CDC Reports 25 Percent Jump in Epilepsy Cases Over 5 years

BALTIMORE (AP) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting a 25 percent jump in the number of people living with epilepsy.

The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday that the increase is over the span of five years. About 3.4 million Americans and nearly 60,000 Marylanders had epilepsy in 2015.

The numbers illustrate how researchers are discovering that epilepsy affects far more people than previously believed. The CDC could not fully explain the rise in cases. But it attributed it partly to population growth.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes any kind of seizure. They range from convulsions to staring to confused behavior. The condition can stem from strokes, head injuries, infections or genetic mutations. It is diagnosed when someone has two unprovoked seizures or one seizure.