Question

My child is now 2 years old and for some reason has epilepsy. During seizures, the child’s eyes roll back, limbs are curled up, and the body shakes for 2-3 minutes, followed by a period of sleepiness.

Answer

If you notice the early warning signs of an epilepsy seizure in a patient, immediately have them lie down and turn their head to the side to prevent secretions from blocking the airways. Even if you cannot arrange for immediate medical attention, when the patient is about to fall, quickly support them to fall in a controlled manner to prevent injury from a sudden fall. During a major epilepsy seizure, there is an increased amount of secretions in the patient’s airways, which may cause airway obstruction or aspiration pneumonia. Starting from the onset of a major epilepsy seizure, turn the patient’s head to the side to allow secretions to drain.