Diseases & Conditions Archive

Vision loss has many risk factors. Some risk factors are well known, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and older age. Other risk factors for vision loss are not as well known, such as inactivity, psoriasis, shingles, and smoking. People who have these risk factors might need eye exams more often than the standard recommendations for healthy adults (a comprehensive eye exam every two years from ages 40 to 65, and every year or two after age 65).

Night blindness makes it hard to see in dim or dark settings, which can affect safety at home and make driving dangerous after dark. While the cause varies, there are steps people can take to address these problems.

Some people have poor circulation, but if your fingers pale and go numb when exposed to quick changes in temperature, it could be Raynaud's phenomenon, a different kind of circulation problem. Generally, avoiding sudden exposure to cold and other factors that cause blood vessels to constrict, and being prepared with gloves and extra layers of clothing, helps.

The cost of a prescription drug can be very high, and several factors contribute to this. What can consumers do to reduce their drug costs, and what changes need to be made to make medications more affordable?