Water safety and seizure disorders

When a seizure occurs, there is too much electricity in the brain. All that energy creates a malfunction of sorts, causing the muscles in the body to tense uncontrollably. Seizures can last from a few seconds to three minutes, which can be especially frightening when they occur in the water. With that in mind, here are tips that can help everyone safely enjoy time at the pool or beach.

Safety precautions for swimming

• Do not let children or adults who have a seizure disorder swim alone.
• Choose brightly covered swimsuits for the swimmer to make them easier to spot and monitor.
• Provide life-saving safety tools such as a life jacket. Do not use a life jacket as an excuse to let them play in a pool or open water alone. They could have a seizure while face-down in the water.

Safety tips for water sports

The most important safety precaution is that a person with a seizure disorder is not in the water unmonitored. The best thing about water sports such as swimming, rowing and water polo is that the participant is never alone or unmonitored during the activity.

Safety tips for bathing

• A person with a history of seizures should not lock the bathroom door during bathing.
• If possible, choose a shower over a bath. (It is possible to drown in a small amount of water.)

Following these safety tips for bathing and water fun is always important, but especially during the first three to six month after a person’s last seizure.

What do you do when someone has a seizure in water?

• Get the swimmer to a safe area. Quickly get the person out of the water and place them in an area where there is little chance of them hitting their head or slamming their limbs into something hard.
• Do not attempt to restrain them. Let the seizure end on its own. Typically, when people try to do more, they end up hurting themselves or the person who is having a seizure. (And remember, seizures can last from a few seconds to three minutes.)
• Assess the person after the seizure ends. If they are not returning to what you consider normal, call 911 for help. If they are not breathing, begin CPR.
• There are no obvious signs of a seizure before it happens. People who experience seizures know how their bodies feel right before the seizure happens. That feeling is unique to them. Many times, their loved ones notice subtle changes in their behavior when they are anticipating a seizure.

People can develop epilepsy at any point during their lives. For some people, it can be temporary and may even outgrow epilepsy. Other people can go as many as 20 years between having seizures. In many cases, having epilepsy does not mean you have to avoid water activities, playing sports or other activities you enjoy. Take the safety precautions above to ease any concern or stress.