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VNS Surgery
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Who Gets Epilepsy?
Epilepsy can develop in any person at any age. 0.5% to 2% of people will develop epilepsy during their lifetime. People with certain conditions may be at greater risk. (See "What causes epilepsy?")
About 2.7 million Americans have been treated for epilepsy in the past 5 years. That's 8 or 9 out of every 1,000 people. In other words, out of 60,000 people filling a big stadium, about 500 have epilepsy. More men than women have epilepsy.
When are people most likely to get epilepsy?
New cases of epilepsy are most common among children, especially during the first year of life. The rate of new cases gradually declines until about age 10, and then becomes stable. After age 55 or 60, the rate starts to increase, as people develop strokes, brain tumors, or Alzheimer's disease. (All of these disorders can cause epilepsy.)
Facts About Epilepsy
- Up to 5% of the world’s population may have a single seizure at some time in their lives.
- It is likely that around 60 million people in the world have epilepsy at any one time.
- Children and adolescents are more likely to have epilepsy of unknown or genetic origin than adults.
- Epilepsy can start at any age.
- Recent studies show that seizures in up to 70% of children and adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy can be controlled with medications; however, many of these people experience treatment-related side effects.
- Seizures in up to 30% of people with epilepsy do not respond to available medications.
Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 10/16/06
Continue to: What causes epilepsy?
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| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking marijuana and drinking | Feb 7, 2008 | |
| pregnancy-developmental delays with tegretol | Jan 19, 2008 | |
| Please Help Me: New To Epilepsy | Feb 15, 2008 | |
| thinking about surgery | Feb 1, 2008 | |
| Eyelid twitching | Feb 20, 2008 | |
| Loading, Loading, Loading.. | Jan 17, 2008 | |
| Epilepsy triggers? | Mar 20, 2008 | |
| can paint fumes trigger seizures? | Feb 9, 2008 | |
| Removed Epilepsy Jokes | Mar 16, 2008 | |
| Coffee and Anti-convulsants | Jan 25, 2008 |
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Keppra and Alcohol | May 16, 2008 | |
| jppkt | ||
| Sex drive and seizure medications | May 16, 2008 | |
| dfriedman | ||
| life | May 16, 2008 | |
| kevinmo99 | ||
| son newly diagnosed with Absence Seizures | May 16, 2008 | |
| shu | ||
| Controlling absence seizures | May 16, 2008 | |
| shu | ||
| Developmentally Delayed 1 yr. old | May 16, 2008 | |
| kristy_08 | ||
| My parents dont care...I feel soooo alone! | May 16, 2008 | |
| blondestar25 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | May 16, 2008 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Absence Seizure in toddler, need more info! | May 16, 2008 | |
| KellaC32 | ||
| New to site and living with Epilepsy | May 16, 2008 | |
| asking79 | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures....... | 21,809 | |
| spiz | ||
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,169 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,721 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,468 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,297 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 14,075 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 12,254 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 11,992 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 10,952 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Part 2 | 9,752 | |
| spiz | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| NOT INVITED TO SON'S WEDDING BECAUSE I HAVE EPILEPSY.......MORE THAN I CAN HANDLE | Jan 28, 2008 | |
| Epilepsy in gastric bypass patients | Feb 8, 2008 | |
| Well things had been going well. | Jan 22, 2008 | |
| 2 SEIZURES TODAY, GOING FOR 3? READ MALLY HOO'S ENTRY TODAY. SHE WAS TREATED AWFUL. | Feb 14, 2008 | |
| Crybaby | Dec 30, 2007 | |
| Me and My Shadow Jan 9, 2008 | Jan 18, 2008 | |
| Pink Nail Polish | Feb 3, 2008 | |
| seized by fear | Mar 6, 2008 | |
| feeling off | Mar 18, 2008 | |
| Life With Epilepsy | Jan 25, 2008 |
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Long Day | May 16, 2008 | |
| kroiz | ||
| DOES IT MATTER IF I BLOG OR NOT? IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. I WISH I COULD CRY. | May 16, 2008 | |
| ROCKNROLL | ||
| I need eye candy and explosions! | May 16, 2008 | |
| stephsobota | ||
| WooHoo! | May 16, 2008 | |
| d00r | ||
| Im not alone | May 16, 2008 | |
| jjogden | ||
| interictal dysphoric disorder | May 16, 2008 | |
| cameo | ||
| Angry with the neuro's office and frustrated by the school situation | May 16, 2008 | |
| Gina Marie | ||
| HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THOSE SPECIAL MOM'S | May 15, 2008 | |
| scratch | ||
| I've Lost My Mind | May 15, 2008 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Looking for answers | May 15, 2008 | |
| ivyrayne | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| This is my own blog...how cool is that | 159 | |
| Niko | 49 | |
| yannie44 | ||
| Mood at the Moment | 33 | |
| spiz | ||
| In college and trying to cope | 30 | |
| tuckerviolinist | ||
| New pictures of Grandbaby Princess Sarah | 28 | |
| txrhb1 | ||
| battlt -becareful what you wish for .... it might come true? | 27 | |
| battlt | ||
| Not In A Good Mood! | 27 | |
| spiz | ||
| Hello All New Here | 26 | |
| KyliesMom | ||
| Epilepsy and anti depressants | 26 | |
| cameo | ||
| EPILEPSY, NON EPILECTIC SEIZURES, HORMORNES, NOT HORMONES | 24 | |
| ROCKNROLL | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Seizures + Weight Loss Surgery | May 15, 2008 | |
| meltingmama | ||
| Epilepsy Innovation Summit May 2008 | May 13, 2008 | |
| warren7 | ||
| Northern Virgina Support Group | May 11, 2008 | |
| Bery | ||
| Epi-teens | May 4, 2008 | |
| Epi-Teen | ||
| FACES Pediatric Subcommittee | May 1, 2008 | |
| Cindy Whiteside Hammerquist | ||
| living with epilepsy and ASD....autistic spectrum disorder | Apr 28, 2008 | |
| sophia_hill | ||
| Pacific NW USA | Apr 21, 2008 | |
| middleman | ||
| Mormons Living With Epilepsy | Apr 13, 2008 | |
| mormongirl | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | Apr 13, 2008 | |
| katfaerie | ||
| Women and epilepsy | Apr 10, 2008 | |
| PurpleCristal85 | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. | May 16, 2008 | |
| sueanne | ||
| shilpa | May 16, 2008 | |
| shilpa | ||
| First seizure at age 25 | May 15, 2008 | |
| suziereno | ||
| its hared but then i found this | May 15, 2008 | |
| dan2work | ||
| Nobody Understands | May 15, 2008 | |
| tmpino76 | ||
| Depakote and Children | May 14, 2008 | |
| twin12 | ||
| what goes around comes around | May 14, 2008 | |
| kelly28 | ||
| Shari Story | May 13, 2008 | |
| sharebear03 | ||
| susu | May 13, 2008 | |
| susu | ||
| Ayden's Story | May 13, 2008 | |
| aydensvoice | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| no comment Aetna rejects epileptics for insurance now! | 440 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 423 | |
| snoby | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 360 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 347 | |
| crashllama | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 331 | |
| javaman | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 309 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Jessica Roiz | 291 | |
| kroiz | ||
| How I found out I hade seizures | 271 | |
| HilaryWeinberg | ||
| Crystal's story | 267 | |
| Crystal11 | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 267 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| View all Stories | ||
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