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A first seizure is a reason to visit your doctor or a hospital's emergency department. For someone with a diagnosed seizure disorder, a change in seizure patterns or more frequent seizures are reasons to see the doctor.

Visits to a hospital's emergency department are not needed for everyone with a seizure. Some seizures are emergencies, as inthe followingcases:

• A seizure that continues for more than 5 minutes (call 911)
  
  
• Breathing difficulty (call 911)
  
  
• Persistent confusion or unconsciousness (call 911)
  
  
• Injuries sustained during a seizure
  
  
• A first seizure

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