After a seizure, a person may be in an altered state of consciousness or feel dizzy or confused. It can help to take it easy and have strategies for dealing with common symptoms, such as headache or fatigue.
The period immediately following a seizure is called the postictal seizure state, and it usually lasts
A seizure
Read on to learn more about what to do after a seizure to feel better.
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In the period after a seizure, the brain’s electrical activity changes. It is not as chaotic as during the seizure but has not yet returned to baseline.
Some common symptoms include:
- memory problems
- dizziness
- weakness
- coughing
- pain from things that happened during the seizure, such as mouth pain from biting the tongue
- anxiety, mania, depression, and other mental health symptoms
According to some
The type of seizure a person has may also influence the symptoms, which can include problems with visual or verbal memory.
People who have cognitive impairments before the seizure may take longer to recover following a seizure.
A person does not need to eat any specific food after having a seizure. However, it is important that people following specialty seizure diets, such as the keto diet, continue to follow their diets.
People with known diet-related seizure triggers, such as those with diabetes who have seizures when their blood glucose gets too high, should eat accordingly.
For most people, eating a snack containing protein and fiber, such as cheese and berries, grilled chicken on whole wheat bread, or a similar option, may help them feel better if they have low energy after a seizure.
Many people feel fatigued or dizzy after a seizure, so lying down after a seizure might help ease symptoms.
Avoiding activity can also reduce the risk of falls and accidents as a person’s mental activity returns to baseline.
While the postictal period is usually short,
Some people have muscle weakness after a seizure. A person may also experience dizziness or confusion that makes movement feel difficult.
After a seizure, moving slowly and avoiding lifting heavy objects, driving, or operating other machinery until strength returns is a good idea.
People with significant movement impairments may need assistance for several hours after the seizure. Consider setting up an area to sit and relax, with easy access to water and entertainment, until the ability to move about safely returns.
A seizure can be scary, and some people may feel anxious about it or its cause afterward.
They
People who have seizures might want to consider working with loved ones and a healthcare professional to develop a self-care plan. Some things to think about include the following:
- developing strategies to help feel safe and calm after a seizure
- having a list of people to call after a seizure
- doing activities that help a person feel better after a seizure, such as watching a favorite show or curling up in bed with a good book
- knowing whether spending time with others or being alone helps
- walking or playing with a pet
Because seizures can affect a person’s overall well-being, including their ability to move, they may need to adapt their usual self-care strategies. For instance, they might watch a movie while cuddling their dog rather than take it for a walk.
Learn more about emotional well-being and mindfulness strategies.
A person might choose to contact a doctor if:
- They have a seizure for the first time.
- They believe an underlying medical issue, such as an infection, triggered the seizure.
- The pattern of their seizures changes.
- They begin having more frequent seizures.
They should go to the emergency room if they fall or experience a head injury during a seizure. If a seizure lasts
Having a seizure can be scary. They cause intense bursts of electrical activity in the brain that takes time to return to baseline, so it is not unusual to feel different after a seizure.
This period is short for most people, but some continue to have symptoms for several days after a seizure.
Treatment to reduce the frequency of seizures may also help reduce the time a person spends managing post-seizure symptoms.