The Claim: During a Seizure, You Can Swallow Your Tongue

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Published: April 22, 2008

THE FACTS

One problem with old wives’ tales and medical myths is that they can sometimes lead well-meaning people to do ill-advised things. Armed with the adage that people having seizures can swallow their tongue, Good Samaritans will sometimes try to force an object into the victim’s mouth to keep that from happening.

A persistent belief, experts say, but a wrong and potentially injurious one.

Swallowing the tongue is virtually impossible. In the human mouth, a small piece of tissue called the frenulum linguae, which sits behind the teeth and under the tongue, keeps the tongue in place, even during a seizure.

Ryan Brett, the director of education for the Epilepsy Institute in New York, said people who witness a seizure often reach for a wallet, a spoon, or a dirty object to stick in the person’s mouth, much to the chagrin of epilepsy patients. He said he frequently conducted first-aid workshops in which he had to disabuse people of the myth.

“The only thing that happens when something is put in the mouth is you end up cutting someone’s gums or injuring the teeth,” he said. “We get complaints all the time.”

The best way to help, instead, is to roll the person on one side to drain fluids from the mouth, cushion the head to prevent cranial injuries, and seek medical help if necessary.

THE BOTTOM LINE Never Place An Object In A Person’s Mouth During A Seizure.

ANAHAD O’CONNOR

scitimes@nytimes.com

Source: nytimes.com