- During a convulsive seizure, protect the person from injury, cushion the head and time the event.
- Do not restrain the person and do not put objects, fingers, water or medicine in the mouth.
- A first seizure, a seizure lasting around five minutes or repeated seizures without recovery needs urgent medical attention.
Why this deserves attention
A first seizure needs medical assessment. Learn how to keep the person safe, what not to put in their mouth and which prolonged or repeated seizures are emergencies.
The same symptom can have several causes. Useful clues include how quickly it changed, how severe it is, what comes with it, personal risk factors and whether it is clearly different from your normal baseline.
What to observe
After movement stops, place the person on their side if safe, check breathing and note recovery time, injuries, fever, pregnancy, diabetes, alcohol/drug exposure or recent head injury.
Write down when symptoms happen, how long they last, triggers, changes in normal function and medicines or supplements already taken. A short record often makes a consultation more useful.
Sensible next steps
A first seizure needs assessment to look for causes such as fever, low glucose, electrolyte problems, brain disease, medicines or epilepsy.
Medical assessment and where TCM fits
Testing may include blood tests, ECG, brain imaging and EEG depending on the circumstances. Treatment depends on recurrence risk and cause.
TCM must not replace investigation of a first seizure or prescribed anti-seizure medication. Do not stop anti-epileptic drugs suddenly.
TCM and conventional care can sometimes complement each other, but acute red flags, conditions needing imaging or blood tests, and diseases with established evidence-based treatment require diagnosis and safety to come first.
When not to wait
Call 995 for a prolonged seizure, repeated seizures without recovery, breathing difficulty, serious injury, pregnancy, water-related seizure or if the person does not recover normally.
Related reading & Singapore resources
This page provides general health education, not an individual diagnosis or emergency plan. Sudden, severe, worsening or red-flag symptoms should be assessed through appropriate conventional medical or emergency care.