Archive for June, 2009

Inability to clearly see things up close (reading, writing or objects close at hand).
Symptoms: Blurred, fuzzy vision or difficulty seeing objects up close. Distant and mid-distant vision is clear. Headaches, blinking, squinting, rubbing eyes and holding things at a distance may also be signals that an eye examination is necessary. This problem may appear in childhood. Some degree of farsightedness (called presbyopia) is a normal feature of aging.
Cause: The eyeball is too short, which results in difficulties in close (or near) vision.
Severity of Problem: Visual difficulty may be mild to severe and requires a professional examination.
Treatment: Corrective glasses remedy the visual difficulty.
Prevention: None. Each person is born with a certain eye shape and structure.

Hormone, is seen after menopause. Use of vaginal creams, douches and sprays can cause a contact dermatitis or allergic reaction.
Severity of Problem: Varies depending on the cause but is very uncomfortable. Can recur frequently, depending on the cause.
Treatment: Specific treatment depends on identifying and treating the underlying cause. However, certain things are helpful in making a person more comfortable: sitz baths in warm or cool water; avoidance of scratching and other forms of irritation (douching, suppositories other than those prescribed to treat the cause); frequent changes of underwear and wearing cotton underwear to absorb moisture. If infection is the cause, specific treatment is important and often includes the sexual partner(s) as well.
Atrophic vaginitis can be treated using estrogen cream applied to the vagina.
Prevention: Depends on the underlying cause.