Topics

ADHD

No Kidding — Adults Can Get It, Too

By Paris Wolfe

When Lisa, 55, of Cleveland was treated for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) this year, she felt like a new person. Her productivity improved, she slept better and life became more manageable.

“I couldn’t believe the difference,” she says. “(Medication) helped me focus instead of bouncing off walls. Before, I would be working on something and be distracted by the next shiny thing that came along. Then, I’d get anxious because I would get behind on the first project.”

That anxiety snowballed and may have caused depression. Once the ADHD was addressed, her depression and problems seemed to melt away.

An Adult Diagnosis

Before a comprehensive five-hour series of tests diagnosed Lisa, she didn’t realize adults could be affected. Like many, she thought ADHD was just for kids.

Not so. ADHD is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Research suggests it persists into adulthood for at least 50 percent of those diagnosed as a child. As many as 10 million adults may be affected.

People in their 50s and 60s fall into those numbers. ADHD didn’t suddenly appear with Generation X. Despite the lack of diagnoses, it has been around for a long time, spanning generations. While causes aren’t definitive, studies attribute ADHD to genetics as well as to smoking and drinking during pregnancy.

Symptoms may be less apparent in the over-50 population because they’ve had longer to learn coping skills and life hacks.

One of the most common ways adults realize they’re affected is during an exam of a child or grandchild.

“They sit in the room with the provider who asks questions about the child, and the adult starts to see the light.

Look Who’s Tri-ing

Local Athletes Compete on Land and In Water

By Stacy Rhea

Swimming, biking, running.

The sport of triathlon is when an athlete does all three in one long, grueling race. It’s not just for the young and buff. Watch any triathlon and you’ll see a wave of 50-plus athletes mixed in — and they’re not in the back of the pack.

The length of each portion of a triathlon varies. Sometimes the swimming portion is in a lake or the ocean. Biking is the longest section — 50 or more miles is not uncommon. Distances for the running portion are shorter, but still tough because they come at the end of the triathlon. Ironman triathlons tend to be considerably longer than conventional triathlons.

So why would anyone want to do it? Meet three Northeast Ohio triathletes and find out why one type of competition isn’t enough — they want all three.

Barb Thomas: 61
Residents: Broadview Heights
First Triathlon: 2012, Fairport Harbor

Sports have been part of Barb Thomas’ life since she was a child. Her mother played semi-pro softball and her father was a track star, so it’s no wonder Thomas is a lifelong athlete. At 14, Thomas won the YWCA nationals.

Later, as a mother of four, Thomas supported and coached her children in a variety of activities. One of Thomas’ fondest memories is when her daughter and son competed in the USAT Nationals with her. Her daughter won a national title in her age group.

A High Point:

Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Sunshine Coast, Australia, September 2016. She finished 13th in her age group.

Thomas’ Advice for a Newbie:

“Start out slow. Keep moving and just go out and have fun.

Island Time

Explore the Shore Among Lake Erie’s Jewels

By Paris Wolfe

Few places in Ohio combine history and nature — and, let’s face it, a bit of partying — as successfully as Lake Erie’s popular islands.

Summer is the best time to practice your island hopping in western Lake Erie’s collection of little land masses. The Ohio “Keys” are rife with activities from mid-April through late October when the weather is temperate and the lake is free of ice.

While the islands are a boater’s paradise, landlubbers have easy access to three of the four islands by ferry. And, once there, bikes and golf carts dominate the streets. Rentals are available at the ferry stop. Cars are welcome, but few folks opt to ferry them over.

Island Hopping

South Bass Island (1,588 acres) is home of the legendary Put-in-Bay. It draws perhaps the most enthusiastic crowds for playing and partying on weekends, and recovers on weekdays. It’s popular with college students and bridal parties on the weekends, with a mellower vibe during the week. Plan accordingly.

Middle Bass Island (805 acres) is less commercial than South Bass but offers a handful of shopping opportunities as well as a state park and 184-slip marina.

North Bass Island (593 acres) is a mostly unimproved state park open to primitive camping with a special permit, hiking, picnicking, biking, wildlife watching and fishing. It can be accessed only by airplane or personal watercraft.

Kelleys Island (2,888 acres) is home to more than 300 people, making it both residential and recreational. Biking, hiking and beaches make up its attractions.

The actual experience at the islands might depend on the timing and location of a visit. Weekend evenings are rowdier and “crowdier,” while weekdays are slow and leisurely.

Kindness Rocks

And Sometimes It Rolls

Have you found one?

Kindness Rocks are turning up along sidewalks, on park benches, under trees — everywhere. The movement started on social media and has taken a rock-solid hold in Northeast Ohio.

Painted and shellacked, the colorful rocks usually sport a label with a hashtag so finders can see where their rocks have traveled. The biggest group is #NortheastOhioRocks! — with 175,000 members and about 3 million rocks that have been painted and hidden — but there are plenty of others here and around the country, including the Kindness Rocks Project with a more national scope.

All the groups encourage people to paint small rocks — with or without a message — and hide them as a random act of kindness.

Rock finders often snap a photo of their rock, list the location, and post it to Twitter, Facebook or another social media account. They then re-hide the rock and see where it ends up.

To get started, prepare your rock surface with a layer of paint. Use oil-based Sharpie markers to decorate the rock. If you feel like it, add a hashtag on the back such as #THEKINDNESSROCKSPROJECT, or #NortheastOhioRocks!

Here’s to a rockin’ — and kind — summer.

A Fairly Good Time

Groomed Cows & Elephant Ears

July marks the start of county fair season, and Ohio has nearly perfected the art of canned food judging, giant vegetable growing and corn dog eating.

The Summit and Lake county fairs are the week of July 25-30, the Medina County Fair is July 31-Aug. 6, the Cuyahoga County Fair (Berea) is Aug. 7-13 and the Portage County Randolph Fair is Aug. 22-27.

The oldest continuous fair in the state — and one of the very best — is the Great Geauga County Fair, scheduled for Labor Day weekend in Burton.

Dr. Daniel Pierre and The Cleveland Eye Clinic Introduce Breakthrough Treatment for Eye Floaters

The Cleveland Eye Clinic has announced the introduction of Laser Floater Removal, a highly effective treatment for floaters.  A minimally invasive, in-office procedure, Laser Floater Removal can provide much-needed relief for floaters and potentially delay or obviate the need for vitrectomy surgery. Floaters are small pieces of debris that float in the eye’s vitreous humor (the jelly-like substance in the main chamber of the eye).  Often described as cobweb or cloud-like shadows, this debris casts shadows onto the retina (the light sensitive tissue layer at the back of the eye).  Almost everyone over the age of 70 has floaters.

Daniel Pierre, M.D., of the Cleveland Eye Clinic, was the first doctor in Ohio to perform Vitreolysis.   Dr. Pierre describes the new YAG laser used for Vitreolysis as “the newest generation YAG laser that enables this procedure to be done safely and efficaciously. Previous treatments were more difficult, less safe and less effective.”

Laser Floater Removal employs a specially designed YAG laser to vaporize floaters.  During the procedure, the laser emits a short burst of energy lasting only 3 nanoseconds (0.000000003 seconds). Instead of simply breaking the floater into smaller pieces, the laser’s high-power density converts the collagen and hyaluronan molecules within the floater into a gas, which is then resorbed into the eye.

Unlike vitrectomy, which carries a significant risk of bleeding and infection, Laser Floater Removal is minimally invasive and carries a very low risk. Most patients will experience an almost immediate improvement in visual function and are able to return to normal day-to-day activities directly following the procedure.  “We are excited to be among one of the first clinics in the United States to offer laser Floater Removal,” says Dr. Pierre.

“Typically, many of my patients describe floaters as ‘strands’ or ‘blobs’ obstructing their line of vision.

BOOM!

Pop Culture Chronicles

Mike Olszewski

What Happened to Summer Jobs?

Years ago when spring rolled around, you started thinking about landing a summer job.

Those also were the days before we paid for TV, radio, tap water in plastic bottles and when I didn’t have to take out a loan to see a first run movie. I joked once that someone is going to figure out a way to pay for air, and then I pulled into a gas station, where you’re paying to fill your tires.

Scarce Work

To be fair, a lot of jobs for young folks no longer exist. Look at theaters. You had a movie house that hired ushers, and the kids’ matinee on Saturdays was a nightmare. Then automation moved in and projectionists were eliminated. We have 10 screens in one location, and the person selling tickets runs to the candy counter to hawk overpriced candy and popcorn out of big clear garbage bags with some kind of oil instead of butter. Don’t think for a minute that most people don’t hit a discount store first for snacks to sneak in. My wife and I went to a movie a while back, and a guy was eating a sub sandwich as long as his arm.

Before gas stations became supermarkets and beer gardens, you could find work pumping gas, cleaning windshields, and checking water and oil. Pay at the pump meant you handed the cash through the window and maybe tip the attendant. Now I do all the work, and I feel like I should tip myself.

Newspapers and Fast Food

If you were ambitious you might get a paper route. The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Press, Akron Beacon Journal and all newspapers had carriers who would put your paper inside your door so it didn’t get wet.

Ask the Orthopedist

Not Very Handy

Carpal Tunnel and Arthritis Pain

By Scott M. Zimmer, MD

QUESTION

Is the pain in my hand and wrist carpal tunnel or arthritis?

ANSWER

Carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis of the hand and wrist are two of the most common complaints I see as a hand and upper extremity surgeon. There are some common overlapping symptoms — such as pain and aching with gripping — but the two conditions are vastly different.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is increased pressure on the nerve that gives sensation to most of the hand except your small finger. Think of the nerve (median nerve) as an electrical wire carrying impulses that can be affected by external compression (such as crimping a wire). Symptoms include numbness, aching pain in the fingers and up the forearm, and pain that commonly wakes you up at night.

Arthritis, better known as osteoarthritis, is simply the loss of cartilage between the two bones that make up a joint (a joint is where motion occurs). Our joints rely on this layer of cartilage to create fluid motion and absorb shock stresses. As the cartilage wears out, increased friction triggers pain, swelling and decreased motion. It is exactly like brake pads wearing out on a car.

Differentiating these two conditions is obtained by getting a symptom history, an examination and X-rays. Numbness, tingling and night pain are hallmarks of carpal tunnel. Arthritis usually can be localized to the base of the thumb where it attaches to the wrist or in the small joints of the fingers. Deformity and swelling of the joints occurs late in the arthritis process and may not be seen early on.

Treatment Options

Treatment of both conditions starts with making the correct diagnosis, followed with specialized supportive bracing.