1 in 10 people will have a seizure. Epilepsy Queensland urges all Australians to Get Seizure Smart!

The Get Seizure Smart campaign asks the questions – would you recognise if someone was having a seizure? Would you know what to do to help?

Chris Dougherty, Epilepsy Queensland Chief Executive says, “seizures are more common than many realise and don’t always look like what you might expect. 1 in 10 people will have a seizure and 50% of people that have one seizure will go on to have more. Being seizure smart is an important skill for everyone.”

Epilepsy Queensland has been supporting Queenslanders to live well with epilepsy for over 50 years and this September their Get Seizure Smart campaign educates the public to recognise seizures and respond with appropriate seizure first aid. Doing so can provide comfort, prevent injury, and even save a life!

Advertisements

“The signs of a seizure are not always easy to spot and can be overlooked or mistaken for something else,” explains Epilepsy Educator, Jenny Ritchie. “Not all seizures are convulsive (shaking- falling). Seizures may include subtle eye movements, changes in cognitive ability, lapses in attention or other unusual behaviours.”

After you recognise a seizure, the next step is to be Seizure Smart and know how to respond with seizure first aid.
TIME the seizure. If the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, call an ambulance.

If it is the first time the person has experienced a seizure, you should seek medical assistance.
STAY with the person until they are alert or help arrives.
Stay calm and PROTECT the person from injury.
“This could mean moving things like hot drinks or furniture and protecting their head with something small and soft,” instructs Jenny Ritchie, who has been teaching seizure first aid to Queenslanders for almost 15 years.
Visit the Epilepsy Queensland website to Get Seizure Smart, download the free Seizure First Aid and Signs of a Seizure flyers at www.epilepsyqueensland.com.au or https://bit.ly/GetSeizureSmart
Not all seizures require emergency medical attention, but they can be life threatening; almost every day an Australian life is lost due to epilepsy.