Epilepsy now most common in people over 65

An article from telegraph.co.uk reported that nearly a quarter of people being diagnosed with epilepsy are aged 60 and over. The over-65s are now the most common age group to suffer from epilepsy. The life threatening condition, which affects 1 in 103 people, does not have to start during childhood and can occur at any time in someone's life.


Epilepsy Action has given the telegraph.co.uk guidelines for people that experience a first-time seizure. It is useful to keep a note of the seizure, such as the date it happened, how long it lasted and how you were feeling before. Using this information, a specialist can ascertain whether you have epilepsy or a different medical condition. If possible, bringing a person that witnessed the seizure along with you to your appointments can also help. 


In spite of the risk of epilepsy that the over-65s are facing, there is a shortage of geriatricians that specialise in epilepsy. What's more, is it has become more difficult to diagnose epilepsy in the over-65s that have pre-existing illnesses, for some of the elderly that live on their own and have no one else to witness the type of seizure they had, and the fact that there are several other medical conditions that can cause similar symptoms to epilepsy. 


For more information on what to do if you have seizures, or to learn about the signs of someone having a first-time seizure, Epilepsy Action outlines this further on: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/goodlife/11620974/Over-65s-are-most-at-risk-of-developing-epilepsy.html