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DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm 95 and wondering if it would be desirable to have cataract surgery at my age. I had a cataract removed from my left eye and it was very successful. My ophthalmologist told me that I was suffering from pseudoexfoliation in the right eye, in addition to cataracts. – SOUTH DAKOTA.
ANSWER: Surgery should not be done lightly, at any age, and especially not for older people. However, cataract surgery has a very good record, even in very old people. In a 2014 study of cataract surgery in more than 200 people aged 90 and over, 80% had a good improvement in their vision.
If your overall health is good for 95 and cataracts affect you significantly, you should consider this. Pseudoexfoliation, a condition of fiber deposition on the internal structures of the eye, makes cataract surgery more difficult, but only your surgeon can give you a personalized assessment of your potential for complications in surgery.
DEAR DR. ROACH: Is viral meningitis life-threatening? – B.R.
ANSWER: Meningitis, an infection of the lining of the brain, is to be feared because, caused by a bacterium, it can be fatal, sometimes in a few hours. Vaccines have helped reduce mortality from bacterial meningitis.
Viral meningitis, sometimes called aseptic meningitis, as well as other types of non-bacterial meningitis, is much less disturbing and is not usually life-threatening. However, the clinical presentation does not always make it clear. For this reason, a rapid assessment of cerebrospinal fluid resulting from a lumbar puncture ("lumbar puncture") should be performed. Often, the treatment of bacterial meningitis begins immediately and is interrupted about 48 hours later if the results show that it is a viral meningitis.
The most common viruses for meningitis are enteroviruses (especially in the spring and fall), but herpes viruses, HIV and mumps can also cause meningitis. When the virus (especially herpes simplex) infects not only the meninges but also the brain, then it is called encephalitis or meningoencephalitis, which is very dangerous. Herpes meningitis and meningoencephalitis are treated with antiviral drugs.
DEAR DR. ROACH: Since the invention of television, in my opinion, we have become a more sedentary society. With the proliferation of video games, smartphones, computers, tablets, etc., it seems to me that the problem only worsens.
Has anyone considered the sharp increase in online shopping as another example of lack of exercise? I mean, even walking in a store must have an advantage. – N.M.
ANSWER: I agree that screens have had a significant impact on physical activity in general and are part of the cause of obesity. Shopping is not a problem I've seen mentioned, but I think you're right that it's another aspect of the problem. In addition, I fear that all this time spent on the screen has made the connections in person less common, leading to more personal but less significant interactions. This can have an impact on overall health.
On the other hand, a scientific study estimated that the Pokemon GO phenomenon increased users' physical activity by 25%, making a total of 144 billion additional steps in the United States in six weeks. It is therefore possible that smart devices improve the business.
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