How Common Is Epilepsy?

One of the most isolating feelings when facing a new diagnosis is the question, "Did this only happen to us?" The numbers in this chapter will show you that you are definitely not alone.

Epilepsy Around the World and in Türkiye

Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organization, about 50 million people worldwide live with epilepsy. In the general population, epilepsy occurs in roughly 0.5 to 1 percent of people; in other words, about one in every 100 people has epilepsy.

Epilepsy can appear at any age, but it is more common in two age groups: childhood and older age. Childhood is one of the most common times for epilepsy to begin. While this can be upsetting, it is also hopeful: a significant portion of childhood epilepsies improve as the brain matures and have a good outlook.

Thinking in Numbers

In an average-sized elementary school, there is very likely to be more than one student with epilepsy.

This means there are other families going through similar experiences in your child's class, your neighborhood, and even within your extended family circle. You are not alone.

For Most Children, the News Is Good

Perhaps the most important thing to know in this chapter is this: about two-thirds of children with epilepsy become completely seizure-free with appropriate medication. In a significant portion of these children, seizures are brought under control with the first medication tried or with a second one.

What's more, many childhood epilepsies are self-limiting; that is, once a certain age is reached, the seizures stop on their own and medication can be discontinued. In the remaining one-third, seizures may not be fully controlled with medication; this is called drug-resistant epilepsy. Even for this group, there are today many options such as the ketogenic diet, epilepsy surgery, nerve stimulation, and new medications. We will look at these options one by one in later chapters.

Boys and Girls, Heredity, and "Who Does It Happen To?"

Epilepsy occurs at almost equal rates in boys and girls; there is no clear difference between the sexes. One of the first questions many families ask is "Did this come from us?" In some types of epilepsy, a hereditary (genetic) tendency may play a role, but this does not mean epilepsy is directly "inherited" from mother or father. In most cases, there is no single "guilty gene"; rather, a combination of many factors is involved. We will look at genetics in more detail in the diagnosis chapter.

A Word About Guilt

Many mothers and fathers, when their child is diagnosed with epilepsy, ask themselves, "What did I do to cause this?" Please do not carry this burden.

In most cases, epilepsy is not the result of something a parent did or did not do; there is no need to blame yourself. Spend your energy not on questioning the past, but on supporting your child's future.