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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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 have all the information about your seizures, it will be essential to bring someone with you who has seen them.
The main part of the diagnosis process is a variety of tests to assess your brain health. Some of the tests include blood tests, electroencephalograms (EEGs), computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRIs), and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The results of these tests can diagnose epilepsy and help your doctor finalize your possible treatment program.
How Epilepsy Is Treated
Epilepsy is a chronic condition and as such can’t be cured. However, many people manage it with the right medication. The medications you need can vary depending on your age, the state of your health, the type of seizures, and the severity of your condition. Your doctor may also tweak your regimen depending on your reactions to the drugs that have been prescribed.
It’s typical for doctors to prescribe anti-seizure medications to manage epilepsy. There are dozens of them available and possible side effects include fatigue, skin rashes, dizziness, memory issues, weight gain, as well as depression. Additionally, your doctor may recommend a ketogenic diet - which some people have found to be helpful.
If your medications aren’t making a difference, surgery is also an option. Your doctor is only likely to recommend this step if tests show that your seizures are being controlled by a specific section of your brain that isn’t associated with important functions such as speech, language, motor function, vision, or hearing.
Epilepsy affects millions of Americans and can significantly affect your life. Fortunately, once you’re diagnosed, you can start a treatment regimen that allows you to manage the condition effectively. The key is getting assessed once you’ve had two or more seizures that have no known cause.
