response 1 of 30:

Oct 7 19:13 UTC 1996

I had an opthamological exam last week, both to get a revised prescription
and for general checkup. I suppose there is a recommended interval for
this, but I hadn't been for 11 years. My eyes are OK, and my prescription
has hardly changed, but the doctor observed small dot-like scars around
the periphery of the retina. He said that practically everyone that has
lived in the midwest for some time has these, and they are due to
*histoplasmosis* - a fungal disease usually of the lungs, but apparently
also occurring sytemically. 

response 3 of 30:

Oct 10 22:07 UTC 1996

Apparently it causes no problem if peripheral, but sometimes the infection
point occurs more centrally, when it can cause bleeding. If anyone has an
opthamological exam coming up, would they ask the doctor (if she/he
doesn't say) whether they have such retinal scars? There is another
connection by which I might have gotten a mild case of histoplasmosis,
which is that I am a caver. The virulent lung form is well known from
tropical caves, but in the US the usual cause of histoplamosis is from
fungi in bird droppings in the southern states. 

response 5 of 30:

Oct 12 07:19 UTC 1996

I searched the web and came up with the term "ocular histoplasmosis". There
are citations to references on it, but I could not find a simple description
of symptoms and treatments. One page said that the lung infection conveys
immunity, but there is a form that invades white blood cells, which is
systemic and does not confer immunity. That must be the one. 

response 7 of 30:

Oct 14 02:32 UTC 1996

This item has been linked from Health 36 to Intro 111.
Type "join health" at the Ok: prompt for discussion of
eyes, ears, noses, throats, and other body parts.

response 9 of 30:

Dec 6 18:26 UTC 1996

You probably read response #4, John.  Other than that, I've had no problems
with it.  Every few years I get a chest x-ray to make sure the lesion hasn't
changed in any way, but other than that, it just sits in my bloodstream, I
guess.

response 11 of 30:

Dec 9 07:11 UTC 1996

Re #8: you can find a good description by searching for histoplasmosis on
the web, but presuming you are webless (and lynxless), here is a brief
description of symptoms from the Merck Manual:

"Of the 3 recognized forms of disease, the 1st is _primary acute_ with
symptoms (fever, cough, malaise) not distinguishable in endemic areas (except
by culture) from otherwise undifferentiated URI or grippe-like disease. In
a relatively small number of infections, disease disseminates hematogenously
fromthe lungs, and the _progressive disseminated_ form results, characterized
by hepatomegaly, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and less frequently oral or
GI ulceration. A still less frequent by extremely serious manifestation is
Addison's disease. The _3rd form_ is _chronic cavitary_ with pumonary lesions,
indistinguishable (without culture) from cavitary tuberculous disease. The
principal manifestations of this form are cough, increasing dypsnea, and
eventually disabling respitory embarrassment."

"respitory embarrassment" indeed. That's a description of drowning too, isn't
it?

response 13 of 30:

Feb 14 20:57 UTC 1998

Last Wednesday evening I had the sudden appearance of "spots" (known
as "floaters") in my left eye, along with white flashes. This resolved
by Friday into a speckly circular ring just in from the periphery of
vision. I went to the opthamologist on Friday. I asked him what caused
this, and he said "age". Apparently it is caused by the vitreous humour
in the eye contracting and pulling away from its attachment lines just
behind the iris and around the point at which the optic nerve enters. It
happens usually between the ages of 40 and 80, and is very common. So,
how common is it? Anyone else here have this symptom appear? The doc said
the floaters and flashes will fade with time as the process completes,
and not otherwise affect vision, although there is some danger of the
process detaching the retina instead of separating from the retina. This
symptom is described in the Merck Manual, but not in their "Home" edition.

response 15 of 30:

Feb 15 06:54 UTC 1998

Do you have any idea of how frequently that the process leads to retina
detachment? I would think if it were epidemic it would be more commonly
described and discussed. They want me back in six weeks this time, but
it might settle down to six month checkups - like the dentist. Too bad
the exam can't be combined with the dental prophylaxis, while you are lying
in a dental-optical chair...

response 17 of 30:

Feb 26 02:29 UTC 1998

Do you mean to say you want to have your teeth cleaned during your yearly
gynecological exam?  Would it be interesting to have an item on getting older,
or are there too few of us?  I can think of at least one advantage, I never
seem to get the common cold any more, must be immune to all the common
variants of it.  Ripped tendons are more common as you age, I ripped one last
year and it has not healed yet, over 12 months.

response 19 of 30:

Feb 26 12:10 UTC 1998

An item here in Health about aging would be appropriate.

response 21 of 30:

Feb 26 19:32 UTC 1998

I have started a new item on health and age.

response 23 of 30:

Mar 8 21:16 UTC 1998

The doctor showed me a piece of graph-like paper - a square perhaps six
inches square ruled both ways with parallel lines about 1/8 inch apart.
I said it looked like what I just said... 

My symptoms have changed. The speckly ring has disappeared except for
a blotch that had been within it at about 10 oclock. I have now for the
first time noticed a similar blotch in my other eye (which never developed
the ring). There is also a very small, very sharp, black dot, which seems
to wander slowly over the field of vision. I recall once hearing that that
is a single blood corpuscle. The funny thing about the remaining blotch is
that it disappears when I hold my eye still. I wonder if it is directly over
the "blind spot" where the optic nerve enters the retina, but moves off
that location when I move my eye.