Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 21, 1995 TAG: 9506210103
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHICAGO LENGTH: Short
Vigorous sex can cause tiny blood vessels to break or delicate tissues at the back of the eyeball to tear, suddenly causing blurry vision, researchers say.
The researchers saw half a dozen patients with the problem and reported the findings in the June issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, published by the American Medical Association.
``Maybe this gives us a physical explanation as to why there were some old wives' tales that certain sexual activities could result in blindness,'' said a co-author of the study, Dr. Neil M. Bressler of Johns Hopkins University.
``If that is true, it's temporary, and the prognosis is excellent,'' he said Tuesday.
The patients were five men and one woman, ages 24 to 53. Each patient suffered a vision loss in one eye, ranging from mild blurriness to inability to count fingers at a distance of more than 6 inches.
Of the five patients who returned to the doctors for follow-up care, all got their vision back. Four needed no treatment. One patient required laser surgery to seal tiny rips in the tissues at the back of the eye and decrease the risk of permanent damage, the researchers said.
by CNB