Epilepsy and other health conditions
Fast facts
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1Having another health condition alongside epilepsy is common
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2Epilepsy is more common in people with a learning disability than in the general population
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3Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) happens more frequently in people with epilepsy
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4Studies have found that people with epilepsy are more likely to have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than people without epilepsy
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5People with epilepsy are more likely to be affected by depression or anxiety
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6Help is available, but it might not always be joined up with your epilepsy care
Some figures
About 600,000 people in the UK have epilepsy
There are about 700,000 people in the UK with autism
Between 20% and 40% of people with autism also have epilepsy
Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability
ADHD affects about 3-5% of children and 2% of adults
Around 1 in 6 people in the UK will have depression. For people with epilepsy, it’s around 1 in 3 people
"Other health conditions are often under-recognised and under-treated in people with epilepsy."
Top tips
- If you have another health condition as well as epilepsy, ask your GP about getting support for that condition. Getting the right support could improve your quality of life
- Finding one specialist to support you with all of your health needs isn’t very likely. Be prepared to see a range of health professionals
- It can be frustrating telling people what conditions you have and how they affect you. You are the person who knows most about you – keep going
- A healthcare or hospital passport might be useful to help hospital staff understand your healthcare needs. There are different templates available, here is an example of a hospital passport
- You have a right to have information provided in a way that you can understand. For example, communication by email instead of by phone, or information in easy read format
- If you have a learning disability you can ask your GP for an annual health check
Stories by you
Do you have epilepsy and another health condition? To share your experience why not get in touch?
Watch
Do something
If you have other conditions alongside epilepsy, what support do you have for them? Can you find anything else to help?
More info
There are organisations and support groups that specialise in other conditions.
