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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – SKOKIE, Ill. – OCTOBER 2011 – As a merchant marine and industrial electrician for more than 50 years, Eleftherios “El” Giannisis, 74, was used to living through hard and unpredictable conditions at sea transporting manufactured goods all over the world. But, when he retired and moved to Chicago in 2006 from Florida after his houseboat was damaged in a hurricane, he began to face bigger problems on land than he ever faced at sea and for five years, his family, friends and doctors could not figure out
exactly why.
El had heart surgery and suffered a stroke the year he came to Chicago and later developed vascular dementia, a condition that causes cognitive problems as a result of impaired blood flow to the brain. Yet, his daughter, Demetria, 49, and some doctors didn’t think those conditions were fully to blame for his difficulty walking, his increasing confusion and memory problems and incontinence.
“We looked for solutions from a variety of family doctors and specialists,” said Demetria, a business consultant who also was the primary caregiver for her father. “Because the symptoms could be attributed to other conditions, it was hard to find out what was really causing his health problems. We raised the possibility of NPH and after some tests, the neurosurgeon diagnosed Dad with NPH.”
NPH or normal pressure hydrocephalus is a little-known neurological condition characterized by three primary symptoms: cognitive decline and confusion, walking and balance problems and incontinence — symptoms similar to those associated with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia or “old age.” Experts estimate about 375,000 people in the U.S., or five percent all those with some form of dementia may have NPH.[1]
“Many patients can suffer for years with NPH without knowing it because NPH closely resembles much more well known diseases and conditions. There is even low awareness of NPH in the medical community so patients and their families often struggle to get a diagnosis,” said Gail Rosseau, MD, the neurosurgeon from NorthShore University HealthSystem who diagnosed and treated El for NPH.
The standard treatment for NPH is to implant a shunt, a thin and hollow tube, under the patient’s scalp to drain excess fluid from the brain to the abdomen, where it is absorbed safely back into the bloodstream. After implantation, the shunt may need to be adjusted periodically because removing too much or too little fluid can cause symptoms to reemerge. Newer programmable shunt technology allows doctors to painlessly adjust the shunt’s settings in a doctor’s office using a magnetic device held over the scalp. In the past, adjustments required further surgery to replace the shunt and change the setting.
El’s NPH was discovered in 2010 after a CT scan was performed and revealed enlarged ventricles in the brain due to an excess buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Additional tests were performed confirming the diagnosis and indicating that El could benefit from treatment.
Before surgery, El suffered frequent falls. He had to walk with the help of a cane and then a walker. Eventually he needed a wheelchair to get around. He couldn’t remember the names of some his family members and had trouble distinguishing his sister from his aunt.
“Fortunately, NPH is a treatable condition and if caught early enough, symptoms can be relieved or even reversed,” explained Dr. Rosseau. “Shunt treatment has advanced, making it a more appealing option for seniors who suffer from NPH.”
Since surgery, El is out of the wheelchair and walking on his own. And, while he still does have vascular dementia, his thinking has improved. He is back participating in activities at the local senior center, loves to read and watch the news. He recently took a trip to Florida to visit his two grandchildren, where he walked on the beach, read books to them and visited the zoo. The former merchant marine is also working out at the gym with hopes of getting in good enough shape to go sailing again on the boat he keeps at a Chicago marina.
“I’m so thankful to my daughter and the doctors for giving me my life back. I thought I would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and be dependent on others just to get through the day,” said El. “When I see others suffering from the same symptoms I did, I tell them my story and ‘go see a doctor who knows about NPH.’ In my case, it worked out.”
Individuals should discuss their health situation with their health care provider to determine if the possible benefits of surgery for NPH outweigh the risks. For more information about NPH, visit www.LifeNPH.com.
About Codman & Shurtleff, Inc.
This public and health professional education is supported in part by Codman & Shurtleff Inc., a company that develops and markets a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic products for the treatment of central nervous system disorders, including NPH.
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