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Congressman Coble admitted to hospitalTRIAD, Feb 26, 2013 (The High Point Enterprise - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- U.S. Rep. Howard Coble, R-6th, was admitted to a Greensboro hospital this afternoon, the third time in the past three years that health problems have landed the 81-year-old congressman in a medical center. Coble's office reported Tuesday afternoon that the congressman, who represents parts of High Point, experienced bouts of dizziness and light-headedness for the past few weeks. Coble was admitted to Moses H. Memorial Cone Hospital for testing. Coble's office reports that he almost fainted this morning while preparing to fly back to Washington. He went to Cone Hospital on the advice of his primary care physician, according to the congressman's office. Ed McDonald, Coble's chief of staff, said that doctors at Cone Hospital want to keep Coble overnight for observation and additional testing. "So far, all of Congressman Coble's vital signs look good according to the doctors at Cone," McDonald said. "They have ordered a CT scan to see if it can be determined what is causing the dizziness." McDonald, who travelled with Coble last week during the district work period, said the congressman maintained a full schedule. "We travelled to Alamance, Orange and Rockingham counties and had many meetings throughout the 6th District," McDonald said. "There were times last week when Howard said he was feeling light-headed and needed to sit rather than walk or stand, but he still maintained all of the meetings and tours scheduled." Unless further testing uncovers an immediate problem, it is expected that Rep. Coble will be released from Cone on Wednesday. It is unknown if he will be able to return to Washington this week. Coble spent more than a week in the hospital in late 2011 after a respitory illness and its effects. Questions were raised at the time about whether the congressman, the longest-serving current representative in the North Carolina delegation, should run for another term. But Coble sought re-election last year, winning both a contested GOP primary and general election campaign against Democratic former state legislator Tony Forest of Alamance County. Three years ago this month, Coble fainted and hit his head while attending a speech at the High Point Country Club. He recovered at High Point Regional Hospital and was given a clean bill of health on his discharge. ___ (c)2013 The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.) Visit The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.) at www.hpe.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |