Epilepsy Data and Statistics

• In 2015, 1.2% of the US population had active epilepsy. This is about 3.4 million people with epilepsy nationwide: 3 million adults and 470,000 children.  
• The State of Texas reports 292,900 adults and children with active epilepsy. 
• 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy and about 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure during his or her lifetime. 

What is Epilepsy? 

•  Epilepsy, which is sometimes called a seizure disorder, is a disorder of the brain. 
• A person is diagnosed with epilepsy when they have had two or more seizures.

What is a Seizure? 

• A seizure is a short change in normal brain activity. Seizures are the main sign of epilepsy. 
• Some seizures can look like staring spells. Other seizures cause a person to fall, shake, and lose awareness of what’s going on around them.