DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve had an awful cold for months. My doctor recommends that I be tested for chronic sinusitis. What would that involve? How is chronic sinusitis treated?

ANSWER: Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses, which are the air-containing pockets in the skull and facial bones around your nose. Chronic sinusitis develops when inflammation lasts for more than 12 weeks. Testing involves a visit to an ear, nose and throat, or ENT, doctor who will examine your sinuses. Most chronic sinusitis can be managed with medical therapy. However, if your symptoms or the inflammation do not respond to medical therapy, surgery may be necessary. The goal of treatment is to restore sinus health and function.

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis often resemble a cold. A cold is usually caused by a viral infection and is often accompanied by a runny or stuffed-up nose, sneezing, sore throat, watery eyes and a fever. This kind of acute viral sinusitis usually lasts seven to 10 days.

In rare instances, you may get a bacterial infection as a result of a cold, resulting in acute bacterial sinusitis. If that happens, cold symptoms get worse after seven to 10 days. You also may have yellow or green nasal drainage, pain in your face or teeth, and a fever. Acute sinusitis lasts up to four weeks. When symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks, you may have chronic sinusitis. But some cases of chronic sinusitis can develop subtly, without a preceding viral infection. [...]

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve had ankylosing spondylitis for years, and could usually get relief by just taking over-the-counter pain medicine. But lately the flares seem to be more frequent and painful. Is this common for the condition to worsen over time? What treatment should I try next, and is surgery ever effective for someone in my situation?

ANSWER: Symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis may get worse over time in some cases. But in others, they may improve with time or go away completely. These symptom changes often happen at irregular intervals, so they can be hard to predict. Medication typically is the most effective form of treatment. Most people with ankylosing spondylitis do not need surgery.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a disease that causes inflammation and leads to pain and stiffness. Many areas of the body can be affected by this disease. The most common include vertebrae in the lower back; the joints between the base of the spine and pelvis (called the sacroiliac joints); the hip and shoulder joints; and the cartilage between the breastbone and ribs. In some patients, the inflammation can affect other organs, including the eyes, leading to a condition called iritis or uveitis. [...]

USA Today - "An outbreak of measles that began at Disneyland before Christmas is disrupting lives in six states. Arizona became the latest state to report a case of measles related to Disneyland when a woman in her 50s was diagnosed. The outbreak has spread to Utah, Washington, Colorado, Oregon and across the border to Mexico."

Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Once quite common, measles can now almost always be prevented with a vaccine. Signs and symptoms of measles include cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash. Also called rubeola, measles can be serious and even fatal for small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 100,000 people a year, most under the age of 5. Learn more:

• Symptoms  
• Risk factors
• Tests and diagnosis

[...]

Many people first learn they have diabetes through blood tests done for another condition or as part of a routine physical exam. But in some cases, diabetes may not be detected before damage to your eyes, kidneys or other organs has occurred. That’s why the American Diabetes Association recommends adults have a fasting blood glucose test at age 45. If the test results are normal, repeat the test every three years. If your results are borderline, have a fasting blood sugar test every year. Your health care provider may also test for diabetes based on your symptoms or risk factors.

Mayo Clinic Health System family medicine provider Steven Adamson, M.D., says, "Although the amount of sugar in your blood fluctuates, the range is relatively narrow," says . "After fasting all night, most people have levels between 70 and 100 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). That’s the equivalent of about one teaspoon of sugar in a gallon of water. If you consistently have fasting glucose levels above 125 mg/dL, you likely have diabetes."

Dr. Adamson shares tests that can detect diabetes: [...]

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Smoking cessation: Creating a quit-smoking plan
Have you resolved to quit smoking for good? Having a plan can help you cope with nicotine withdrawal and strong urges to light up.

Memory loss: When to seek help
Losing your memory may be a sign of normal aging, a treatable condition or the onset of dementia. Know when to see your doctor.

EXPERT ANSWERS
Hangover prevention: Do lighter colored drinks help?
Drinking lighter colored drinks is not a good method of hangover prevention — but it may help a little.

Loss of taste and smell: Natural with aging?
Aging can play a role in the loss of taste and smell, but not always. Learn about other factors.

Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

[...]

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am scheduled to have surgery in the next month and am worried about the nausea and vomiting that I previously experienced after anesthesia. Is there anything that can be done to avoid post-surgery nausea?

ANSWER: It is normal to be concerned about postoperative nausea and vomiting. To address the concern, the anesthesia can be tailored to each person’s potential risk of these symptoms. Talk to your doctor about your concerns before surgery. Your health care team can take steps that may lessen the symptoms you previously experienced post-surgery.

Nausea and vomiting after surgery affect more than 30 percent of people. Postoperative nausea and vomiting also can lead to complications. These may include inhalation of stomach contents (aspiration), dehydration, imbalance of vital minerals (electrolytes) in blood and body fluids, and injury to the surgical site, such as torn stitches (sutures). [...]

ZUMBROTA, Minn. — Symptoms of an ordinary common cold are hard not to miss. But could it be worse? Mayo Clinic Health System has diagnosed several confirmed cases of pertussis, also commonly known as whooping cough.

Family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Health System – Red Wing in Zumbrota, Elizabeth Cozine, M.D. has seen patients present with symptoms. “Children and adults alike can contract whooping cough,” she says. “Yet, a simple vaccination could have prevented many of these cases.” Whooping cough can take one to three weeks for signs and symptoms to appear. They're usually mild at first and resemble those of a common cold:

• Runny nose
• Nasal congestion
• Sneezing
• Red, watery eyes
• A mild fever
• Dry cough

Journalists: Video of baby coughing is available in the downloads.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kristy Jacobson, Mayo Clinic Health System Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email:  jacobson.kristy@mayo.edu [...]

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My son, 9, liked reading when he was younger. But over the last year, he’s started to struggle with it, and he was recently diagnosed with convergence insufficiency. What is the best treatment for this? Are there some cases that are not treatable? I am concerned that we did not catch it soon enough.

ANSWER: Your son’s situation is common. Convergence insufficiency often is not identified until around the age of 8 or 9 when children begin to read more. A number of treatments are available and, in most cases, they are effective in relieving the problem. In rare cases when other therapies have not worked, surgery may be needed to correct convergence insufficiency.

Convergence insufficiency is an eye disorder that affects vision when focusing on something nearby. To focus when you read or look at an object up close, your eyes need to turn inward together. This is called convergence. It allows you to clearly see the object you are looking at as a single image. [...]