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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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Faked seizures | Oct 3, 2009 | |
| dfarrell | ||
| I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life... | Aug 17, 2009 | |
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| Food-Triggered Siezures | Sep 25, 2009 | |
| uberzwitter | ||
| Temporal lobe surgery | Aug 16, 2009 | |
| a_mkelly2000 | ||
| Can exercise induce seizures? | Sep 11, 2009 | |
| MichaelK | ||
| terrified to get pregnant | Sep 19, 2009 | |
| linzysmith323 | ||
| Epilepsy triggers? | Aug 9, 2009 | |
| Black.Pearl | ||
| The Reasons not to consume alcohol or smoke marijuana if you have epilepsy | Jul 30, 2009 | |
| LaurenG1211 | ||
| Do seizures change characteristics over time? | Jul 25, 2009 | |
| Amazon | ||
| Gardasil, car accident, stress, PTSD, seizures? | Sep 9, 2009 | |
| sparkbird | ||
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| Title | Posted | |
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| TLE or PNES? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| mel239 | ||
| Can taking OTC medications for cold, flu and sinus infections result in seizures? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| larryz | ||
| twitchy arm | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| emzclarinet | ||
| How long do your symptoms last (if they ever even go away) | Feb 9, 2010 | |
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| Who is your personal hero? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| phylisfjohnson | ||
| Causes of Underemployment. | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| Matthew Simington | ||
| Is there such a thing as PNES | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| jonah | ||
| Just Looking for Some Help... | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| maja99 | ||
| Convulsions/Seizures after being tickled | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| Juniper | ||
| New to Epilepsy.com | Feb 8, 2010 | |
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| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,442 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,960 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,900 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,799 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 15,558 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,109 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 13,010 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,452 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,070 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,454 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| This Isn't Ebay Folks!!!!!!!!! | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Well he has arrived! | Sep 28, 2009 | |
| SassyMindy | ||
| BEEN A LONG.........PROBABLY A LONG PURGING BLOG COMING........I'M BEING FOLLOWED BY A MOONSHADOW.... | Aug 8, 2009 | |
| ROCKNROLL | ||
| A Year Since Surgery | Aug 17, 2009 | |
| SassyMindy | ||
| Ohhhhh Baby! | Sep 5, 2009 | |
| 1sassyhelper | ||
| Drum Roll..... | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Find insurance for Epilepsy | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| mandasuewilson | ||
| AS THE DRUG COMPANY TURNS - THE SOAP OPERA | Aug 1, 2009 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Changing seizures..very scary | Jul 29, 2009 | |
| r_mommy2 | ||
| Quitting medication after brain operation | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| karl34 | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| same dose for 6 years possible unidentified seizures | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| mash4077 | ||
| Well, I know.... (Question at bottom of blog.) | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| quesofresco | ||
| nightmares | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| becky89 | ||
| i need to vent... | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| jacky99 | ||
| michelle | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| michelle41 | ||
| Etiology of a Housebound Visionary | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| tigro65 | ||
| Anyone w/ temporal lobe epilepsy and not on medication? | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| hazel baum | ||
| MY 1ST BLOG :) | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| awalkingmiracle | ||
| I hate the hospital. | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| Shenoah | ||
| Visit to a doctor - February 2010 | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| MichaelK | ||
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| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,007 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
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| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,654 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,473 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,073 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,929 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,891 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,811 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,732 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,601 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| support group for individuals w/ epilepsy | Oct 18, 2009 | |
| sunstarr_429 | ||
| Epilepsy and Movies | Sep 10, 2009 | |
| wendyspazzez | ||
| Epilepsy and Memory Loss?? | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| lindseygthatsme | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 12, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Treating Depression with Epilepsy | Feb 4, 2010 | |
| mypetitmal | ||
| Burm80 | Feb 1, 2010 | |
| burm80 | ||
| WHO NEEDS A SEIZURE ALERT DOG | Jan 19, 2010 | |
| MOMMY HOLLIE | ||
| surgery group | Dec 20, 2009 | |
| bobby chen | ||
| Parents of Adult Children with Epilepsy | Nov 22, 2009 | |
| askadis | ||
| Grandparents of grandchildren with Epilepsy | Nov 14, 2009 | |
| EmiliesGrandma | ||
| neeraj clinic, rishikesh,india | Nov 14, 2009 | |
| ankita gupta | ||
| Project Uplift | Nov 4, 2009 | |
| tamliniscute | ||
| SEIZURE FREE | Nov 3, 2009 | |
| gracie9933 | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 9, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| 36 years epilepsy and seizure free so far after op. | Jul 26, 2009 | |
| karl34 | ||
| giving humans another try ;) | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| bookworm03 | ||
| growning up | Oct 21, 2009 | |
| geenie | ||
| Epilepsy and other goodies | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| LIZARD66 | ||
| Absent Memories | Oct 29, 2009 | |
| BekiP | ||
| Journey of Epilepsy | Aug 6, 2009 | |
| Jensey84 | ||
| Silent Traumatic Epilepsy as a result of a subarachnoid hemorrhage | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| lonepearl | ||
| Epilepsy and my daughter | Aug 12, 2009 | |
| dmeitzen | ||
| Temporal lobe epilepsy | Aug 19, 2009 | |
| dawnieb82 | ||
| Fighting the fight to stop the seizures | Aug 27, 2009 | |
| lahull2000 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Looking for answers... | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| BSimons | ||
| Finding myself through the years | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| starlitgemini | ||
| Too many times doing the fish!!! | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| Jeffrey Resetar | ||
| My First story | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| eggcoo | ||
| my beautiful 6yr old boy | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| kaiden | ||
| My son has Rolandic Epilepsy | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| klabiche | ||
| My mother's epilepsy | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| Raymond Loh | ||
| A married man with a sick wife | Feb 7, 2010 | |
| russell11 | ||
| Many changes I had and continue to have. | Feb 7, 2010 | |
| Its Me | ||
| SheriK | Feb 7, 2010 | |
| SheriK | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,294 | |
| kroiz | ||
| (TLE) seizures, insurance company denies me for health care due to epilepsy | 888 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 473 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 449 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 421 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 401 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 382 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 341 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | 337 | |
| Life......... | 333 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| View all Stories | ||
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