A video of a Colorado mom who had a seizure in 2016 recently went viral on social media. The video shows the woman falling to the ground and experiencing convulsions while shopping. The video’s impact served as a stark reminder of the importance of knowing what to do in case someone has a seizure.
First, it’s crucial to time the seizure to determine how long it lasts. If it lasts for more than five minutes or if the person has difficulty breathing or walking, you should immediately call 911.
Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t put anything in the seizing person’s mouth, according to WebMD. This can result in injury, and the seizing person might damage their teeth.
The type of seizure the Colorado mom likely experienced is known as a grand mal seizure, which affects multiple parts of the brain at once. Mayo Clinic explains that this type of seizure occurs in two phases.
The first phase, known as the tonic phase, causes the person to lose consciousness and experience sudden muscle contractions that result in falling over. The second phase, known as the clonic phase, involves violent muscle contractions that last for one to two minutes.
The article on Mayo Clinic further explains that grand mal seizures occur when the electrical activity over the entire surface of the brain becomes abnormally synchronized. The usual communication between the brain’s nerve cells is disrupted in people with seizures, and many nerve cells fire simultaneously. The reason behind these changes often remains unknown.
