Conjunctivitis, or pink eye as it is sometimes known as, is an inflammation that affects the outer lining of the eyes. The condition is caused by bacteria or virus’ but can also affect people due to allergies or exposure to certain chemicals. Anyone can catch conjunctivitis but those closest to a sufferer are more at risk of contracting it than others.

When someone has conjunctivitis, all the fluid in the infected individuals eyes are very contagious, therefore the condition can easily be spread from one person to another via contaminated fingers, towels or clothes and through items such as sunglasses and makeup.

Conjunctivitis

Symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness in the white areas of the eyes, a scratchy sensation in the eyes, swollen eyelids that often feel itchy and “heavy” feeling eyes full of tears. The symptoms usually occur from 24 to 72 hours after infection and can last for several days.

Treatment of the condition depends on the cause, but a severe or chronic cased should be referred to a physician immediately. Prevention of conjunctivitis is always the best cure, so washing hands frequently as well as keeping them away from the eyes, not sharing towels, flannels or handkerchiefs with anybody and using fresh paper toweling to wipe the eyes if necessary and then discarding straight away, are all things to do to help prevent the spread of the condition.

Incontinence is to have a loss of bowel or bladder control but is not a disease – rather a symptom of some underlying problem. Lots of medical issues can cause incontinence and these can include birth defects, pelvic region injuries, pelvic surgery, neurological diseases, aging issues brought on by degeneration, multiple sclerosis, and certain infections. Pregnancy and childbirth in females can also be a cause.

The problem can occur at any age and in both sexes, although urinary incontinence is more prevalent in females, mainly due to child birth. Sufferers may also be mentally affected as well as physically, and many individuals tend to lock themselves away for fear of being ridiculed. This obviously affects the social and professional life of the individual involved.

Nearly 80% of urinary incontinence sufferers can have their condition cured or vastly improved but a proper diagnosis has to be made initially to determine what type of incontinence is present as there are different types with different treatment options. In the more usual circumstances, incontinence involves combined treatments of medication, pelvic muscle reeducation, behavioral modification and collection devices.

Incontinence

Medication treatment on its own is also quite a common treatment, but this is only prescribed by a doctor once correct diagnosis has occurred. Surgery is also an option for many types of incontinence.

Nearly everybody alive goes through a state of feeling sad, or what we normally call depressed, but this usually goes away after a time. Individuals that happen to have a depressive disorder, or what we know as clinical depression, tend to find that this interferes with their daily lives and routines.

Depression in Men

To give depression an official description, the MediLexicon’s Medical Dictionary states that: depression is “a mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation (or less frequently agitation), withdrawal from social contact, and vegetative states such as loss of appetite and insomnia.”

Depression in Women

There are many types of depressive disorders and these include dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder, psychotic depression, postpartum depression (which is normally referred to as postnatal depression), SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and bipolar disorder.

The symptoms and signs of depression are not clear-cut at all. Some symptoms that may be experienced by some individuals may not be had by others. Also, the severity of the illness all depends on the individual concerned and the type of depression they may have. Nevertheless, common symptoms experienced by sufferers of depression include the feeling of pessimism, sadness or anxiety; feelings of hopelessness, restlessness and irritability; loss of interest in pursuits, activities and sex, among other things; fatigue, loss of concentration and disturbed sleep; aches and pains, change of eating habits and sometimes even suicidal thoughts.

Depression and Heart Diseases