Facts & Statistics About Epilepsy

4. Epilepsy Is Not Contagious

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder; it cannot be transferred to another person like a cold or flu.

5. Anyone Can Develop Epilepsy

Seizures start for the first time in people over age 65 almost as often as it does in children. Seizures in the elderly are often the after effect of other health problems like a stroke or heart disease.

6. People with Epilepsy Can Do the Same Things

Most people with epilepsy live the same lives as people without epilepsy. They cook, play video games, go to school, and work.

However, some people with frequent seizures may not be able to work, drive, or may have problems in other areas of their life.

7. They Can Handle the Responsibility and Stress of Jobs

People living with epilepsy can handle careers with responsibility and stress. People with seizure disorders are found in all walks of life. They may work in business, government, the arts, and all sorts of professions. If stress bothers their seizures, they may need to learn ways to manage stress. But everyone needs help coping with stress from time to time! There may be some types of jobs that people with epilepsy can’t do because of possible safety problems or accommodations may be made. Otherwise, having epilepsy should not affect the type of job or responsibility that a person has.

8. The Same Treatment Doesn't Work for Everyone

Epilepsy is a chronic medical problem that for many people can be successfully treated. Treatment may include seizure medicines, dietary therapy, or surgery. Unfortunately, treatment doesn't work for everyone. AT LEAST 1 million people in the United States have uncontrolled epilepsy. There is still an urgent need for more research, better treatments, and care.

9. Epilepsy Is Not Rare

Epilepsy is not a rare disorder, 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy during their lifetime. It can occur on its own or alongside other health conditions of the brain, such as:

• Cerebral palsy
• Intellectual disability
• Autism
• Alzheimer's disease
• Traumatic brain injury
• Stroke

There are rare epilepsies that affect a small number of people. Seizures may be difficult to control and there is a higher chance of other health conditions occurring.

Learn about different types of epilepsy syndromes.

10. Epilepsy Can Cause Early Death

While death in epilepsy doesn't happen frequently, epilepsy is a very serious condition and individuals do die from seizures. The most common cause of death is sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). While there is a lot we still don’t know about SUDEP, experts estimate that 1 out of every 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP each year. People can also die from prolonged seizures (status epilepticus). 1.9% of deaths in people with epilepsy is due to this type of seizure emergency.

Early death may also occur due to injuries or social concerns and barriers surrounding epilepsy.

11. Seizures Look Different from One Person to Another

What happens during a seizure may look different depending on who is experiencing them. However, seizures are usually stereotypic, which means the same things or behaviors tend to occur in a person each time they have a seizure. The seizure behavior may be inappropriate for the time and place, but it is unlikely to cause harm to anyone.