Jay Harold attended a football game between Prairie View A & M University and Grambling State University at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas in 2014. It was everything you expected from between two black colleges; good food, great music, and beautiful people dressed to the nines. What I didn’t expect was someone having a seizure right in front of me. The situation was intense for a few minutes, but she never lost consciousness and recovered from the Grand Mal Seizure.
MedlinePlus states that generalized tonic-clonic seizure is one type of seizure that involves the entire body. It is also called grand mal seizure. The terms seizure, convulsion, or epilepsy are most often associated with generalized tonic-clonic seizures.
Epilepsy is a broad term used for a brain disorder that causes seizures. In the United States, 2.4 million adults aged 18 years or older have active epilepsy.1,2 About 1% of adults 65 years of age and older have active epilepsy, which is about 447,000 people.1,2 That’s about the size of Corpus Christi, TX.
With the aging of the population, we can expect to see greater numbers of people with epilepsy.
Epilepsy is more likely to develop in older adults rather than younger adults because as people age, the risk of seizures and epilepsy rises.3,4 Some older adults may have lived with epilepsy throughout their lives, but others might develop epilepsy later in life. It isn’t always easy to tell when you, a friend or family member, or a patient develops epilepsy later in life.
That’s because seizures are harder to recognize in older adults, and many go unnoticed. For example, memory problems, confusion, falls, dizziness or sensory changes like numbness are often blamed on “getting older.”3,4 However, these can actually be signs of seizures.3,4
There are many different signs of seizures because there are many types of seizures. Most people think of convulsions, or muscle jerks and spasms when they think of seizures. However, complex partial seizures are the most common type of seizure, including in older adults.3 Complex partial seizures can make a person with epilepsy appear confused or dazed.
It is important to recognize and report these types of symptoms to a healthcare provider so they can determine the cause and recommend the right treatment.
Older adults with epilepsy may face greater challenges than other age groups. Balancing epilepsy treatment, especially when taking medicines for other health issues, is more difficult. Older adults also have a high risk of falls, leading to serious injury. Additionally, some epilepsy medicines can cause bone loss which can increase risk of falls and injury.3
Epilepsy can limit daily activities such as driving a car. People who do not have control of their seizures are restricted from driving for different time periods, determined by the state you live in. After a lifetime of independence, losing the ability to drive can be especially difficult for older adults. Read more about this in an Epilepsy Foundation article about Living Independently.
Most adults with epilepsy have good seizure control with medicines.3 Like other age groups, older adults with epilepsy can live a healthy, independent, and active lifestyle. Epilepsy specialists can help older adults to find the right treatment. Learn how to find an epilepsy specialist at the Epilepsy Foundation website.
New Epilepsy and Seizures in Older Adults
About half of older adults who are told they have epilepsy do not know the cause of their condition.3 Known causes3,4 include:
- Stroke.
- Head injury.
- Neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer’s Disease).
- Alcoholism and other substance abuse.
- Brain tumor.
Stroke is a common, preventable cause of new epilepsy in older adults.
Training is available for caregivers of older adults with epilepsy.
Prevent Stroke
Stroke is a common cause of new epilepsy in older adults.3,4 A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become damaged or die.
Lower your chances of stroke by
- Eating a healthy diet.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Getting enough exercise.
- Not smoking.
- Limiting alcohol use.
Learn more about how these actions help to prevent stroke and find resources to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.
For Caregivers: Seniors and Seizures Training
The Epilepsy Foundation’s Seniors & Seizures Training provides caregivers and staff of adult day care centers, senior centers, long-term facilities, nursing homes, and other senior-serving organizations with strategies to better recognize and respond to seizures among older adults.
Learn about the Seniors and Seizures Training and how to participate.
Free continuing education credits are available.
Do you know what to do if you see a seizure? Read about seizure first aid.
Visit the CDC Healthy Aging Program for health information for older adults and resources for health professionals.
Visit the CDC Epilepsy Program for more information on epilepsy.
Click this link to get free Health and Wealth information to improve your life. Play the free “Slow Roll Through Civil Rights” Game found on the Jay Harold website. Enjoyed this post? Share it and read more here.
References
- Kobau R, Luo YH, PhD, Zack MM, Helmers S, Thurman DJ. Epilepsy in adults and access to care – United States, 2012. MMWR. 2012;61(45);909-913. Accessed February 10, 2016. [863 KB]
- US Census Bureau, Population Division [database online]. Annual estimates of the resident population by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin for the United States, States, and Counties: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2013. Release Date: June 2014. Accessed February 12, 2016.
- Waterhouse E, Towne A. Seizures in the elderly: Nuances in presentation and treatment. Cleve Clin J Med. 2005:72(3):S26-S37. Accessed February 10, 2016.
- Pugh MJ, Knoefel JE, Mortensen EM, Amuan ME, Berlowitz DR, Van Cott AC. New-onset epilepsy risk factors in older veterans. J Am Geriat Soc. 2009:57(2):237-42. DOI:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.02124.x.
