Epilepsy affects 3 million people in the United States — more than those with brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy combined, the program says. One in 26 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy in their lifetime.
It may begin in infancy, or it may strike later — with no warning.
“I see 30-year-olds coming in saying, ‘How did this happen? I’m healthy, I’m 30 years old, I didn’t hit my head, my MRI is normal. How did this happen?’” said Orrin Devinsky, M.D., of the NYU Langone Epilepsy Center. “And the answer is, it does. We often don’t understand it, but it can affect anyone.”
The incidence of epilepsy is higher in young children and older adults, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Among the causes for older people: lasting damage from a stroke.
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