• Reference Number: HEY1554/2025
• Departments: Emergency Department, Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Last Updated: 31 January 2025

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about your condition. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor but may act as a starting point for discussion. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.

What is a seizure?

The brain contains millions of nerve cells which control how we think, feel and move by passing electrical signals to each other. During a seizure there is either an abnormal surge or disruption to the electrical signals which can cause jerking or shaking of the limbs, loss of consciousness or ‘vacant’ episodes.

After a seizure some people may be confused or take some time to return to their normal self. Others may feel very tired.

Some studies show 8 to 10% of the population will experience a single seizure at some point in their lifetime. A seizure occurring for the first time may not necessarily mean you have epilepsy and having one seizure doesn’t necessarily mean you will have further seizures.

Lifestyle advice

As you have recently had a seizure it is important to take extra care with some activities:

• Bath or shower with the door unlocked and inform someone when using the shower or bath. Showering is considered safer than bathing. If you do take a bath do not fill the bathtub.
• Avoid excessive alcohol
• Avoid operating heavy/dangerous machinery
• Avoid unprotected heights
• If you go swimming, take somebody with you and inform the lifeguard that you have had previous seizures. Avoid unsupervised areas of water.
• Avoid any triggers you may have identified (see below).

Potential triggers for seizures include sleep deprivation, excessive stress, flashing lights, illness, excessive amounts of alcohol, recreational drugs.

It is sensible to inform your place of work if you have had a seizure so that any additional safety measures can be taken. If having a seizure at work poses a risk to yourself or others then you will need to inform your employer. You will also need to inform your employer if you are in the armed forces.

Driving

Following a seizure, you must immediately stop driving, whether you have a diagnosis of epilepsy or not. You will need to inform the DVLA and your car insurance company. If you do not inform the DVLA it is a criminal offence, and you could be fined up to £1000.

Following a seizure you will be unable to drive for at least 6 to 12 months. For those with a lorry, bus or coach driving licence this will be longer.

Please see the DVLA website for the most up to date information: https://www.gov.uk/epilepsy-and-driving

Losing your driving licence can have a big impact on your life and can be difficult and upsetting. You may be eligible for a bus pass if you lose your driving licence due to a medical reason. Please see below for further information:

Hull residents: https://www.hull.gov.uk/travel/disability-bus-pass

East Riding residents: https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/environment/public-transport-travel/travel-passes-and-concessions/english-national-bus-pass/

First aid advice

It is difficult to predict whether you will have further seizures but in the event of a further seizure here are some measures your friends, and family can take to keep you safe:

They should:

• Stay calm
• Protect you from injury by removing hazardous objects, try to clear a space and prevent crowding of people.
• Put something soft under your head if possible to protect your head
• Check the time to see how long the seizure lasts
• Once the seizure has finished put you into the recovery position
• Stay with the you until you have fully recovered and gently reassure you. You may be confused or drowsy after a seizure.

They should not:

• Try to restrain you
• Try to put anything in your mouth
• Move you, unless you are in immediate danger
• Give you any food or drink until you have fully recovered

When to call 999:

• A seizure lasts more than 5 minutes
• One seizure follows another without the person regaining consciousness in between
• The person has injured themselves during a seizure or is having difficulty breathing
• You have concerns about their condition

Next steps

If this is your first seizure:

If this is your first seizure a referral will be made to the neurology clinic, and they will contact you to arrange an appointment. At the neurology clinic they will decide whether any further investigations are required.

Do not worry if you have not had a scan of your head to investigate a suspected seizure in the Emergency Department. Not everyone requires a scan following a seizure, and if you do need a scan the neurologist will organise the most appropriate scan for you.

Please bring any medication you take with you to your appointment.

If there was a witness to your seizure please bring them with you to the appointment, if possible.

If you are known to the neurology/epilepsy team:

We will notify the neurology team that you have attended the emergency department following a seizure and they will decide if any further follow up is required. If you have an epilepsy specialist nurse, please do not hesitate to contact them if needed.

Useful information regarding your seizure to bring to the Neurology clinic

If you have a further seizure, if possible and safe to do so, ask someone to video the seizure as this can provide a lot of useful information for the neurology team.

Answers to the following questions about any seizures you have had can also be helpful to bring to your neurology appointment:

Before the seizure:

• Did anything trigger the seizure?
• Did you have any warning before the seizure? Did your mood change? Did you notice any unusual sensations prior to the seizure?
• What were you doing at the time your seizure started?

During the seizure:

• Did you lose consciousness?
• Did your colour change? (e.g. pale, flushed, blue)
• Did your breathing change? (e.g. noisy, shallow, difficult)
• Did part of your body move, jerk, twitch?
• Did you fall down, go stiff or floppy?
• Were you incontinent or did you bite your tongue/mouth?
• How long did the seizure last?

After the seizure:

• How did you feel after the seizure?
• How long before you could carry on as normal?
• Were you confused afterwards?

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact your GP or 111.

If you are known to the epilepsy or Neurology team please contact them on the number they have provided you with, or via the hospital switchboard on tel: 01482 875875.