Can you die from an epileptic fit?

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misunderstood	yes Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

r_stori	Yes - especially if the fit is a 'grand mal' - choke by tongue/vomit , or strike head as one falls. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Fade__Out	ok...firstly, its a seizure, not a fit. Sorry...pet peeve. And the answer is yes, its possible but unusual. Many people stop breathing when they seizure so there is always a chance of asphixiation but most continue to breathe. Also, people with Drop Seizures can hit their heads when they fall, so that can be a fatalaty but not really the seizure causing the death but injury. People who have seizures frequently that last more than a few minutes can develop brain damage, and eventually get to the point where the brain no longer functions. There is something called "status epilepticus" which is when a siezure has lasted more than 15 minutes and thats when they become life threatening and the person needs immediate medical attention. Everyone with a seizure disorder has a different protocall to follow when they seize, some require meds right away, some have a waiting period, and some have a 911 order the minute they start due to a history of haveing been in status, or heart problems, or age, and others just let it ride till its over and continue on with their day. Hope this helped. edit - i just read up on some answers and had to say this. You CAN NOT swallow your tongue in a seizure or in any other situation. NEVER put something in the mouth of a person in a seizure. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

lisa b	yes you can choke on your own tongue or cause serious bleeding in fit Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Steve C	I think you can do so but more becaase you may fall, crash your car if you are driving, beang your head really badly etc ... Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

vekswrex	spose Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

NoxecA	not likely but possible. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

jo..x..	you cant swallow your tongue, when i did a first aid course we were taught that, if someone tilted your head back your tongue would not block the back of your throat Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Bob The Builder	Yes. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

munchie	yes you can if you hit your head hard etc there is a chance you could fall in to a fire or anything Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

faithfullyyours	yes Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

lucyt20	U could do if your airway was blocked by the tongue and not cleared. Hope ur ok Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

sadeyes99_2000	Hello, yes you can. My boyfriend has seizures due to epilepsy. He has quit breathing on several occations. We had a friend that had an epileptic fit and went into a coma and died several days later. I hope whoever you are talking about is on medication to help. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

robin_peel	Yes, sadly a friend of mine died after having a fit when he was in his late teens. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

preppy_hunni	yep...i think so. most arent fatal tho Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

spearchukka2003	YES, MY GRANDFATHER DID. THERE WAS NOONE AROUND TO HELP HIM, BUT THAT WAS IN THE 1930'S. MEDICAL SCIENCE HAS ADVANCED SINCE THEN. MAYBE IF HE WAS AROUND NOW HE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE OF A CHANCE. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

pedlamaniacs	I'm afraid so Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Tigger	Not from the seizure itself. But sometimes a person who is suffering from a seizure will swallow his own tongue and choke to death like that. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Dolly Blue	yes, it is rare but it happens!! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

ElOsoBravo	Yes. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Nicky	Sure, you can choke or hit your head, or if you drop in traffic...many ways. Supposed to lie they victim on their side in the recovery position and protect their head, but don't hold them down or ever put anything in their mouth, call 911. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Canute	Epilepsy is rarely fatal in itself, but there is a syndrome called Status Epilepticus, in which I went from one attack to another. It would have been fatal except for the devoted paramedics and the doctor who fought to knock me out, and then revive me 3 days later. I hope you do not experience this. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Gypsie	You can swallow your tongue and choke on it so yes. You should put the person in the recovery position and check that the tongue isn't blocking the airways. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

iain	Almost impossible unless you are alone and have no help, then you may fall off a cliff. However in this case the cause of death would be the fall and not the fit. If you have this problem stay on medication all the time, see your doctor at least every two months and do not do a bungee jump nor any other scary rides, roller coaster etc. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

In The Basement	Yes you can. Several members of my family suffer from it. I'm sure my grandmother died as a result of it. The biggest danger is where you and what you are doing when it happens Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

mixemup	Yes, they can choke on their tongue, or crack skull with a sudden fall. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

laura2910	yes, i think so. My friend had it running in her family and i remember her grandad died from it. im not entirley sure though Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Ali Z	I had a friend in college that had grad mal seizures and he was on meds to help stop them. He could have died the one time from a seizure because he wasn't taking his meds, and he just kept convulsing. He had a chanced to choke to death on vomit, but luckily we were able to help him out and he survived. Another thing is, a lot of people think that you should stick things in the persons mouth but that could also kill the person, the best thing to do for a convulsing person is roll them on there side and talk to them, just so they know someone is there. Also 911 helps out a lot to. If you don't know what to do there are courses out there that can teach you. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

SAcat	Not from the fit itself, but from complications - such as resticted breathing, knocks to the head etc. Have a read of this, it also details triggers and treatments: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

niz	NO! only the surrounding enviroment can kill someone taking a fit also if someone is taking a fit hold there head when they are laying on the ground and put something soft under their head (p.s qualified nars first aid and sta lifeguard) Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Mr. X.	I suppose it depends on where you are at the time. I mean, consider mountain climbing with out a safety rope!!! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No