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Weezy and Epilepsy - Last week rapper Lil Wayne admitted on radio station Power 106 that he has been suffering from a neurological disease called epilepsy for the past few years. But what exactly is epilepsy and how does it affect one’s mind and body? —Kellee Terrell (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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What Is Epilepsy? - Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders that cause people to have seizures. Abnormal electrical impulses in the brain create brief changes in one’s movement, behavior, sensation, or awareness, says Web MD. If someone has two or more “unprovoked” seizures, most likely they have epilepsy. (Photo: REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh)

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What Causes Epilepsy? - Unfortunately, the medical community isn’t 100 percent sure what causes epilepsy. But they do suspect the following may be to blame: family history of seizures and epilepsy, meningitis, severe fevers, Down syndrome and other congenital conditions syndromes, head trauma, stroke and Alzheimer's disease (affects the elderly only).  (Photo: GettyImages)

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What Are Seizures? - Seizures are a result of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Also known as "convulsions," a person suffering from seizures can shake uncontrollably. But there are many types of seizures, some of which have mild symptoms in which the body doesn’t shake at all. Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and for the most part are harmless. (Photo: GettyImages)

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African-Americans and Epilepsy - It’s estimated that 12 percent of African-Americans or 350,000 suffer from epilepsy and 24,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, says the Epilepsy Foundation. Also, we have an increased risk for Sudden Unexpected Death from Epilepsy (SUDEP). (Photo: GettyImages)

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Grand Mal Seizures - Generalized seizures are seizures that happen on both sides of the brain. General mal seizures are the most common upon generalized seizures. Those who suffer from these types of seizures begin with the stiffening of their legs and then begin to shake. Read about forms of seizures here. (Photo: GettyImages)

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Signs That Someone May Be Having a Seizure - According to Pub Med Health some common signs include: Blacking out and not remembering, strange behavior, drooling or frothing at the mouth, erratic eye movements, loss of bladder or bowel control, stark mood changes, body shakes, tasting a bitter or metallic flavor, teeth clenching, breathing problems and uncontrollable muscle spasms and/or twitches of the legs and arms.  (Photo: GettyImages)

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Responding to a Seizure - If someone around you is having a seizure you should do the following: Move all hard and sharp objects out of the way, so you can lay the person down on his or her back, DO NOT put anything in his/her mouth, just let the seizure pass. But also, time the seizure and if it’s more than 5 minutes. If the person has been harmed, call 9-1-1 immediately.  (Photo: GettyImages)

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Diagnosing Epilepsy - Diagnosis is a multi-step process that includes an analysis of factors such as a person’s family history of seizures, number of seizures one has had, the length of each seizure, factors that might have caused them and whether or not treatment has helped. From there a doctor might perform a series of neurological tests to diagnose.  (Photo: GettyImages)

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Health Risks of Epilepsy - The good news: It’s possible to lead normal lives and keep one’s epilepsy under control with meds. But there are some health risks, including injuries that occur from a seizure, higher suicide rates among people suffering from the disease and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), which affects 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy.   (Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Photo By Chris Hondros/Getty Images