Hydrocephalus is a condition in which there is extra cerebrospinal fluid around the brain and spinal cord. Cerebrospinal fluid acts as a cushion for the brain and spinal cord, supplies nutrients, and takes away waste products. Symptoms vary depending on the age when hydrocephalus develops and how quickly it progresses. Common symptoms include headache, vomiting, lethargy, and difficulty concentrating.
Hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid gland that is producing and secreting less than normal amounts of thyroid hormone. Hyperthyroidism means that there is abnormally high amounts of thyroid in the blood stream. Hyperthyroidism can happen when the thyroid gland either makes or secretes excess thyroid hormone or when people take a higher dose of thyroid pills than they need.
Hyperkalemia is the medical term for a high blood potassium level. Mildly elevated potassium levels won’t have any symptoms. Even high levels might not provide any warning signs until the person goes into cardiac arrest or a blood test is drawn to measure the level. People with acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease are more prone to hyperkalemia.
Pain during or after sexual intercourse is known as dyspareunia. Although this problem can affect men, it is much more common in women. Women with dyspareunia may have pain in the vagina, clitoris or labia. Common causes include vaginal dryness, atrophic vaginitis (a condition causing thinning of the vaginal lining in postmenopausal women), infection, and psychological trauma. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. A woman can ease penetration and sexual intercourse with increased clitoral stimulation before intercourse or lubrication with an over-the-counter lubricant.
Polyuria is the medical term for excessive urination, which can mean needing to urinate frequently with either small or large amounts of urine produced at each bathroom visit. The most common cause of urinary frequency with small urine amounts is an irritated bladder from an infection or interstitial cystitis (inflammation without infection). High urine output can happen just from drinking a lot of fluids or due to a medical problem such as diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar), diabetes insipidus (the kidney can’t concentrate urine, hypercalcemia (a high blood calcium level), or kidney damage.
Pupil size naturally gets larger in low light. Other reasons for both pupils to dilate in a conscious person include medication side effects; use of illegal drugs that act as a stimulant; or extreme excitement, fear or agitation. Dilation of both pupils or only one pupil in someone who has had a head injury or has any other neurological symptoms should prompt immediate medical attention, because it could be a sign of brain damage.
Causes of dry eye syndrome include:
• aging
• autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Grave's disease, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• medications, including birth control pills, certain psychiatric medicines, antihistamines
• Bell’s palsy
Some of the most common ways to treat dry eye syndrome are:
• humidifiers, wet compresses, glasses that protect the eyes from dry air (such as wrap-around sunglasses, goggles or glasses fitted with "shields" on the sides) and avoiding excessively dry environments
• artificial lubricants – lubricating tears or ointments can help
• punctal plugs – these block the drainage of tears, making naturally produced tears last longer
• cyclosporine or lifitegrast eye drops – these are medicines to reduce tear gland inflammation that can lead to dryness
Other available treatments are used less commonly because of side effects, lack of convincing evidence of benefit, cost or a combination of these.