Patient's question:
My father-in-law suffers from epilepsy, and he has had a history of it for about 2 years. Recently, his seizures have become very frequent. During the seizures, he has had prolonged episodes of foaming at the mouth and constant twitching. We are particularly upset about the risk of him biting his tongue. I don't know what to do. We have taken him to the hospital for thorough examinations and have tried various medications, but they haven't been very effective.Doctor's answer:
First, protect the tongue and place a gauze-wrapped pad between the upper and lower molars of the patient before a recurrence to prevent tongue biting. If the pad cannot be placed before a recurrence, wait until the patient's jaw is fully open during the tonic phase to insert it. Do not force it during the clonic phase to avoid injuring the patient. During a recurrence, have the patient lie flat, loosen their collar, and turn their head to one side to facilitate the drainage of respiratory secretions and vomit, preventing them from flowing into the trachea and causing choking or breathing difficulties. Epilepsy patients can use folk remedies as supplementary treatments alongside prescribed medications, but they must avoid extreme hunger or fullness and never overeat or binge drink in their daily diet.