Fainting, seizures and head injuries

Seeing someone faint, have a seizure or hit their head can be frightening. Most of the time, calm and simple actions are all that is needed, but certain signs mean you must call 998 immediately.

Fainting

• Check for a response by speaking loudly and lightly shaking the shoulders. If there is no response, open the airway and check breathing.
• If they are breathing normally, the NHS says lay them on their back and raise their legs. Pregnant people, especially after 28 weeks, are better on their side.
• Most people wake within about 30 seconds.
• Call 998 if they are not breathing, cannot be woken within 1 minute, have not fully recovered or have trouble speaking or moving, have chest pain or a pounding or irregular heartbeat, are seriously injured, are shaking or jerking, or fainted during exercise or while lying down.
• Even after a full recovery, they should see a doctor to find out why they fainted.

During a seizure: do

• Epilepsy Action: protect them from injury by moving harmful objects away.
• Cushion their head with something soft, such as a folded jacket.
• Time the seizure using your phone.
• Look for a medical ID card or jewellery that may explain their condition and what to do.
• Move bystanders away and keep calm; cover them with a coat or blanket if needed to protect their dignity.
• When the jerking stops, put them in the recovery position and stay with them until they have fully recovered.

During a seizure: do not, and when to call

• Do not hold them down or put anything in their mouth.
• Do not move them unless they are in danger, and do not try to bring them round.
• Do not give them anything to eat or drink until they are fully recovered.
• Call 998 if it is their first seizure, it lasts more than five minutes, they have one seizure after another without waking in between, they are seriously injured, they have trouble breathing afterwards, or they have had three or more seizures in 24 hours.
• Seizures lasting over five minutes, or longer than usual for that person, are a medical emergency.

Minor head injuries and concussion

• Sit the person down and hold something cold, such as an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel, to the injury.
• Watch for concussion signs listed by St John Ambulance: brief loss of response, dizziness or feeling sick, memory loss around the injury, headache and confusion.
• The NHS says an adult should stay with the injured person for at least the first 24 hours; they do not need to stay awake if tired.
• Rest and avoid stress; do not go back to school until feeling better; avoid alcohol, drugs and sleeping pills unless a doctor advises.
• Do not play contact sports for at least 3 weeks, and St John Ambulance says do not return to sport until a healthcare professional has assessed them.
• See a doctor if symptoms last more than 2 weeks.

Head injury red flags: call 998

• Knocked out and has not woken up, or cannot stay awake or keep their eyes open.
• A seizure, new numbness or weakness, or problems with walking, balance, understanding, speaking, writing, vision or hearing.
• Clear fluid or blood from the ears or nose, bruising behind the ears, or a black eye without hitting the eye.
• Fall from more than 1 metre or 5 stairs, a high-speed injury such as a road accident, or a dent or object in the head.
• A change in behaviour, such as becoming more irritable, distracted or losing interest in things.
• If you suspect a serious head or neck injury, try not to move them from the position you found them in, unless they are in danger, and keep checking their breathing.