Supa Cent advised her audience to take epilepsy seriously after a video of her having a seizure drew attention. The beauty entrepreneur behind The Crayon Case, whose real name is Raynell Steward, posted a video on Threads sharing information about the subtle ways the condition can show up.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes ongoing seizures. A seizure is defined as “a change in normal brain activity that lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes,” by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). There are two major types of seizures: focal seizures and generalized seizures. Both can cause abnormal movements. Absence seizures or silent seizures are a type of generalized seizure that can be mistaken for daydreaming. The person experiencing this briefly goes “absent,” though to the untrained eye, it can look like they are still semi-present in the conversation and willfully ignoring their companions.
Epilepsy in the Black Community
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, “African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with epilepsy than Caucasians and more likely to experience medical emergencies related to epilepsy.”
Generalized motor seizures that involve heavy body movement are typically portrayed in pop culture. Sanaa Lathan depicted an epileptic woman having seizures in the 2000 adaptation of Terry McMillian’s Disappearing Acts. Season three of Nurse Jackie portrayed a man having a seizure in an ATM vestibule. Silent seizures, where there is no jerking or grunting, are less commonly seen on-screen, leaving the need for awareness high.
“All seizures are not easily noticeable,” she continued. “Just because somebody’s not shaking, they’re not foaming at the mouth does not mean that they’re not having a seizure.”
Silent Seizures in Children
The beauty boss stressed the importance of noticing more subtle signs of seizures in children after receiving comments from her audience expressing concern about their children. “If you think your child is having silent seizures, you need to see a neurologist. If you think you are having silent seizures, you need to see a neurologist,” she said.
“Childhood absence epilepsy accounts for 10 to 17% of all cases of childhood-onset epilepsy, making it the most common form of pediatric epilepsy,” and “The syndrome is characterized by daily frequent but brief staring spells, typically beginning at 4 to 8 years of age, in an otherwise apparently healthy child,” according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Steward pointed out the ways that epilepsy can hinder a child from thriving in a traditional school environment.
“When you’re having seizures and it’s going untreated, it messes with your memory, it makes it hard for you to learn new things, it makes it hard for you to stay on track, it makes it hard for you to pay attention.”
She is Among a Handful of Celebrities Who’ve Shared Their Epilepsy Diagnosis
This isn’t the first time she has used her diagnosis to educate the public. She revealed she had extensive memory loss after giving birth in 2019.
Steward is not the only celebrity sharing their personal experiences with seizures.
Comedian and podcaster Damona “Mona” Love opened about having seizures following her experiences with health challenges this year. Lil’ Wayne revealed his epilepsy diagnosis in 2013. Danny Glover, who recently shared information about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, shared his experience with childhood epilepsy. He outgrew the disorder, which can happen occasionally with juvenile cases.
“The scariest seizure isn’t always the one that everybody can notice. After a seizure your whole body feels exhausted. Brain fogs, you can think straight, can’t read straight, and it make you sleepy,” she wrote in the caption for the video. “Too many seizures in one day can cause problems over time. I was left with short term memory loss due to me having 6-10 seizures a day without noticing until 4 months later. Don’t let it go too far untreated.”
The Consequences of Untreated Epilepsy
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Seizures can be treated with anti-seizure medications. The consequences of untreated epilepsy can be critical. They include serious cognitive decline and other bodily harm.
Steward drove her point home on Instagram by posting a fun reel that highlighted how similar a daydream can look to an absent seizure. The short clip educated viewers in a lighthearted way about the ways they can be vigilant to help their loved ones.
Sources
New England Journal of Medicine
