Strokes May Lead to Epilepsy

"What is a Stroke?

A stroke happens when a clot blocks the blood supply to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.¹ About 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke each year.¹ It is a major cause of disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.¹ Signs that someone is having a stroke are:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or problems understanding speech.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.¹

Strokes Can Cause Seizures and Epilepsy²

Epilepsy is a broad term used for a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. There are many types of epilepsy, and there are also many different kinds of seizures.

A single seizure may happen soon after a stroke.² You do not necessarily have epilepsy, or will develop epilepsy, if you have just one seizure. Certain types of strokes, such as ones that cause bleeding, and more severe strokes may be more likely to cause epilepsy.²

One study found that among those who had strokes, 5% had one seizure and 7% developed epilepsy in the thirty months afterwards.²
Epilepsy caused by strokes can usually be controlled with anti-seizure medicines.² It’s important to take medicine as prescribed to keep seizures under control..."
Strokes and epilepsy