Myth: Epilepsy is mainly a childhood condition.
Fact: Epilepsy can begin at any age. Incidence is often highest in young children and older adults, but people can develop epilepsy in adolescence, adulthood or later life.
Why the myth persists
Many well-known epilepsy syndromes begin in childhood, so public awareness often focuses on children. That can obscure adult-onset epilepsy caused by stroke, brain injury, tumours, infection, autoimmune disease, structural lesions or other causes.
Older adults are an important group
Across many countries, new-onset epilepsy is increasingly recognised in older adults. Ageing populations make this especially important for health systems because diagnosis can be complicated by fainting, falls, stroke, memory problems and medication interactions.
Worldwide relevance
WHO describes epilepsy as affecting people of all ages. The causes and barriers to care vary between regions, but epilepsy is not confined to one stage of life.