Key points
- Tell your partner about the condition, its warning signs and your emergency plan
- Inhalers, glucose and other medication stay within reach, never locked away
- Nobody is held down during a seizure
- Electro-stimulation is off the table with a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator
In detail
- Asthma: exertion, cold air, smoke and strong scents can trigger symptoms. Avoid breath play, tight chest bondage and gags. The reliever inhaler stays within arm's reach
- Diabetes: low blood sugar can look like subspace or drunkenness: shaking, sweating, paleness, confusion, irritability. If unsure, stop and check. Give fast sugar if the person can swallow safely
- Epilepsy: lack of sleep, alcohol and, for some people, strobe lights can trigger seizures
- During a seizure: release restraints if that is quick, but never hold the person down. Remove gags, put nothing in the mouth, cushion the head and note the time. Afterward, use the recovery position
- Heart conditions: intense exertion, breath play, extreme temperatures and heavy fear scenes strain the heart. Agree on lower intensity and frequent check-ins
- With a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator (ICD), avoid all electro toys, including TENS units and violet wands. For everyone, current must never cross the chest
Warnings
- Call emergency services for a seizure over five minutes, repeated seizures, a first seizure or an injury
- Chest pain, pain spreading to the arm or jaw, or sudden breathlessness means stop and call for help
- An unconscious person with diabetes is an emergency: put no food or drink in their mouth
- Suspension and inverted positions are not advisable with poorly controlled epilepsy or heart disease
Resources and next steps
- Your doctor or diabetes nurse, who can advise once you describe the physical demands
- Patient organizations for asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and heart disease
- A first aid course that covers seizures and diabetic emergencies
- Your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US and Canada)