal seizures which lasts only seconds making them difficult to detect unless one has known history of seizure disorder; said Andrew Ulrich who further explained that febrile seizures in young children show similar symptoms as absence seizures especially when they have fever; cited a press release from Yale New Haven Health.
Procedures for managing seizure episodes largely depend on its type as outlined by Andrew Ulrich who emphasised protecting those having tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures from injury as top priority. Crucial tips in such scenarios include avoiding performing CPR, refraining from feeding the person, ensuring they are on their side to prevent choking and seeking immediate medical help if seizure prolongs over five minutes. Seeing a doctor after an unexpected seizure is always advisable; so recommends a press release from Yale New Haven Health.
