“Cataract or Cataracts generally do not cause pain, redness or tears. However, there is changes in your vision, that can vary from blurred vision, double vision, ghost images, the sense of a film over the eyes or Lights seem too dim for reading or close-up work, or you are dazzled by strong light or changing eyeglass prescriptions often. The change may not seem to help your vision. You may sometimes notice the cataract in your eye. It may look like a milky or yellowish spot in the pupil (the center of your eye is normally black).

Prevent Blindness America wants to educate the public on cataracts who has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month. The national non-profit group provides free information through its dedicated web page at preventblindness.org/cataract, or via phone at (800) 331-2020.”

Prevent Blindness (https://preventblindness.org/cataract-awareness-month/)

“Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the biological process that begins with the appearance of a buildup of proteins in the form of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. This causes brain cells to die over time and the brain to shrink.

About 6.9 million people in the United States age 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease. Among them, more than 70% are age 75 and older. Of the more than 55 million people in the world with dementia, 60% to 70% are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease.”

MAYO CLINIC (Alzheimer’s disease – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic)

“APHASIA (Uh-Fay-Zhuh) is a result of a STROKE or BRAIN INJURY, and affects a person’s ability to communicate. It is important to remember that you are still a competent adult, you know what you want to say, you can make your own decisions and you are not deaf. Aphasia usually comes on suddenly from a stroke or brain injury. But in rare cases it may develop gradually. This is called Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). If you have aphasia, you may find it hard to: TALK, LISTEN/UNDERSTAND OTHERS WHEN THEY SPEAK, READ, WRITE, USE NUMBERS AND DO CALCULATIONS.”

National Aphasia Association (What is Aphasia? – The National Aphasia Association)

“The brain is a complex organ that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates our body. Together, the brain and spinal cord that extends from it make up the central nervous system, or CNS.

Weighing about 3 pounds in the average adult, the brain is about 60% fat. The remaining 40% is a combination of water, protein, carbohydrates and salts. The brain itself is a not a muscle. It contains blood vessels and nerves, including neurons and glial cells.

Gray and white matter are two different regions of the central nervous system. In the brain, gray matter refers to the darker, outer portion, while white matter describes the lighter, inner section underneath. In the spinal cord, this order is reversed: The white matter is on the outside, and the gray matter sits within.

The brain sends and receives chemical and electrical signals throughout the body. Different signals control different processes, and your brain interprets each. Some make you feel tired, for example, while others make you feel pain.”

John Hopkins Medicine (Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works | Johns Hopkins Medicine)

“Allergies and sinus problems are common during the warmer seasons. A reason for this is that plants release pollen in the spring, summer, and fall. People allergic to pollen may experience symptoms similar to a cold during these seasons. However, a cold or flu will usually not last longer than 2 weeks, while allergies can last 6 weeks or longer — depending on the cause of your allergic reaction.

Depending on where you live, another cause of summer sinus problems is the hot and dry air, which can irritate your sinuses and lead to a sinus infection — or sinusitis.”

Medicine Net (Can Hot Weather Cause Sinus Problems?)

During summer and on those very hot days it is marvellous to go to the beach, relax at the pool side, have a barbeque or even picnic out with friends and family but then you may notice that your nose starts to run, you suddenly develop a headache or you feel stuffy.

Sinuses, which are paired air spaces connected to your nose, is lined with very delicate skin called the mucus membrane. The mucus membrane may then become inflamed by many things like bacteria, colds and flu’s, allergies or even a fungus invasion.  We start to feel all those dreadful symptoms when these sinus spaces are blocked, causing mucus build up and pressure.

The most common culprit of summer sinus problems is allergies and hay fever. We don’t hear enough about how pet hair, pollen, dander, dust and dust mites and even milk or how certain food allergies cause sinus problems. But what else about those hot days cause our sinuses to go ballistic?

One often hears about sudden extreme temperature changes causing increased sinus pain and a stuffy or runny nose, but how?

There are millions of tiny hair like structures called cilia that make up the mucus membrane, which lines your nose and sinuses. These cilia work together as a broom, helping to get rid of stagnant mucus that may block the sinuses. Your mucus membranes prefer a moist warm environment as opposed to it being very cold or very hot.

On hot summer days the air is very dry causing the mucus in your nose to become thick and sticky. This makes it difficult for the cilia to move or “sweep” the excess mucus out. This thick mucus then blocks the sinuses. When mucus flow is interrupted or blocked, it often becomes hard in nature and causes pressure and congestion. The pressure and the congestion then cause you to experience pain, stuffiness and headaches.

Know the difference:

Viral sinus infections

They are the most common type of sinusitis. Viruses that cause the common cold are usually the reason for the sinus infection. The symptoms of a viral sinus infection typically last up to seven to ten days.  The first few days your symptoms will worsen and after about the fifth day you may start to see improvement. These types of sinus infections generally go away on their own with rest and vitamin C. The symptoms you may experience while having a viral sinus infection are headaches, congestion, low fever, nasal discharge, and trouble sleeping.

Bacterial Infections

If your cold is lingering around and does not runs its course naturally you may actually have a bacterial sinus infection. Learn the signs that indicate your cold may be a bacterial sinus infection.  Viral sinus infections do not require antibiotics. When you experience sinus infection it will more than likely be a viral sinus infection.

Bacterial sinus infections are less common than viral sinus infections. It may be difficult to tell the difference between bacterial and viral sinus infections because they share common symptoms.

In some cases a viral sinus infection can develop into a bacterial sinus infections. This occurs when bacteria multiplies in fluid-filled sinus pockets. Bacterial sinus infections may also resolve on their own but may require antibiotics to fight off the bacteria.

Know when the signs or symptoms of a viral sinus infection has increased to a bacterial sinus infection are a noticeable increase in the severity of symptoms or failure to get better after seven to ten days.

Some common symptoms of bacterial sinusitis are worsening congestion,  more severe facial pain, and thickening or increase of nasal discharge. Bacterial sinus infections can also return shortly after your symptoms have healed, making you think, why do I keep getting sinus infections? If your nasal discharge or mucus is thick, dark, and/or greenish-yellowish, you may have converted to a bacterial sinus infection. Evaluation by your doctor can determine whether or not you have a bacterial or viral sinus infection. If your symptoms show no sign of improvement after ten days it is safe to say you have developed a bacterial sinus infection.

Summer Sinus Health Tips

1. Try to Avoid Pollen: Pollen levels are usually highest in the morning so try and stay indoors. Use a HEPA filter, reduce carpeting, and try and vacuum the interior of your home often. Keep your windows closed during especially bad sinus days.
   
   
2. Make sure you always have a Saline Nasal Spray: One of the most helpful precautions to ward off colds are to keep your nasal passages moist. 
   
   
3. Consider Nasal Irrigation: Cleaning out the nasal passages helps remove bacteria, pollutants and other irritants that can lead to sinus pain and infection. The simplest way is to lean over a sink and use a neti pot to run warm saline into and out of your nasal cavity. You can also use a squeeze bottle which is specifically designed to irrigate the nasal passages. 
   
   
4. Avoid nasal irritants: The membranes that line the nostrils and sinuses are very sensitive and can be damaged from an array of irritants. Two common irritants are tobacco smoke and chlorine. Additional items to avoid are exhaust, mold, and smoke of any kind. 
   
   
5. Be prepared when flying: The dry air and poor interior conditions in an airplane cabin are a perfect area for germs and bacteria to collect. Drinking lots of water and sporadically spraying inside your nose with a saline solution can help fight against these conditions.

“Migraine is a neurological disorder involving recurrent moderate to severe headaches, usually on one side of the head. “Headache” is a term used to describe a variety of different pain symptoms that originate from different parts of the head.”

healthline (Migraine vs. Headache: What’s the Difference?)

“First described in 1955, Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is a perceptual disorder characterized by distortions of visual perception (metamorphopsias), the body schema, and the experience of time.

Most nonclinical and clinical cases of AIWS are considered benign, in the sense that full remission of the symptoms can often be obtained, sometimes spontaneously and in other cases after proper treatment.”

Neurological Clinical Practice (Alice in Wonderland syndrome | Neurology Clinical Practice)

Genetic and environmental influences

While there currently is no identified genetic locus/loci associated with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, observations suggest that a genetic component does exist. AiWS does appear to be passed on from parent to child, with one case study showcasing a grandmother, mother, son, and daughter all with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. In addition, there is an established hereditary trait of migraines. Examples of environmental influences on the incidence of AiWS include the use of the drug topiramate and potentially the dietary intake of tyramine. Further research is required to establish the genetic and environmental influences on Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome was named after Lewis Carroll’s famous 19th-century novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In the story, Alice, the title character, experiences numerous situations similar to those of micropsia and macropsia. The thorough descriptions of metamorphosis clearly described in the novel were the first of their kind to depict the bodily distortions associated with the condition. Speculation has arisen that Carroll may have written the story using his own direct experience with episodes of micropsia resulting from the numerous migraines he was known to suffer from. It has also been suggested that Carroll may have suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy.

Gulliver’s Travels

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome’s symptom of micropsia has also been related to Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels. It has been referred to as “Lilliput sight” and “Lilliputian hallucination”, a term coined by British physician Raoul Leroy in 1909, based on the small people that inhabited the island of Lilliput in the novel.

Etiology

Complete and partial forms of the Alice in Wonderland syndrome exist in a range of disorders, including epilepsy, intoxicants, infectious states, fevers, and brain lesions. Furthermore, the syndrome is commonly associated with migraines, as well as the use of psychoactive drugs. It can also be the initial symptom of the Epstein–Barr virus (see mononucleosis), and a relationship between the syndrome and mononucleosis has been suggested. Epstein-Barr Virus appears to be the most common cause in children, while for adults it is more commonly associated with migraines.

Cerebral hypotheses

AiWS can be caused by abnormal amounts of electrical activity causing abnormal blood flow in the parts of the brain that process visual perception and texture. Nuclear medical techniques using technetium, performed on patients during episodes of Alice in Wonderland syndrome, have demonstrated that AiWS is associated with reduced cerebral perfusion in various cortical regions (frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital), both in combination and in isolation. It has been hypothesized that any condition resulting in a decrease in perfusion of the visual pathways or visual control centers of the brain may be responsible for the syndrome. For example, one study used single photon emission computed tomography to demonstrate reduced cerebral perfusion in the temporal lobe in patients with AiWS. Other theories exist that suggest the syndrome is a result of unspecific cortical dysfunction (e.g. from encephalitis, epilepsy, decreased cerebral perfusion), or reduced blood flow to other areas of the brain.  Other theories suggest that disordered body image perceptions stem from within the parietal lobe. This has been demonstrated by the production of disturbances of body image through electrical stimulation of the posterior parietal cortex. Other researchers suggest that metamorphopsias may be a result of reduced perfusion of the non-dominant posterior parietal lobe during migraine episodes.

Throughout all the neuroimaging studies, several cortical regions (including the temporoparietal junction within the parietal lobe, and the visual pathway, specifically the occipital lobe) are associated with the development of Alice in Wonderland syndrome symptoms.

Migraines

The role of migraines in Alice in Wonderland syndrome is still not understood, but both vascular and electrical theories have been suggested. For example, visual distortions may be a result of transient, localized ischaemia (an inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body) in areas of the visual pathway during migraine attacks. In addition, a spreading wave of depolarization of cells (particularly glial cells) in the cerebral cortex during migraine attacks can eventually activate the trigeminal nerve’s regulation of the vascular system. The intense cranial pain during migraines is due to the connection of the trigeminal nerve with the thalamus and thalamic projections onto the sensory cortex. Alice in Wonderland syndrome symptoms can precede, accompany, or replace the typical migraine symptoms.

Diagnosis

Alice in Wonderland syndrome is a disturbance of perception rather than a specific physiological change to the body’s systems. The diagnosis can be presumed when other causes have been ruled out and if the patient presents symptoms along with migraines and complains of onset during the day (although it can also occur at night). As there are no established diagnostic criteria for Alice in Wonderland syndrome, there is likely to be a large degree of variability in the diagnostic process and thus it is likely to be poorly diagnosed.

Prognosis

Whatever the cause, the bodily related distortions can recur several times a day and may take some time to abate. Understandably, the person can become alarmed, frightened, and panic-stricken throughout the course of the hallucinations—maybe even hurt themselves or others around them. The symptoms of the syndrome themselves are not harmful and are likely to disappear with time. The outcome is typically not harmful, especially in children, and most patients outgrow these episodes. The long-term prognosis typically depends on the root cause of the syndrome, and it is the underlying condition which must be evaluated and treated. Often, the difficulty lies within the patient’s reluctance to describe their symptoms out of fear of being labeled with a psychiatric disorder.

Treatment

At present, Alice in Wonderland syndrome has no standardized treatment plan. Often, treatment methods revolve around migraine prophylaxis, as well as the promotion of a low tyramine diet. Drugs that may be used to prevent migraines include: anticonvulsants, antidepressants, calcium channel blockers, and beta blockers. Other treatments that have been explored include repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Further research is required to establish an effective treatment regime.

Epidemiology

The lack of established diagnostic criteria or large-scale epidemiological studies on Alice in Wonderland syndrome means that the exact prevalence of the syndrome is currently unknown. One study on 3,224 adolescents in Japan demonstrated the occurrence of macropsia and micropsia to be 6.5% in boys and 7.3% in girls, suggesting that the symptoms of AiWS may not be so rare.

It appears that the male/female ratio is dependent on the age range being observed. Studies showed that younger males (age range of 5 to 14 years) were 2.69 times more likely to experience AiWS than girls of the same age, while there were no significant differences between students of 13 to 15 years of age. Conversely, female students (16- to 18-year-olds) showed a significantly greater prevalence.

The average age of the start of Alice in Wonderland syndrome is six but it is very normal for some to experience the syndrome from childhood to their late 20’s. It is also thought that this syndrome is hereditary because many parents who have AiWS report their children having it as well.

“Alice in Wonderland syndrome is a brain-related condition that disrupts how you perceive your own body, the world around you or both. Named for a famous children’s storybook, this rare condition makes things look or feel larger or smaller than they actually are. It can happen for several reasons, many temporary or treatable.

Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) disrupts your brain’s ability to process sensory input. The disruption affects how you perceive the size of things you see around you, the feel or look of your own body, or both. It can also distort your sense of reality.”

Cleveland Clinic (Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS): Symptoms & Treatment)