31.01.2009
Senior Moment or Seizure?
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It's joked about as being a senior moment. Becoming confused, forgetful or dizzy is common among older adults, but these symptoms may not be just a sign of age. They could be a sign of something much more serious and treatable.
When George Cheresne started feeling arthritic, having blackouts and falling down, he thought his troubles were just a part of growing older -- and so did those closest to him.
"He had a stare about him," Cheresne's sister Toni McCollum told Ivanhoe.
"All of the sudden, he just kind of leaned over, and a cigarette dropped out of his hand," Cheresne's best friend John Vail told Ivanhoe.
It wasn't old age. It was epilepsy. When Cheresne had a seizure, there were no jerky movements that most of us associate with epilepsy. He moved his mouth a little, but for the most part, he just zoned out. Signs of senior epilepsy include repeated episodes of losing consciousness, dizziness, and language or behavioral changes.
"Older people have more staring spells or even pass out when having a seizure," Lara Jehi, M.D., an epileptologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, told Ivanhoe.
Epilepsy affects about 300,000 seniors.
"The longer you let it drag on, the more damage it can do to the brain," Dr. Jehi said.
Treatments include medication and surgery. Cheresne had the part of his brain removed that was causing the problem. Now, he feels 100 percent better.
"I can say for sure I have not had a seizure since the surgery," Cheresne said.
His family and friends have the man they knew back.
"It's in his eyes," his sister said. "That look is gone."
Doctors believe epilepsy could be a side effect of stroke, and symptoms are often misdiagnosed as heart problems. The risk of getting epilepsy is at least four-times higher in people older than 60.
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If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Melissa Medalie at mmedalie@ivanhoe.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Angie Kiska
Media Relations
The Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH
KISKAA@ccf.org
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