Mayo Clinic Q & A - July 2014 Archives

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My grandson had a virus with flu symptoms. Then one of his eyes got very red, but it wasn’t itchy or mattered shut. When my daughter took him to the doctor, she was told it was the virus settling in his eye. But it wasn’t pink eye. What’s the difference between this type of eye infection and pink eye? Are the treatments different? ANSWER: The two conditions you mention are both eye infections, and they are actually also both forms of pink eye. The difference is that the type of infection your grandson had is caused by a virus. The other is caused by bacteria. Viral eye infections typically do not require any treatment. Bacterial eye infections are usually treated with antibiotic eye drops. Eye infections are common, especially in children. As in your grandson’s case, they often happen when a child has a cold. Both viral eye infections and bacterial eye infections are called conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease? Are they hereditary? ANSWER: Dementia is a broad term used to describe a group of symptoms that interferes with a person's thinking and the ability to function well in day-to-day activities. Many conditions can result in dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is, by far, the most common. Because so many factors can lead to dementia, one cannot say that dementia, the syndrome, is hereditary. Rather, subtypes of dementia (for example, Alzheimer’s disease) may have inherited components. A rare form of Alzheimer’s disease is truly inherited, but that accounts for only 1 percent of the total disease. Typical Alzheimer’s disease, however, does have a tendency to run in families, and there are genetic tendencies. Dementia is defined by its symptoms, with memory loss being one of the most frequent. Just because a person has some memory loss, though, doesn’t necessarily mean he or she has dementia. A diagnosis of dementia typically means a person is having problems with at least two brain functions. That may include, for example, memory loss as well as impaired judgment or problems with language. These may in turn lead to difficulty performing routine tasks, such as paying bills or driving to a familiar location without getting lost.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: How does paternal age affect fertility? Can the age of the father have an impact on the baby’s health? ANSWER: Age can have an effect on a man’s fertility. But the influence of aging on fertility in men is not as significant as it is in women. Research has shown that there may be an increase in the risk for certain health problems in the children of older fathers. The risk, however, appears to be small. After puberty, most men produce sperm throughout the rest of their lives. That means men can conceive a child well into their later years. That said, studies have shown that men who are older than 40 tend to be less fertile than younger men. But even though older age does reduce fertility, a man’s age alone does not seem to have a substantial effect on a couple’s fertility overall. For example, studies have shown that a man’s age does not decrease the success of fertility treatment in couples who seek those services. A man’s age at the time a baby is conceived is called his paternal age. A woman’s age at conception is maternal age. A woman’s maternal age is considered to be advanced and health risks for a baby increase after age 35. There is no universally accepted definition of when paternal age is considered to be advanced. Various studies have used cutoffs of 40, 50 and even 60 years for advanced paternal age.