{"id":26129,"date":"2020-12-22T16:37:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T21:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hydroassoc.org\/?page_id=26129"},"modified":"2025-03-13T11:26:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T15:26:09","slug":"newsroom","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hydroassoc.org\/about-us\/newsroom\/","title":{"rendered":"For the Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hydrocephalus affects over 1 million Americans<\/em><\/strong>. It is a chronic medical condition caused by an excessive buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Anyone, at any age, can develop hydrocephalus due to factors such as brain injury, tumors, or infections.<\/p>\n

Additionally, an estimated 800,000 older Americans are believed to have normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition frequently underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed as Parkinson\u2019s, Alzheimer\u2019s, vascular dementia, or normal aging. \u00a0Often called \u201ctreatable dementia,\u201d <\/b>NPH is one of the few causes of dementia that can be controlled or reversed.\u00a0As the U.S. baby boomer population ages, cases of NPH are expected to rise significantly, underscoring the urgent need for greater awareness, timely diagnosis, and effective treatment solutions.<\/p>\n

Currently, there is no cure for hydrocephalus. The only known treatment is brain surgery to insert a device called a shunt<\/a> \u2013 a small tube with a connected valve that drains excess fluid from the brain to another part of the body. While shunts save lives, they often malfunction, become infected, or get blocked, leading to repeated brain surgeries.<\/p>\n

Help us raise awareness by highlighting stories of people living with hydrocephalus<\/a> and the challenges they face.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Resources<\/h3>\n

We invite members of the media to explore our website and resources for your stories.<\/p>\n