Could Epilepsy Kill You?
It Affects People of All Ages, Though It's More Common Among Young Children and Older People. Death from Epilepsy Is Rare. the Leading Cause of Death Among...
It affects people of all ages, though it's more common among young children and older people. Death from epilepsy is rare. The leading cause of death among people with uncontrolled epilepsy, sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP, kills 1 in 1,000 people who have the disorder.
Can you die from an epileptic seizure?
The short answer is yes, but while possible, death from epilepsy is also rare. When you hear of someone dying from a seizure, you might assume the person fell and hit their head. This can happen. SUDEP, however, isn't caused by injury or drowning.
What is the life expectancy of a person with epilepsy?
Reduction in life expectancy can be up to 2 years for people with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy. Reductions in life expectancy are highest at the time of diagnosis and diminish with time.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
