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Date issued: April 2021

Review date: April 2023

Ref: D-349/JS/Learning Disability Team/First Seizure

PDF: First seizure final April 2021.pdf [pdf] 567KB

What is a seizure

Your brain is a very important organ as it controls all of the things your body can do. For example: moving, breathing and talking.

Messages are sent to and from our brain around the body through a special electricity that our cells make. This is different from the electricity that powers our lights and TVs at home.

A seizure happens when your brain gets a burst of electrical messages at the same time and can’t work as well for a while.

Sometimes a seizure has been caused by something obvious for example a bad bump to the head and sometimes we don’t know why they happen.

Your first seizure

You have been given this easy read leaflet because you have had a seizure for the first time.

This was probably quite scary and has left you feeling anxious. It is important to run some tests to see why you had the seizure and if you are likely to have any more.

You will be given an appointment at the Acute Assessment Unit; also known as the AAU.  It would be good to take someone who saw your

seizure with you. If you were alone at the time try to write down what happened.

You may hear people using different terms. These include fit, tonic clonic and grand mal. These all mean that you had a seizure

One seizure does not mean that you have epilepsy.

Before leaving ED

Before you leave ED today make sure that:

• You have this leaflet with you  to take home

• You have an appointment at the Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) for a first fit clinic

• You understand what you should do if you have another seizure before your appointment

• Someone has spoken to you about DVLA rules if you have a car or motorbike licence