Dublin communites urged to learn about seizure first aid ahead of International Epilepsy Day

Epilepsy Ireland is calling on the people of Dublin to learn how to correctly respond to a seizure through their key words of TIME, SAFE, STAY ahead of this year’s International Epilepsy Day on February 9^th. 

“There are an estimated 11,460 people living with epilepsy in Dublin and TIME, SAFE, STAY acts as a memorable guide to help the public correctly respond to a seizure. Our new campaign to be released on International Epilepsy Day will further amplify these key words – but it only takes a moment to visit our website www.epilepsy.ie and learn more about these vital three words” said Paddy McGeoghegan, Epilepsy Ireland Advocacy & Communications Manager.

But what is meant by TIME, SAFE, STAY?

• TIME – The first thing you should do is TIME the seizure. This is because if a seizure goes over 5 minutes, an ambulance should be called.
• SAFE – Keep the person SAFE during the seizure. If a person is having a convulsive seizure, cushion their head with something soft if possible and remove any harmful objects, e.g. furniture from their vicinity. NEVER put anything in a person’s mouth or restrain them during a seizure.

Be aware that there are also types of seizures where the person does not experience convulsions. Instead, they may “zone out” or stare blankly, become confused or agitated, display behaviours like chewing, smacking their lips, fiddling with their clothes, or wandering aimlessly. In this type of seizure, the person’s awareness of their surroundings is affected, and it is important to gently guide the person away from any danger. As with convulsive seizures, NEVER restrict the person’s movements.

Aside from when the seizure goes over 5 minutes, there are other instances where an ambulance should be called:

• Call an ambulance if a person having a seizure briefly comes out of it and goes into another one.
• Call an ambulance if you know it’s a person’s first seizure or if you’re not sure whether the person has epilepsy or not (often a person with epilepsy will have a bracelet or card in their wallet/purse indicating they have epilepsy.)
• Call an ambulance if the person is physically injured e.g. if they have taken a heavy fall during their seizure.
• Call an ambulance if the person is pregnant.
• Call an ambulance if you’re in any doubt – this is the most important point of all. No–one is going to be annoyed at you for calling an ambulance out of real concern; not the person who’s having the seizure and not the ambulance crew.

For more details on TIME, SAFE, STAY, International Epilepsy Day, epilepsy and Epilepsy Ireland – and to download seizure first aid posters – visit www.epilepsy.ie.