Though Danny Glover is most widely known as an actor, he also has experience as a film director and political activist. After getting his start in the theater, Glover scored his first film role in ‘Lethal Weapon’. While he’s been in many movies since then, it’s still the role that most people recognize him for. During his decades in the film industry, Glover has amassed multiple awards including Grammys, Emmy awards, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
He may have built an impressive career as an actor but Glover has always made it clear that it wasn’t without obstacles. Apart from being diagnosed with dyslexia, he had his first seizure when he was 15 years old. Still, it took a little more time for him to be officially diagnosed with epilepsy and start taking medication for it.
RELATED: Danny Glover at 75: Overcoming Epilepsy His Way
What Is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition in which your nerve cells don’t communicate the way they’re supposed to. As a result, people with epilepsy are prone to seizures that can occur at any time.
When having a seizure, people can suffer from a change in their awareness of themselves or their surroundings, changes in behavior, uncontrolled muscle movements, and changes in sensation.
You May Also Like
These seizures may be obvious as a blank stare, smacking the lips constantly, jerking movements, numbness, temporary confusion, loss of consciousness, suddenly feeling cold, and noticing bad smells that aren’t there. It’s important to note that there are different kinds of seizures and you may not experience all the symptoms that are listed.
Though it may seem like the condition is rare, it’s estimated that one in 26 Americans develop epilepsy. Additionally, of the 150,000 Americans who are diagnosed with epilepsy each year, over 25,000 of them are Black. Anyone can develop epilepsy but some of the causes include a brain injury, a family history of the condition, an immune disorder, a brain infection, and a metabolic disorder.
How The Illness Is Diagnosed
Generally, anyone who has had at least two unprovoked seizures may have epilepsy. To get a diagnosis, though, your doctor will have to conduct a thorough physical examination.
They’ll need to ensure that your seizures weren’t caused by an underlying condition, confirm if you have epilepsy, and determine the type of epilepsy that you have.
You May Also Like
First, they’ll want to know about your family history with the condition as well as what your seizures look like. Since you might not
