What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder of the central nervous system which is known to cause seizures.
Although it is not uncommon to experience one seizure in a lifetime, those diagnosed with epilepsy will experience two or more.
What are Seizures?
Seizures, which are caused by a disturbance in the brain’s nerve cell activity, may have a variety of different symptoms including loss of consciousness and uncontrollable twitching.
Can you have a seizure without epilepsy?
One in 100 people in the United States experience a seizure at some point in their lives, without the diagnosis of epilepsy.
How Common is Epilepsy?
It is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the United States.
Incidence
It is expected that 150,000 people will develop epilepsy each year in the United States. One in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime; many will develop the disorder during childhood.
Prevalence
It has been estimated that roughly 2.2 million people in the United States have epilepsy. However, out of every 1000 people, it is expected that every 16.5 have had epilepsy at some point in their lifetime.
Age
It is estimated that 300,000 children under the age of 15 have epilepsy.
Epilepsy in Children
While some will have life-long symptoms of the disorder, other children may have temporary cases of the disorder that lessen with age and treatment.
Epilepsy in Seniors
300,000 senior citizens are estimated to have epilepsy in the United States.
Although seizures are not often life threatening, they may pose risks of other complications for older people, including falls or broken bones.
Treatment may also be more challenging due to a higher risk of medication complications.
