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Epilepsy Among the Elderly Is on the Rise

Todays is : Tuesday, 02 December 2008

Written by AARP
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
[17-Apr-2007] The elderly are increasingly becoming the fastest growing demographic to suffer from epilepsy. The number of older epileptics equals that of cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined. Epilepsy, a disease that affects the brain, is the third most common neurological disorder next to Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Epilepsy results in recurring seizures of all sizes and it can be diagnosed by obtaining a history from the patient and a family member. Epilepsy is most commonly treated with medications, which older individuals do not seem to tolerate very well. Epileptic medications tend to cause several side effects in older patients whose livers can not work as fast as younger individuals. Health experts from AARP report that as people turn 50, their risk for the disease tends to increase