Seizures and What to Do

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to seizures and what to do when someone you are with is experiencing one. So, I am going to breifly explain what we train our lifeguards for hire to do during an emergency of this type.

Scenario:

Our lifeguard for hire is scanning the pool at a birthday party, when all the sudden Johnny freezes where he sits, his eyes roll to the back of his head, and he is not conscious.

Symptoms:

The symptons of a seizure do not look the same for anyone. That is why it is so important for our lifeguards for hire to know all of the possible symtoms of a seizure. Most importantly they must always be prepared for anything that they come across while lifeguarding. These are thing to look out for.

-Open eyes, but loss of consciousness

-Cannot talk

-No movement (possible shaking)

NOTE: Not all seizure victims shake. Some may be completely still, but seizing all the same.

-Eyes rolled back or staring blankly into the distance

How to React:

The first thing a lifeguard for hire does to the seizing person is simply lay them down and move everything by their head away. You do not want them to have a spasm and hit their head on something hard, busting it open. You want to lay them down if they are in a position where they may fall and hurt themselves. If you can safely, cradle their head if they are laying on cement or a hard surface, so they do not hurt themselves on the ground.

Although we do advise to always call EMS just to be safe, if there is a person that is seizing that has a long history of having seizures, many people would not want the hospital bills if it is something they are faced with a lot. With that being said, if they seize for more than five minutes EMS needs to be called right away.

If they stop breathing during their seizure you must administer CPR right away, and call 911 if you have not already.

If the person comes to at any point during the situation, just make sure that they are comfortable. You can give them water while you ask them questions to ensure that they are fully concsious and aware. These questions include what day it is, what they were doing before the seizure, etc. Keep asking questions and talking to them until EMS arrives.