What To Do When Someone Has a Seizure Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog What To Do When Someone Has a Seizure Jan 29, 2017 Cedars-Sinai Staff Share Tweet Post Roughly 1 in 10 people experience a seizure at some point. Know what to do when it happens. Seizures are fairly common. About 1 in 10 people has experienced a seizure, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you witness someone having a seizure, here's how you can help. What to do If the person is not already on the floor, help lower them gently to the floor. Turn the person on their side. This will help keep their airway open so they can breathe. Place something flat and soft, like a folded jacket or blanket, under their head. Loosen ties, collars or anything around the neck. Remove their eyeglasses, if they wear them. Move anything hard or sharp away from the person to prevent injury. Time the seizure. Most last a minute or so. If the seizure lasts five minutes or longer, call 911. Stay calm and speak to the person in a calming tone. Stay with the person until they are fully awake. When the seizure ends, help them sit in a safe place. Explain very simply what happened. Check for injuries after the seizure. Help arrange for transportation, if necessary. Remember as many details as you can about what happened during the seizure and write them down. The person who had the seizure may not remember what happened, and this information may be important to give to their doctor. What NOT to do Do not place anything in the person's mouth. A person having a seizure will not swallow their tongue. Do not hold the person down or try to stop them from moving. Do not give mouth-to-mouth breaths. Do not offer food or water until the person is fully alert. Call 911 if The seizure lasts more than five minutes The person is injured during the seizure The person has trouble breathing or walking after the seizure The person never had a seizure before The person is pregnant The person has diabetes, heart disease, or another health condition Learn more about the most common type of generalized seizure, the tonic-clonic or grand mal seizure. Tags Neurology Brain Expert Advice Pediatric Neurosurgery Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics Cancer Women's Health Heart Expert Advice Patient Stories Brain Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility