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Epilepsy
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    • Did You Know?
    • Epilepsy Is a Public Health Problem
    • When Seizures Don't Stop
    • Paying for Health Care is Hard for People with Epilepsy
    • Epilepsy Can Make it Hard to Have a Job
    • Epilepsy and Good Mental Health
    • Epilepsy and Poor Mental Health
    • Seizures and Poverty
    Did You Know?

    Infographic with facts about Epilepsy.

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    Epilepsy Is a Public Health Problem

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    When Seizures Don’t Stop

    When Seizures Don’t Stop. [Illustration of a head and brain]. Epilepsy is common. 3 million U.S. adults have active epilepsy. 56%26#37; of adults with epilepsy still have seizures. [Illustration of doctor and a nurse standing in a medical office]. A specialist can help stop seizures. 1 out of 3 adults with epilepsy didn’t see a specialist in the past year. Adults with uncontrolled seizures should: see an epilepsy specialist; take medical as prescribed; learn to manage epilepsy; call the Epilepsy Foundation helpline at 1-800-332-1000.

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    Paying for Health Care is Hard for People with Epilepsy

    Paying for health care is hard for people with epilepsy. Adults with epilepsy have more difficulty paying for medicine. 21%26#37; of adults with epilepsy can’t pay for medicines, compared to 9%26#37; of adults without epilepsy who could not pay for their medicine. Adults with epilepsy have more difficulty paying for eyeglasses. 18%26#37; of adults with epilepsy can’t pay for eye glasses, compared to 8%26#37; of adults without epilepsy. Adults with epilepsy have more difficulty paying for dental care. 27%26#37; of adults with epilepsy can’t pay for dental care, compared to 14%26#37; of adults without epilepsy without dental care.

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    Epilepsy Can Make it Hard to Have a Job

    epilepsy can make it hard to have a job. 32%26#37; of adults with epilepsy can't work versus 7%26#37; of adults without epilepsy.  29%26#37; of adults with epilepsy can't use a car or public transit to get places versus 8%26#37; of adults without epilepsy.

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    Epilepsy and Good Mental Health

    People without a history of epilepsy report good or better mental health more frequently than people with a history of epilepsy. 54%26#37; of people with a history of epilepsy report good or better mental health. 79%26#37; of people without a history of epilepsy report good or better mental health. The Healthy People 2020 target is 80%26#37; of people reporting good or better mental health.

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    Epilepsy and Poor Mental Health

    Illustration of a head with 2 spinning wheels inside of it. Adults with epilepsy are more likely to have felt nervous, sad, or hopeless in the past 30 days. 13%26#37; of adults with epilepsy felt nervous, sad, or hopeless in the past 30 days, compared to 3%26#37; of adults without epilepsy.

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    Seizures and Poverty

    336,000 kids have at least one seizure annually. 4 in 10 live in homes at or close to the poverty level. 3 in 10 live in homes without enough food.

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    Page last reviewed: September 15, 2022
    Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Division of Population Health
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