Who Can Get Epilepsy?

 

  • Epilepsy and seizures can develop in any person at any age. Seizures and epilepsy are more common in young children and older people.
  • About 1 in 100 people in the U.S. has had a single unprovoked seizure or has been diagnosed with epilepsy.
  • 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. People with certain conditions may be at greater risk. (See "What causes epilepsy and seizures?")
  • Each year, about 48 of every 100,000 people will develop epilepsy. However, seizures may occur more often in different age groups (very young and older people), in different races, and in different areas of the world.
  • According to the August 11, 2017, "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 3.4 million people in the U.S. live with seizures, including 470,000 children.
  • Epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological condition and epilepsy affects more than 65 million people worldwide.
  • More men than women have epilepsy overall by a small amount.
  • New cases of epilepsy are most common among children, especially during the first year of life.
  • The rate of new cases of epilepsy gradually goes down until about age 10 and then becomes stable.
  • After age 55, the rate of new cases of epilepsy starts to increase, as people develop strokes, brain tumors, or Alzheimer's disease, which all can cause epilepsy.
  • Yes, seizures do happen frequently in people who have had a traumatic injury to the brain. This may include a fall, blow to the head, gunshot wound, or other traumatic injury.
  • Seizures can occur early after the injury, for example within days to the first few weeks of the initial trauma. These seizures are usually the result of the initial event that cause bleeding, trauma, or swelling of the brain. These early seizures may go away after the acute injury calms down.
  • Seizures can also occur later on after the acute injury has resolved or been treated. These seizures are caused by scarring to the brain from the initial injury. The brain cells are not working as they did before and are capable of producing "electrical storms" known as seizures. When these seizures occur independently from the initial injury, a person is said to have post-traumatic epilepsy (meaning seizures caused by or occurring after brain trauma).
    • Members of the armed forces who have been in combat are particularly vulnerable to post-traumatic epilepsy. For example, up to 53% of soldiers who had brain injuries during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are at risk for post-traumatic epilepsy.
    • For more information, visit our Veterans page.

Some differences in how often epilepsy occurs has been seen in a few studies. A review of research about the racial differences in epilepsy suggests that:

  • Epilepsy is more common in people of Hispanic background than in non-Hispanics. Find information in Spanish (En Español).
  • Active epilepsy (which means that the person's seizures are not completely controlled) is more common in whites than in blacks.
  • The numbers of people who develop epilepsy over a lifetime (called lifetime prevalence) is higher in blacks than in whites. Find information about epilepsy and the African American community.
  • An estimated 1.5% of Asian Americans are living with epilepsy today. Find information about epilepsy and Asian American communities.
  • The cause(s) of these differences is unknown. It may be related to social and economic factors or the ability of people to get health care. For example:
    • People with lower socioeconomic status have a higher rate of developing seizures and epilepsy.
    • Differences in where and when people get health care for their epilepsy has been found for people of different racial backgrounds.
    • These differences lead to what is called a "treatment gap." It's possible that this treatment gap is part of the reasons for racial differences in epilepsy.

Listen to an interview on Georgia Public Broadcasting with Rosemarie Kobau MPH of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Joe Sirven about the number of people living with epilepsy in the U.S.

  1. Hirtz D, Thurman DJ, Gwinn-Hardy K, et al. 2007. How common are the "common" neurologic disorders? Neurology, 68(5):326-337.
  2. NINDS, 2007. Seizures and Epilepsy: Hope through research.
  3. IOM (Institute of Medicine), 2012. Epilepsy Across the Spectrum: Promoting health and understanding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
  4. NINDS, 2011. Seizures and epilepsy: Hope through research.
  5. Zack MM, Kobau R. National and State Estimates of the Numbers of Adults and Children with Active Epilepsy — United States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;66:821–825. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6631a1.
on Friday, February 04, 2022
on Friday, February 04, 2022

Resources

Epilepsy Centers

Epilepsy centers provide you with a team of specialists to help you diagnose your epilepsy and explore treatment options.

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Epilepsy Medication

Find in-depth information on anti-seizure medications so you know what to ask your doctor.

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Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline

Call our Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline and talk with an epilepsy information specialist or submit a question online.

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Tools & Resources

Get information, tips, and more to help you manage your epilepsy.

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Find an Epilepsy Specialist

Ready for help? Find an Epilepsy specialist who can help guide you through your epilepsy journey.