When is a seizure an emergency

A known cause of seizures, such as infection, stroke, brain tumor? Problems remembering medicines? Difficulty taking medicines on a consistent schedule? Problems affording medicine? Seizures during sleep? Live alone? Low blood levels of medicine? More seizures during medicine changes? Taking many seizure medicines? Do you have problems taking medications? Read about the importance of medication compliance. Look at resources to help with the cost of medicines.

Use a tool like My Medicine Schedule , Texting 4 Control , or My Seizure Diary to keep track of medications or set reminders to take your medicine or order refills. Take the list to your doctor and talk about what this means for you - ask for help assessing your risks. Develop your own Seizure Response Plan. Authored By:. The seizure lasts longer than five minutes. You have multiple seizures in a short amount of time. The person is unconscious, injured or has other symptoms such as trouble breathing.

Signs of a seizure Seizure symptoms depend on the type of seizure: Partial seizures only affect part of the brain. Petit mal seizures may be a brief period of unresponsiveness and staring.

Grand mal seizures affect the entire brain, causing entire body spasms and unconsciousness. How the person acted before the seizure. How the person acted immediately after the seizure. Whether the person suffered any injuries from the seizure. When to seek emergency help Seizures do not always require urgent care.

But call or other emergency services immediately if: The person having a seizure stops breathing for longer than 30 seconds. After calling or other emergency services, begin rescue breathing. The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.

The person may have entered a life-threatening state of prolonged seizure called status epilepticus. The person seizing is pregnant no matter how long the seizure lasts. More than one seizure occurs within 24 hours. The person having a seizure does not respond normally within 1 hour.

The person has new symptoms, such as trouble walking, speaking, or thinking clearly. The person has a fever. A seizure occurs after the person complains of a sudden, severe headache. A seizure follows a head injury. A person with diabetes has a seizure.

Low blood sugar hypoglycemia or very high blood sugar hyperglycemia can cause seizures in a person who has diabetes. A seizure occurs after eating poison or breathing fumes. The person complains of severe pain after waking up or develops a fever within 24 hours of the seizure. Related Information Epilepsy Seizures. Seizure disorders. In NH Fiebach et al. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Credits Current as of: April 8, Top of the page Next Section: Related Information.