Epilepsy First Aid: What to Do and How Fall Detection Helps
How to help someone during a seizure, what never to do, and how EchoCircle's fall detection protects people with epilepsy when they're alone.
Epilepsy affects roughly 1 in 100 people worldwide. Most bystanders don't know what to do during a seizure — and the common instincts are often wrong. A few simple rules can prevent serious harm.
What to do: correct actions
- →Clear sharp and hard objects from around the person
- →Put something soft under their head
- →Turn them onto their side — prevents choking
- →Time the seizure — if it lasts more than 5 minutes, call emergency services
- →Stay with them until full consciousness returns
What never to do
- →Don't restrain them — you won't stop the seizure, you'll cause injury
- →Don't put anything in their mouth — not a spoon, not your fingers
- →Don't give water until they're fully conscious
- →Don't leave them immediately after the episode ends
How fall detection protects people with epilepsy
For people who live with epilepsy, the greatest fear is an episode when alone. EchoCircle uses your phone's accelerometer to detect a sudden fall. If you lose consciousness and drop, the app waits a few seconds for stillness, then automatically sends an alert to your trusted circle with your GPS location. Nothing needs to be pressed.
Optimal setup for someone with chronic episodes
- →Phone in a pocket or belt clip — not in a bag
- →Add people to your circle who know about your condition
- →Enable fall detection and adjust sensitivity
- →Add medical information to your profile — seizure type, medications
Living with epilepsy and staying independent
Many people with epilepsy limit their lives because of the fear of being alone during an episode. Fall detection and a trusted circle aren't a cage — they're a safety net. With them, you can take solo walks, live in another city, and live fully, knowing that if you need help, it will come.