Epilepsy awareness

When you cannot speak for yourself, your information can.

One in twenty-six people will develop epilepsy. Most of us would not know what to do if it happened in front of us. The Seizure Space exists to change that - and to give people with epilepsy somewhere private to keep the details that matter in the moments they cannot explain them.

50 million

People live with epilepsy worldwide, making it one of the most common serious neurological conditions.

1 in 26

People will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime. It can begin at any age.

70%

Could live seizure-free with the right treatment - yet a large share of people never receive it.

3-5%

Of people with epilepsy are photosensitive. Flashing images can trigger a seizure, which is why nothing here flashes.

Figures from the World Health Organization and national epilepsy charities. See About epilepsy for context.

The misunderstanding

Most seizures do not look like the ones on television.

When people picture a seizure they picture someone falling and convulsing. That is one kind - a tonic-clonic seizure - and it is not the most common one.

A seizure can be a person standing still, staring past you, not answering. It can be someone plucking at their clothes, repeating a word, or walking somewhere with no idea why. It can be a wave of nausea, a smell that is not there, or a few seconds that are simply missing afterwards.

People having these seizures are regularly assumed to be drunk, rude, or being difficult. Recognising what is actually happening is the single most useful thing a bystander can do.

Read more about epilepsy and seizure types

If it happens in front of you

Stay. Safe. Side.

Three words worth remembering. They cover most of what a bystander needs to do.

Stay

Stay with them and start timing the seizure. Keep calm, and keep onlookers back.

Safe

Move hard or sharp objects away. Cushion their head. Do not restrain them, and never put anything in their mouth.

Side

Once the movements stop, turn them gently onto their side to keep their airway clear. Stay until they are fully alert.

Call an ambulance if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, if another follows immediately, if the person is injured, is in water, is pregnant, does not regain consciousness, or if it is their first seizure.

Full seizure first aid guide

Request a tag

A tag answers the question you cannot.

A bracelet, necklace or wallet card tells a stranger or a paramedic that you have epilepsy, what medication you take, and who to call - in the window where you are not able to tell them yourself.

Request an epilepsy tag

Your private record

Written once, when you are well.

Create an account and record your seizure types, triggers, warning signs, medication and emergency contacts. Everything is encrypted, and only you can read it back.

Create an account