Do you know what to do if someone has a seizure? A lot of us grew up with some misinformation about epilepsy and how to help someone having a seizure. Were you taught the wrong steps? Find out below!

Purple is the color of epilepsy awareness. Help us share some facts everyone should know!

1. Epilepsy is not a mental illness. It is a physical neurological disorder not linked with mental health or intelligence. People with epilepsy live otherwise normal lives.

2. If you see someone having a seizure, move them away from any sharp objects or hard surfaces. Never restrain a person having a seizure or try to put anything in their mouths. A person having a seizure is not in danger of swallowing their tongue despite what we were all taught! If the seizure goes on for 5 minutes with  no signs of slowing down, call emergency services.

3. Epilepsy is not contagious.

4. Not all seizures involve convulsions. Signs of a seizure can include a blank stare, rapid blinking, or some chewing movements. If these signs are noticed, no immediate aid is required other than possibly reassurance and emotional support.

If you’d like to help, please share this post with your friends and help spread awareness and education.
If you’d like to do more, the Anita Kaufman Foundation has a lot more information about epilepsy education, and can be found here: http://www.akfus.org/
And if you’d like to help some great kids have a fun summer next year, the Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona has a great program called Camp Candlelight, which is a summer camp that aims to give children with epilepsy a great summer camp experience. You can learn more here: http://www.epilepsyaz.org/camp_candlelight