Mayo Clinic Q & A

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.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 32 and have had one healthy pregnancy and baby. But over the past 18 months, I have had two miscarriages, ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My mother has had deep vein thrombosis twice. I’ve heard this condition can run in families. I’m a 38-year-old woman in good health. I exercise regularly and eat well. What can I do to lower my risk of developing DVT? ANSWER: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), happens when a blood clot forms in a vein located deep within the leg or pelvis. It is a serious condition because if the clot breaks free and travels to your lungs, it can be life-threatening. A variety of factors can raise your risk for these blood clots, including a family history of DVT, as well as recent surgery, hospitalization for a medical illness, trauma with or without fracture, obesity, immobility, and certain drugs. DVT most often happens in the large veins within the legs. If a clot in a vein comes loose, it can be carried through your body in the blood flowing back to your heart. From there, it may be pumped into your lungs. A clot that gets stuck in a blood vessel within the lungs — a condition known as a pulmonary embolism — causes sudden death in about 20 to 25 percent of cases.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband was diagnosed with cancer six months ago and just completed chemotherapy treatments. He’s not feeling great right now, and he may need more cancer treatments at some point. But we’ve been told his long-term outlook is good. At a recent appointment, though, his oncologist suggested he consider palliative care. Why would he need that? Isn’t it similar to hospice care? ANSWER: Palliative care and hospice care are different. Hospice is both an insurance benefit and a philosophy that focuses on enhancing quality of life for patients who likely have less than six months to live. The goal of hospice is to help people live as well as they can for as long as they can. Palliative care, on the other hand, is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness, whatever the diagnosis or outlook.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: How does having sleep apnea affect my health? Are there treatments that I can try for sleep apnea other than a CPAP machine? ANSWER: People who have sleep apnea repeatedly stop and start breathing when they sleep. There are two main types of sleep apnea. The more common form is obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. It happens when muscles in the back of the throat relax, narrowing the airway and making it hard to take in enough air. Central sleep apnea is less common. It happens when the brain doesn’t send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. OSA can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. People with this sleep disorder often do not feel refreshed in the morning. They may wake up with a headache and suffer from fatigue and sleepiness throughout the day. Lack of sleep can affect a person’s mood and the ability to think clearly and concentrate. Other problems can arise as a result of OSA, too. It may lead to an increase in blood pressure. It can raise your risk for stroke and many types of heart disease. Untreated OSA makes recovery from surgery more difficult. If you have OSA, your risk of being in a motor vehicle accident is higher. Severe cases of OSA may lead to premature death.

Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it true that heart attacks are more common around the holidays? If so, why is that? What can people do to lower their risk? Answer: Heart attacks, along with heart problems in general, are more common around the holidays. Various factors can play into this, including stress, travel, changes in diet and disrupted schedules. Fortunately, many self-care steps can help keep your heart healthy. One of the biggest challenges this time of year is healthy eating. For people with heart problems, choosing a heart-healthy diet amid an abundance of holiday foods can be daunting. But not straying too far from your normal diet is important. Keep portion sizes reasonable and limit fatty foods. Eating too much can lead to chest pain or shortness of breath in some people with heart problems. Drink small amounts of alcohol, if any, as alcohol can raise your risk for heart rhythm problems and heart attack. Men should not drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day. Women should not have more than one.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently received a call from a local blood donation center asking if I’d be willing to donate. I’d like to help, but I’ve never donated before and I’m nervous about it. I’m not a fan of needles, and I’m afraid I might faint. Also, is there really that big of a need for donated blood on a regular basis? ANSWER: Donating blood makes a real difference in people’s lives. Hospitals are always in need of new blood donors. Being nervous about blood donation at first is common. But blood donation center staff members are skilled at making the experience as smooth and anxiety-free as possible. Currently, as few as 3 percent of Americans who are eligible to donate blood actually become donors. That’s a concern because many people in the U.S. need blood every day. Some may need blood during surgery. Others may require blood transfusions after an accident. Still others rely on donated blood because they have a disease that makes it necessary for them to receive red blood cells or other blood components. In some cases, receiving donated blood may be the difference between life and death for these individuals.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m trying to lose weight, and a friend recently told me that cutting white bread and potatoes out of my diet completely will help. Is that true? If it is, what makes these foods so bad?       ANSWER: Your friend is right. Taking white bread and white potatoes, as well as white rice and white pasta, out of your diet can be helpful for weight loss. Because of the way your body processes these four foods, they can lead to cravings for carbohydrates, also called sugars. By eliminating them, you decrease food cravings, making it easier to eat less and lose weight. The grains in white bread, white pasta and white rice are refined through a milling process that strips off the bran layer to give them a finer texture. After that process, these foods are little more than carbohydrates that your body digests quickly and easily. The main problem with white rice, bread, pasta and potatoes is that they trigger a cycle of food craving. After you eat them, they release a sudden spike of sugar in your bloodstream. Your body responds to that extra sugar by releasing insulin. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas makes that allows sugar to enter your cells, lowering the amount of sugar in your blood.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My wife is 31 and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 7. She had a baby three months ago, and her blood sugar levels were never really controlled. Doctors tested her kidney function and said there is “a little damage” but nothing to worry about. They said a pancreas transplant might be an option. How risky is this? What medications will she need to take following the transplant? ANSWER: Most patients with type 1 diabetes do not require a pancreas transplant, because newer insulin regimens can keep their blood sugar under control. However, someone in your wife’s situation should consider a pancreas transplant, especially if she has frequent “insulin reactions” — meaning her blood sugar goes very low without her realizing it.

Dear Mayo Clinic: Does smoking have an effect on diabetes? Answer: Yes. There is some evidence that cigarette smoking can raise the risk of developing diabetes. And for those who have diabetes, smoking can increase the number of complications from the disease, as well as the severity of those complications. Someone who has diabetes has too much blood sugar (commonly called blood glucose), which can lead to serious health concerns, such as cardiovascular disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney damage, problems with the eyes and feet, bone and joint disorders, and skin problems. Smoking may increase the risk of diabetes because it can increase blood sugar levels. It also affects the body's ability to respond to its own insulin — a hormone whose main job is to keep the level of sugar in the bloodstream within a normal range. Eventually, smoking may lead to insulin resistance. Thus, the more a person smokes, the greater the risk of diabetes. Heavy smokers — more than 20 cigarettes a day — almost double their risk of developing diabetes, when compared with nonsmokers.