sarnsrun/medquad huggingface dataset:
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What are the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: Diabetic retinopathy often has no early warning signs. Don't wait for symptoms. Be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year to detect the disease before it causes damage to your vision. Vision Changes May Indicate Bleeding In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, you may not notice any changes in your vision. But if diabetic retinopathy reaches its final stage, proliferative retinopathy, bleeding can occur. If this happens, at first, you will see a few specks of blood, or spots, floating in your vision. If spots occur, see your eye care professional as soon as possible. Early Treatment is Important You may need treatment before more serious bleeding or hemorrhages occur causing vision loss or possibly blindness. Hemorrhages tend to happen more than once, often during sleep. See how to find an eye care professional.  Here is a list of questions to ask your eye care professional. Sometimes the spots clear without treatment, and you will see better. However, bleeding can reoccur and cause severely blurred vision. You need to be examined by your eye care professional at the first sign of blurred vision, before more bleeding occurs. If left untreated, proliferative retinopathy can cause severe vision loss and even blindness. Also, the earlier you receive treatment, the more likely treatment will be successful. Detection Diabetic retinopathy and macular edema are detected during a comprehensive eye exam that includes a visual acuity test, dilated eye exam, and tonometry. A visual acuity test is an eye chart test that measures how well you see at various distances. During the dilated eye exam, your eye care professional checks your retina for early signs of the disease, including - leaking blood vessels  - retinal swelling such as macular edema  - pale, fatty deposits on the retina -- signs of leaking blood vessels  - damaged nerve tissue leaking blood vessels retinal swelling such as macular edema pale, fatty deposits on the retina -- signs of leaking blood vessels damaged nerve tissue Watch an animation showing what a comprehensive dilated eye exam involves. With tonometry, an instrument measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test. If your eye care professional believes you need treatment for macular edema, he or she may suggest a fluorescein angiogram. In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm. Pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina. The test allows your eye care professional to identify any leaking blood vessels and recommend treatment.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What is (are) Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness. It occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision. If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may notice no changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes. See this graphic for a quick overview of diabetic eye disease, including how many people it affects, whos at risk, what to do if you have it, and how to learn more.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What is (are) Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: The four stages of diabetic retinopathy are - mild nonproliferative retinopathy  - moderate nonproliferative retinopathy  - severe nonproliferative retinopathy  - proliferative retinopathy mild nonproliferative retinopathy moderate nonproliferative retinopathy severe nonproliferative retinopathy proliferative retinopathy Nonproliferative retinopathy. At this earliest stage, microaneurysms occur. They are small areas of balloon-like swelling in the retina's tiny blood vessels. Moderate nonproliferative retinopathy. As the disease progresses, some blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked. Severe nonproliferative retinopathy. Many more blood vessels are blocked, depriving several areas of the retina of their blood supply. These areas of the retina send signals to the body to grow new blood vessels for nourishment. Proliferative retinopathy. At this advanced stage, the signals sent by the retina for nourishment trigger the growth of new blood vessels. These new blood vessels are abnormal and fragile. They grow along the retina and along the surface of the clear, vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eye.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: Who is at risk for Diabetic Retinopathy? ?
Answer: All people with diabetes -- both type 1 and type 2 -- are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. People with diabetes are also at increased risk for cataract and glaucoma. That's why everyone with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Between 40 to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetic retinopathy, your doctor can recommend treatment to help prevent its progression. See how to find an eye care professional.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What causes Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: Blood vessels damaged from diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss in two ways. Fragile, abnormal blood vessels can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye, blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy and is the fourth and most advanced stage of the disease. Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses. About half of the people with proliferative retinopathy also have macular edema.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What are the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: Diabetic retinopathy often has no early warning signs. Don't wait for symptoms. Be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.  Learn more about a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What are the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: At first, you will see a few specks of blood, or spots, "floating" in your vision. If spots occur, see your eye care professional as soon as possible. You may need treatment before more serious bleeding or hemorrhaging occurs. Hemorrhages tend to happen more than once, often during sleep. Sometimes, the spots clear without treatment, and you will see better. However, bleeding can reoccur and cause severely blurred vision. You need to be examined by your eye care professional at the first sign of blurred vision, before more bleeding occurs. If left untreated, proliferative retinopathy can cause severe vision loss and even blindness. Also, the earlier you receive treatment, the more likely treatment will be effective.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What is (are) Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: In this test, a special dye is injected into your arm. Pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in your retina. The test allows your eye care professional to identify any leaking blood vessels and recommend treatment.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What are the treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: Research found that that prompt treatment of macular edema with anti-VEGF drugs, with or without laser treatment, resulted in better vision than laser treatment alone or steroid injections. When injected into the eye, these drugs reduce fluid leakage and interfere with the growth of new blood vessels in the retina. In some cases, focal laser treatment is used along with the eye injections. Your doctor places up to several hundred small laser burns in the areas of the retina around the macula that are leaking. These burns slow the leakage of fluid and reduce the amount of fluid in the retina. The surgery is usually completed in one session. Further treatment may be needed.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What are the treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: During the first three stages of diabetic retinopathy, no treatment is needed, unless you have macular edema. To prevent progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol. Proliferative retinopathy is treated with laser surgery. This procedure is called scatter laser treatment. Scatter laser treatment helps to shrink the abnormal blood vessels. Your doctor places 1,000 to 2,000 laser burns in the areas of the retina away from the macula, causing the abnormal blood vessels to shrink. Because a high number of laser burns are necessary, two or more sessions usually are required to complete treatment. Although you may notice some loss of your side vision, scatter laser treatment can save the rest of your sight. Scatter laser treatment may slightly reduce your color vision and night vision. If the bleeding is severe, you may need a surgical procedure called a vitrectomy. During a vitrectomy, blood is removed from the center of your eye.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What are the treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: Both focal and scatter laser treatment are performed in your doctor's office or eye clinic. Before the surgery, your doctor will dilate your pupil and apply drops to numb the eye. The area behind your eye also may be numbed to prevent discomfort. The lights in the office will be dim. As you sit facing the laser machine, your doctor will hold a special lens to your eye. During the procedure, you may see flashes of light. These flashes eventually may create a stinging sensation that can be uncomfortable. You will need someone to drive you home after surgery. Because your pupil will remain dilated for a few hours, you should bring a pair of sunglasses. For the rest of the day, your vision will probably be a little blurry. If your eye hurts, your doctor can suggest treatment.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What is (are) Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: If you have a lot of blood in the center of the eye, or vitreous gel, you may need a vitrectomy to restore your sight. If you need vitrectomies in both eyes, they are usually done several weeks apart. A vitrectomy is performed under either local or general anesthesia. Your doctor makes a tiny incision in your eye. Next, a small instrument is used to remove the vitreous gel that is clouded with blood. The vitreous gel is replaced with a salt solution. Because the vitreous gel is mostly water, you will notice no change between the salt solution and the original vitreous gel.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What are the treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: Yes. Both treatments are very effective in reducing vision loss. People with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 95 percent with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care. Although both treatments have high success rates, they do not cure diabetic retinopathy. Once you have proliferative retinopathy, you always will be at risk for new bleeding. You may need treatment more than once to protect your sight.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: what research (or clinical trials) is being done for Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: The National Eye Institute, or NEI, is conducting and supporting research that seeks better ways to detect, treat, and prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. This research is conducted through studies in the laboratory and with patients. For example, researchers are studying drugs for the treatment of proliferative retinopathy that may reduce the need for laser surgery.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What to do for Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: If you have diabetes, get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Proliferative retinopathy can develop without symptoms. If it gets to this advanced stage, you are at high risk for vision loss or even blindness. Macular edema can develop without symptoms at any of the four stages of diabetic retinopathy. You can develop both proliferative retinopathy and macular edema and still see fine. However, you are at high risk for vision loss. Your eye care professional can tell if you have macular edema or any stage of diabetic retinopathy. Whether or not you have symptoms, early detection and timely treatment can prevent vision loss.  See this glossary for basic terms about diabetic retinopathy.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Diabetic Retinopathy
Question: What is (are) Diabetic Retinopathy ?
Answer: National Eye Institute  National Institutes of Health  2020 Vision Place  Bethesda, MD 20892-3655  301-496-5248  E-mail: 2020@nei.nih.gov  www.nei.nih.gov  Find eye health organizations that address diabetic eye disease.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Depression
Question: What causes Depression ?
Answer: Several lines of research have shown that depressive illnesses are disorders of the brain. But the exact causes for these illnesses are not yet clear and are still being studied. Changes in the Brain Imaging technologies show that the brains of people with depression look different or are working differently than those who do not have the illness. The areas of the brain that control moods, thinking, sleep, appetite, and behavior appear not to be functioning well. The scans also show very high or very low levels of important brain chemicals. But these images do not reveal WHY the depression has occurred. Many Possible Causes In general, there is no one cause or risk factor for depression. It most likely results from many factors, such as family history, life experiences, and environment. Older adults with depression may have had it when they were younger, or they may have a family history of the illness. They may also be going through difficult life events, such as losing a loved one, a difficult relationship with a family member or friend, or financial troubles. For older adults who experience depression for the first time later in life, other factors may be at play. Depression may be related to changes that occur in the brain and body as a person ages. For example, some older adults who are at risk for illnesses such as heart disease or stroke may have hardening and inflammation of the blood vessels, and blood may not be able to flow normally to the body's organs, including the brain. Over time, this blood vessel disease and restricted blood flow can damage nearby brain tissue and harm the nerve connections that help different parts of the brain communicate with each other. If this happens, an older adult with no family history of depression may develop what some doctors call "vascular depression." Older adults may also experience depression as a result of brain changes caused by illnesses such as Alzheimers disease or Parkinsons disease. This type of depression can appear in the early stages of these diseases, before many symptoms appear. Depression Can Occur With Other Illnesses Depression can also co-occur with other serious medical illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson's disease. Depression can make these conditions worse, and vice versa. Sometimes, medications taken for these illnesses may cause side effects that contribute to depression. Because many older adults face these illnesses along with various social and economic difficulties, some health care professionals may wrongly conclude that these problems are the cause of the depression -- an opinion often shared by patients themselves. All these factors can cause depression to go undiagnosed or untreated in older people. Yet, treating the depression will help an older adult better manage other conditions he or she may have.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Depression
Question: What are the symptoms of Depression ?
Answer: Common Symptoms There are many symptoms associated with depression, and some will vary depending on the individual. However, some of the most common symptoms are listed below. If you have several of these symptoms for more than two weeks, you may have depression. - feeling nervous or emotionally "empty"  - feelings of excessive guilt or worthlessness  - tiredness or a "slowed down" feeling  - restlessness and irritability  - feeling like life is not worth living  - sleep problems, including trouble getting to sleep, wakefulness in the middle of the night, or sleeping too much  - eating more or less than usual, usually with unplanned weight gain or loss  - having persistent headaches, stomach-aches or other chronic pain that does not go away when treated  - loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, including sex  - frequent crying  - difficulty focusing, remembering or making decisions  - thoughts of death or suicide, or a suicide attempt feeling nervous or emotionally "empty" feelings of excessive guilt or worthlessness tiredness or a "slowed down" feeling restlessness and irritability feeling like life is not worth living sleep problems, including trouble getting to sleep, wakefulness in the middle of the night, or sleeping too much eating more or less than usual, usually with unplanned weight gain or loss having persistent headaches, stomach-aches or other chronic pain that does not go away when treated loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, including sex frequent crying difficulty focusing, remembering or making decisions thoughts of death or suicide, or a suicide attempt Is it Depression or Something Else? The first step to getting appropriate treatment is to visit a doctor. Certain medications taken for other medical conditions, vitamin B12 deficiency, some viruses, or a thyroid disorder can cause symptoms similar to depression. If an older adult is taking several medications for other conditions and is depressed, seeing a doctor is especially important. A doctor can rule out medications or another medical condition as the cause of the depression by doing a complete physical exam, interview, and lab tests. If these other factors can be ruled out, he or she may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, counselor, social worker, or psychiatrist. Some doctors called geriatric psychiatrists and clinical geropsychologists are specially trained to treat depression and other mental illnesses in older adults. The doctor or mental health professional will ask about the history of your symptoms, such as when they started, how long they have lasted, their severity, whether they have occurred before, and if so, whether they were treated and how. He or she will then diagnose the depression and work with you to choose the most appropriate treatment.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Depression
Question: What is (are) Depression ?
Answer: Depression is more than just feeling blue or sad. It is an illness. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and normal functioning, and causes pain for both you and those who care about you.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Depression
Question: What is (are) Depression ?
Answer: Major depressive disorder, also called major depression or clinical depression, is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with your ability to work, sleep, concentrate, eat, and enjoy activities you once liked. Major depression keeps a person from functioning normally. Dysthymic disorder, or dysthymia, is a less severe but sometimes more long-lasting form of depression. It is characterized by symptoms lasting two years or longer that keep you from functioning normally or feeling well. Subsyndromal depression, affecting many older adults, includes real symptoms of depression that are less severe than major depression or dysthymia. Having sybsydromal depression may increase your risk of developing major depression. Psychotic depression  occurs when a person has severe depression plus some form of psychosis, such as having disturbing false beliefs or a break with reality (delusions), or hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations). Bipolar depression  also called manic-depressive illness, is not as common as major depression or dysthymia. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changesfrom extreme highs (e.g., mania) to extreme lows (e.g., depression).
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Depression
Question: Who is at risk for Depression? ?
Answer: The risk factors for depression are family history, life experiences, and environment. If you have depression, you may have experienced it when you were younger, and may have a family history of the illness. You may also be going through difficult life events, such as physical or psychological trauma, losing a loved one, a difficult relationship with a family member or friend, or financial troubles. Any of these stressful experiences can lead to depression. For older adults who experience depression for the first time later in life, other factors may be at play. Depression may be related to changes that occur in the brain and body as a person ages. For example, some older adults who are at risk for illnesses such as heart disease or stroke may have hardening and inflammation of the blood vessels, and blood may not be able to flow normally to the body's organs, including the brain. Over time, this blood vessel disease and restricted blood flow can damage nearby brain tissue and harm the nerve connections that help different parts of the brain communicate with each other. If this happens, an older adult with no family history of depression may develop what some doctors call "vascular depression." Older adults may also experience depression as a result of brain changes caused by illnesses such as Alzheimers disease or Parkinsons disease. This type of depression can appear in the early stages of these diseases, before many symptoms appear.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth
Topic: Depression
Question: What are the symptoms of Depression ?
Answer: Symptoms of depression often vary depending upon the person. Common symptoms include - feeling nervous or emotionally empty  - tiredness or a "slowed down" feeling  - feeling guilty or worthless  - restlessness and irritability  - feeling like life is not worth living  - sleep problems such as insomnia, oversleeping or wakefulness in the middle of the night   - eating more or less than usual, usually with unplanned weight gain or loss  - having persistent headaches, stomach-aches or other chronic pain that does not go away when treated  - loss of interest in once pleasurable activities  - frequent crying  - difficulty focusing, remembering or making decisions  - thoughts of death or suicide. feeling nervous or emotionally empty tiredness or a "slowed down" feeling feeling guilty or worthless restlessness and irritability feeling like life is not worth living sleep problems such as insomnia, oversleeping or wakefulness in the middle of the night eating more or less than usual, usually with unplanned weight gain or loss having persistent headaches, stomach-aches or other chronic pain that does not go away when treated loss of interest in once pleasurable activities frequent crying difficulty focusing, remembering or making decisions thoughts of death or suicide.
Source: NIHSeniorHealth