Seizures: What Helps, What Hurts
In 10 minutes you'll know exactly what to do during a seizure, and when it means calling 911.
Print this course — or save it as a PDF from the print dialog. Good for a fridge, a glovebox, or a waiting room.
Why this matters
A seizure happens when a burst of abnormal electrical activity disrupts the brain, and it can look alarming: jerking, stiffening, a fall to the ground. Most seizures stop on their own within a few minutes and are not medical emergencies by themselves. What decides whether this one needs 911 is what you see next — how long it lasts, and how the person is afterward.
Know the signs
What a seizure looks like
A seizure can look like sudden jerking or stiffening of the arms and legs, a blank unresponsive stare, or a fall with no warning. Most seizures end on their own within one to three minutes, and the person's brain is not "broken" — it is recovering from a burst of abnormal electrical activity.
Your job is not to stop it. A seizure runs its course; you cannot shorten it by holding the person still or shouting their name. Your job is to keep them safe until it passes.
Protect them, do not restrain them
Clear the area around them — move furniture, bags, anything hard or sharp out of the way. Cushion their head with something soft, like a folded jacket, if you can do it without forcing their movements.
Never hold them down or try to stop the jerking. Restraining someone during a seizure does not help and can cause an injury, like a pulled muscle or a fracture, that the seizure itself would not have caused.
Never put anything in the mouth
Do not put your fingers, a spoon, or anything else in their mouth during a seizure — not even to protect their tongue. This is one of the most common and most dangerous mistakes a bystander can make.
A person cannot swallow their tongue during a seizure; that is a myth. What actually happens is that a hard object shoved between clenched teeth can break teeth, cut gums, or block the airway completely. Keep your hands and everything else away from their mouth.
Time it, then turn them on their side
Note the time the seizure starts the moment you see it — check a clock or your phone. This single number matters more than almost anything else you can offer, because it decides whether this becomes a 911 call.
Once the jerking stops, gently roll them onto their side. This keeps their airway clear and lets any fluid in their mouth drain out instead of being swallowed or inhaled.
When a seizure means call 911
Call 911 if this is the person's first seizure ever, or if you do not know their history. Call if it lasts longer than 5 minutes, or if a second seizure starts before they wake up from the first.
Also call if the seizure happens in water, if the person was injured, if they are pregnant or known to have diabetes, or if they do not return to their normal breathing and awareness afterward. If you are ever unsure, call — a seizure that turns out to be routine costs nothing to report.
Afterward, confusion is normal
Coming out of a seizure, most people are groggy, confused, and sometimes frightened, and that is expected, not a new emergency on its own. Stay with them, speak calmly, and tell them simply what happened and where they are.
Do not offer food or water until they are fully alert and swallowing normally. Let them rest, and stay until they are clearly back to themselves or paramedics arrive.
How it really looks
A grocery aisle, and a wallet reaching for his teeth
Selma is comparing cereal boxes when a man two aisles over collapses and starts jerking on the floor. Another shopper crouches beside him, wallet already in hand, saying someone needs to put something between his teeth so he doesn't swallow his tongue. Selma stops her — that's a myth, and it can break his teeth. Instead she clears a display of cans out of the way, slides her folded sweater under his head, and starts timing on her phone. At two minutes it stops. She rolls him onto his side as he starts to stir, confused and asking what happened. She stays with him, talking quietly, until store staff arrive with information for the paramedics who are already on the way.
Past the five-minute mark
Ibrahim's friend has had epilepsy for years, and Ibrahim has seen a seizure before, so his first instinct is to simply wait it out like always. He still checks the time out of habit. At three minutes, nothing has changed. At five minutes, the jerking has not stopped, and Ibrahim realizes this one is different from the others. He calls 911, stays on the line, and keeps his friend's head cushioned and the area clear while he waits. The seizure finally eases at seven minutes, right as paramedics walk in. His friend is groggy and asks what happened three times in a row. Ibrahim answers patiently each time, glad he trusted the clock instead of the pattern he expected.
What to do until help arrives
- Note the time the moment the seizure starts. This decides whether you need to call 911.
- Clear the area of anything hard or sharp, and cushion their head with something soft.
- Do not restrain them or try to stop the movements. Let the seizure run its course.
- Never put anything in their mouth — not your fingers, not a spoon, not a wallet.
- Once the jerking stops, gently roll them onto their side.
- Call 911 if it passes 5 minutes, is their first ever, or matches any other trigger above.
- Stay with them as they wake up. Speak calmly and tell them what happened.
Myths & mistakes
People often think you should put something in a seizing person's mouth so they don't swallow their tongue.Actually it is physically impossible to swallow your own tongue. Putting an object in their mouth risks broken teeth, cut gums, or a blocked airway instead.
People often think you should hold a seizing person down to stop the movements.Actually restraining someone does not stop a seizure and can cause an injury the seizure itself would not have. Clear the area and let it run its course.
People often think any seizure at all is a 911 emergency.Actually most seizures in someone with known epilepsy end on their own within a few minutes and are not emergencies by themselves. Call 911 for a first-ever seizure, one longer than 5 minutes, or the other specific triggers.
What you learned
- Most seizures end on their own within one to three minutes. Your job is to keep the person safe, not to stop it.
- Never put anything in the mouth, and never restrain the movements.
- Time it from the first second — the length decides whether this is a 911 call.
- Once jerking stops, roll them onto their side to keep the airway clear.
- Confusion afterward is normal. Stay, speak calmly, and wait until they are truly back to themselves.
Sources
- Epilepsy Foundation — Seizure first aid: what to do and what to avoid
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Seizure first aid basics
Spot an error? Tell us — accuracy matters more to us than being fast.
Common questions
Can someone really swallow their tongue during a seizure?
No, that's a persistent myth. It is not physically possible to swallow your own tongue. Putting a spoon, your fingers, or anything else in their mouth to prevent it does not help and risks broken teeth, cut gums, or blocking their airway. Keep their mouth clear of anything you're holding.
The seizure stopped after two minutes. Do we still need to go to the hospital?
Not necessarily, if this is a known seizure disorder and the person returns to normal afterward. But get medical care the same day after any first-ever seizure, and call 911 immediately if it passed 5 minutes, happened in water, caused an injury, or the person does not return to normal.
What should I actually say to someone once they wake up confused?
Keep it simple and calm: tell them their name, where they are, and that they had a seizure and are safe now. They may ask the same question several times — that's normal. Avoid overwhelming them with details, and let them rest until they feel fully like themselves again.
Check what you know
Five questions. Four correct to pass. Retake as many times as you like — this is practice, not a test.
Keep going
This course belongs to Everyday Emergencies. Courses that pair well with it:
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