Patient education

Preparing for your EEG

• Wash your hair and scalp the night before or on the morning of the test. Do not apply oil, gel or hair spray.
• No fasting is needed. Eat normally before the test.
• Take your usual medicines unless the doctor has told you otherwise.
• Bring previous EEG reports and a list of your medicines.
• For children, bring something familiar, such as a favourite toy.

The test is painless. EEG is done at Narayani Hospital, Mon–Sat 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. More about EEG →

What to do when someone has a seizure

Do

• Stay calm and stay with the person. Note the time the seizure starts.
• Move hard or sharp objects away. Put something soft under the head.
• Loosen tight clothing around the neck. Remove spectacles.
• When the shaking stops, turn the person onto their side to help breathing.
• Stay until they are fully awake. Speak calmly; they may be confused.

Do not

• Do not put anything in the mouth, including water, medicine, a spoon or fingers.
• Do not hold the person down or try to stop the movements.
• Do not make them smell shoes, onions or anything else.

Get emergency help if

• the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, or seizures come one after another,
• the person does not wake up, or has difficulty breathing,
• it is a first seizure, or the person is injured, pregnant or diabetic,
• the seizure happened in water.

If you can do so safely, a short phone video of the episode helps the doctor. More about epilepsy →

Warning signs of stroke

Remember BE FAST:

• Balance: sudden loss of balance
• Eyes: sudden loss of vision
• Face: one side of the face droops
• Arm: weakness or numbness of one arm or leg
• Speech: slurred or difficult speech
• Time: note the time and go to hospital immediately

Go straight away to the emergency department of the nearest hospital with a CT scan facility. Do not wait to see if symptoms improve, and do not wait for an appointment. More about stroke →

Keeping a headache diary

For each headache, write down:

• the date, and the time it started and stopped,
• how bad it was, from 1 (mild) to 10 (worst),
• where the pain was, and other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light or sound,
• what you took for it, the dose, and whether it helped,
• possible triggers: missed meals, poor sleep, stress, travel, certain foods, and, for women, the menstrual period.

Keep the diary for at least a few weeks and bring it to your visit. A notebook or a note on your phone is fine. More about migraine →

What to bring to your first visit

• All previous medical reports, scans (films and CDs) and test results
• A list of all your medicines and doses, or the medicine strips
• A family member or friend who has seen your symptoms, if possible
• A short phone video of any episodes, if you can film them safely
• A headache or seizure diary, if you keep one

Please do not send reports on WhatsApp; bring them to your visit. If tests may be needed, book at Narayani Hospital, where tests are done.