Change Location
HealthChoicesFirst will use the location you choose to identify the practitioners that are closest to you.
Please start with the first characters of your current Postal/Zip Code and select a location from the list that is displayed.
HealthChoicesFirst
How Glaucoma is Diagnosed and Treated
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. Glaucoma is often associated with elevated intraocular pressure, in which damage to the eye (optic) nerve can lead to loss of vision and even blindness.
Understanding cataract development and treatment
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye over time as people age. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. The only treatment is to have the effected lens replaced through surgery.
Refractive Laser Eye Surgery and the Technologies Now Available
Refractive eye surgery is the term used to describe surgical procedures that correct common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. Surgery can eliminate the need for prescription eyeglasses and/or contact lenses.
Popular Topics
Recently Viewed Videos
Most Active Health Talks
Learn from the experts
Q:
What are the types of defibrillators?
A:
Defibrillators are useful in the event of your heart stopping, as they can help restore normal electrical activity to your heart. One type of defibrillators is the external defibrillator, which is machine with the big paddles often seen on television. The smaller version of this machine, the AED (automated external defibrillator) has pads and is found in numerous places today (malls, planes, sports facilities, etc). The third type of defibrillator is an implantable miniature version of the AED.
Q:
What are intervention options for treating narrowing or blocked arteries?
A:
There are two common interventions used when people have narrowing or blocked arteries. One is to use a catheter to help open up the artery (angioplasty) at the site of the narrowing, and perhaps to place a stent to help keep the artery open. The other is a surgery called a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) which bypasses the blockage to maintain blood flow to the heart.
Q:
What are the types of home blood pressure monitors?
A:
There are a few different techniques that home devices use to measure your blood pressure. The fully automatic machine involves the cuff around your home, and the push of a button which takes your reading for you. There are semi-automatic machines as well where you would have to pump the cuff yourself, and even a manual machine with a stethoscope so you can hear your blood pressure. The machines with the arm cuff are generally superior to those which may have a cuff for your wrist. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist about the best home blood pressure machine for your needs.
