Teenagers

Epilepsy Foundation » Epilepsy » Life Aspects » Teenagers » Overview of Teens with Epilepsy 

Overview of Teens with Epilepsy

Fast Facts about Epilepsy and Teens

  • One in 100 teenagers has epilepsy (a seizure disorder).
  • It’s a condition in the brain that sometimes makes people have seizures.
  • Anyone, at any age, can develop epilepsy. But it is NOT contagious.
  • Often, there’s no known cause.
  • Teens with epilepsy take medication to prevent seizures. Some use other kinds of treatment.
  • Some teens have lots of seizures. Some have very few or none at all.
  • Teens with epilepsy play sports, hang out and go to regular schools.
  • Teens with epilepsy want to be treated just like everyone else.

Being a teenager is an adventure. From driving to dating, sports to activities, homework to that first job, teenagers face big challenges.

Teens who have epilepsy (also known as seizure disorders) face other big challenges, too. Like explaining seizures to other people. Wondering how their friends are going to react. Never knowing when the next seizure’s going to happen.

A big challenge is the fact that other teens may not know much about epilepsy. Seizures can look strange sometimes -- and that can be a problem, too.

Nobody wants to be different, but sometimes there are differences that affect people’s lives -- and people just have to deal with it.

Dealing with epilepsy is a challenge -- for teens with the condition and their friends. Answering some of the questions that teens have is what this section of our website is all about. We hope it helps.