What are the medical conditions that may be confused with convulsions?
which of the following is not proper treatment for a person experiencing convulsions? attempt to place a bite block or airway in the victims mouth YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE... EMT Basic Exam | …
What is the initial treatment for a convulsion?
B) muscle relaxants. Today, electroconvulsive therapy: A) is more likely to involve the use of insulin than shock. B) also involves the use of muscle relaxants. C) is given without anesthetic to reduce memory loss. D) is more likely to involve bilateral shock. B) also involves the use of muscle relaxants.
What is the difference between a seizure and a convulsion?
Feb 16, 2021 · Do not leave a person alone after a seizure – they may be disoriented or confused. If the person is known to have epilepsy it may not be necessary to call 911. However, call 911 if: the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, another seizure begins soon after the first one ends, the person does not awaken after movements have stopped, the person ...
What should I do if I Witness a convulsion?
If it is unclear, treat the situation like an overdose and proceed with treatment. 4. Administer naloxone. Administer naloxone following all manufacturer’s instructions for safe use. Administer a second dose of naloxone if the person is still unresponsive after 2-3 minutes and professional emergency responders have not arrived.
How to help someone with a seizure?
Here are things you can do to help someone who is having this type of seizure: 1 Ease the person to the floor. 2 Turn the person gently onto one side. This will help the person breathe. 3 Clear the area around the person of anything hard or sharp. This can prevent injury. 4 Put something soft and flat, like a folded jacket, under his or her head. 5 Remove eyeglasses. 6 Loosen ties or anything around the neck that may make it hard to breathe. 7 Time the seizure. Call 911 if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
How to stop a seizure from hurting?
This can prevent injury. Put something soft and flat, like a folded jacket, under his or her head. Remove eyeglasses. Loosen ties or anything around the neck that may make it hard to breathe. Time the seizure.
What happens if you have a seizure in water?
The person has another seizure soon after the first one. The person is hurt during the seizure. The seizure happens in water. The person has a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or is pregnant.
How long does it take for a seizure to end?
Most seizures end in a few minutes. These are general steps to help someone who is having any type seizure: Stay with the person until the seizure ends and he or she is fully awake. After it ends, help the person sit in a safe place.
What is a seizure called when you shake?
When most people think of a seizure, they think of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, also called a grand mal seizure. In this type of seizure, the person may cry out, fall, shake or jerk, and become unaware of what’s going on around them.
Can you swallow a seizure?
A person having a seizure cannot swallow his or her tongue. Do not try to give mouth-to-mouth breaths (like CPR). People usually start breathing again on their own after a seizure. Do not offer the person water or food until he or she is fully alert.
Do you call 911 for a seizure?
Seizures do not usually require emergency medical attention. Only call 911 if one or more of these are true: The person has never had a seizure before. The person has difficulty breathing or waking after the seizure. The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes. The person has another seizure soon after the first one.
How to control seizures?
Dietary therapy. Following a diet that's high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, known as a ketogenic diet, can improve seizure control. The ketogenic diet is very strict and can be challenging to follow, as there is a limited range of foods allowed.
What is the best medication for seizures?
Treatment for seizures often involves the use of anti-seizure medications. There are many different options for anti-seizure medication. One of the more recent medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration, cannabidiol (Epidiolex), is derived from marijuana. It's approved to treat certain seizures in children age 2 and older.
What is EEG brain activity?
EEG brain activity. An EEG records the electrical activity of your brain via electrodes affixed to your scalp. EEG results show changes in brain activity that may be useful in diagnosing brain conditions, especially epilepsy and other seizure disorders. High-density EEG. Open pop-up dialog box.
What to do after a seizure?
After a seizure, your doctor will thoroughly review your symptoms and medical history. Your doctor may order several tests to determine the cause of your seizure and evaluate how likely it is that you'll have another one. Tests may include: A neurological exam.
Can anti-seizure medication affect birth control?
Some anti-seizure medications can alter the effectiveness of birth control (oral contraceptive) medication. If contraception is a high priority, check with your doctor to evaluate whether your medication interacts with your oral contraceptive, and if other forms of contraception need to be considered.
What does EEG show?
The electrodes record the electrical activity of your brain, which shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording. The EEG may reveal a pattern that tells doctors whether a seizure is likely to occur again. EEG testing may also help your doctor exclude other conditions that mimic epilepsy as a reason for your seizure.
Can a seizure cause anxiety?
If you're living with a seizure disorder, you may feel anxious or stressed about what your future holds. Stress can affect your mental health, so it's important to talk with your health care professional about your feelings and seek ways you can find help.
What is a convulsion?
A convulsion is a general term used to describe uncontrollable muscle contractions. Among some of the common causes of convulsions are epileptic seizures, febrile seizures, non-epileptic seizures, and medication-induced convulsions.
What is the difference between a seizure and a convulsion?
The words convulsion and seizure often are used interchangeably, but physiologically they are different events. A seizure occurs due to an electrical disturbance in the brain, while a convulsion describes the involuntary action of jerking and contraction.
How long does a convulsion last?
An episode may involve the whole body or be limited to a certain part, such as an arm or a leg. It may be brief, lasting for only a few seconds, or continue for a long period of time, increasing the risk injury.
How to diagnose a convulsion?
To diagnose the cause of a convulsion, a doctor will first take a medical history and consider any other symptoms a person has, followed by a physical examination. This likely will be followed by a focus on potential neurological causes or conditions that can trigger abnormal brain activity.
What is an epileptic seizure?
Epileptic. Epileptic seizures are characterized by electrical disturbances in the brain. Not all are associated with convulsions; those that are include: 1 . Generalized tonic-clonic seizures: Also known as grand mal seizures, characterized by stiffening during the tonic phase and violent jerking during the clonic phase.
How long do febrile seizures last?
They're most common in children between 6 months and 5 years, tend to occur on the first day of fever, and last for only a few minutes. Symptoms include severe shaking, stiffening, and, on occasion, sudden loss of consciousness. 2
Who is Heidi Moawad?
linkedin. Heidi Moawad is a neurologist and expert in the field of brain health and neurological disorders . Dr. Moawad regularly writes and edits health and career content for medical books and publications.
What are the two types of seizures?
Seizures are divided into two categories: generalized and partial. Generalized seizures are produced by electrical impulses from throughout the brain, while partial seizures are produced by electrical impulses in a small part of the brain. Seizure symptoms include unconsciousness, convulsions, and muscle rigidity.
How to keep a person safe during a seizure?
First aid for seizures is aimed at keeping the person safe until the seizure stops on its own. Stay calm, loosen anything around the person's neck, do not restrain them or put anything in their mouth, clear the area around them, and stay with them after the seizure stops.
What are the symptoms of a seizure?
Common symptoms of seizures include unconsciousness, muscle contractions and convulsions, clouded awareness, weakness, loss of sensation, strange sensation in the stomach, lip-smacking, fidgeting, confusion, and sleepiness after the seizure. There are many different types of seizures (e.g. grand mal, febrile), from a first aid point ...
What is it called when you have a seizure?
When the cause for the seizures is unknown, they are referred to as idiopathic or cryptogenic seizures. Seizure causes are also sub-classified into acute (an active cause, such as an active brain disease) or remote (caused by a previous event, such as injury). Some people with seizure disorders have triggers that cause their seizures.
How long does a seizure last?
Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Stay calm and reassure bystanders. Loosen anything around the person's neck (clothing, ties, jewelry, etc.) that may impede breathing. Do not restrain the person – this may result in injury.
Is seizure the same as epilepsy?
Seizures and seizure disorders are not the same medical problems. A seizure happens when the electrical activity in the brain is uncontrolled. There are about 40 different types of seizure disorders, in which epilepsy is one.
What to do after a seizure?
After the seizure, lay the person on their side to facilitate breathing and keep the airway open. Do not leave a person alone after a seizure – they may be disoriented or confused. If the person is known to have epilepsy it may not be necessary to call 911.
What to do if you see drug residues?
Do not enter any area that appears unsafe for any reason. If you see drug powders or residues, do not risk exposure. Wait for professional emergency responders. Avoid contact with drug containers, needles and other paraphernalia.
How long does it take for naloxone to reverse?
Note that it may take 5 minutes or more for signs of overdose to reverse.
How to tell if someone is overdosed on opioids?
Try to wake up the person by speaking loudly or rubbing the breastbone with knuckles. A person experiencing opioid overdose often shows the following signs: 1 Unconsciousness, or inability to wake up 2 Limp body 3 Falling asleep, extreme drowsiness 4 Slow, shallow, irregular or no breathing 5 Pale, blue, cold and/or clammy skin 6 Choking, snoring or gurgling sounds 7 Slow or no heart beat 8 Very small or “pinpoint” pupils
What to do if you overdose on naloxone?
Call 911 if an overdose is suspected. Even if the patient wakes up or seems better after one or two doses of naloxone, emergency medical assistance is still necessary. A medical professional should evaluate anyone who has experienced an overdose as soon as possible.
What are the symptoms of opioid overdose?
Unconsciousness, or inability to wake up. Limp body. Falling asleep, extreme drowsiness. Slow, shallow, irregular or no breathing. Pale, blue, cold and/or clammy skin. Choking, snoring or gurgling sounds. Slow or no heart beat. Very small or “pinpoint” pupils. Recognizing an opioid overdose may be difficult.
Does naloxone reverse sedation?
Naloxone temporarily reverses the effects of the opioid, including sedation. Monitor the person suspected of overdose for any changes in condition. Serious side effects from naloxone, including allergic reaction, are very uncommon.
Diagnosis
Treatment
- Not everyone who has one seizure will have another one, and because a seizure can be an isolated incident, your doctor may not decide to start treatment until you've had more than one. The optimal goal in seizure treatment is to find the best possible therapy to stop seizures, with the fewest side effects.
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Here are some steps you can take to help with seizure control: 1. Take medication correctly.Don't adjust the dosage before talking to your doctor. If you feel that your medication should be changed, discuss it with your doctor. 2. Get enough sleep.Lack of sleep can trigger seizures. Be sure to get adequate rest every night. 3. Wear a medical alert ...
Coping and Support
- If you're living with a seizure disorder, you may feel anxious or stressed about what your future holds. Stress can affect your mental health, so it's important to talk with your health care professional about your feelings and seek ways you can find help.
Preparing For Your Appointment
- In some cases, seizures need immediate medical attention, and there's not always time to prepare for an appointment. In other cases, your first appointment to evaluate a seizure may be with your family doctor. Or you may be referred to a specialist, such as a doctor trained in brain and nervous system conditions (neurologist) or a neurologist trained in epilepsy (epileptologist). To prepare f…