Entry bubble Save Your Vision Week

By: Joanne | March 03, 2009 | Category: Health

eye chart and eye glassesI know that good vision is something I take for granted, but it really is a precious gift. This week is Save Your Vision Week, a time to think about what you need to do to protect your vision.

I recently had my annual eye exam along with a glaucoma test. I always have a glaucoma test because my dad had glaucoma, so I’m thought to be at a higher risk. The bad thing about glaucoma is that it makes you blind – the good news is that there are medications that can stall its progression, so the sooner you catch it the better.

For the test, the doctor used drops to dilate my eyes, which made everything look blurry for the rest of the afternoon. The tricky thing was that I needed to get back to work and when I sat down, I realized that I couldn’t see the words on my computer screen. “Hmmmm,” I thought to myself, “now I’m in the shoes of our visitors with low vision.” At USA.gov we’ve got tools that allow our visitors to change the font size and once I made it bigger I was able to see the site. I was also able to use my browser tools to enlarge the text on other websites. I’m glad that these kinds of tricks and tools are available and that we design so that people with low or no vision can access the site. My temporary disability reinforced the importance of doing that.

So remember that conditions like macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and glaucoma can creep up on you and regular eye exams will help to protect your vision. Other advice is to eat a healthy diet, wear sunglasses with UV (ultraviolet) protection, and use protective eyewear when your eyes are at risk for injury.

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Entry bubble Cancer Treatment Scams

By: Colleen | October 22, 2008 | Category: Health

doctorBefore I dive into the serious stuff, I have to give a public shout-out to the Phillies, who are playing in their first World Series in fifteen years, starting tonight. Here we go Phils! "Why can't us?"

While baseball seems like the most important thing to me right now, Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings me back to reality, where we are all hard pressed to find anyone whose life hasn't been touched in one way or another by cancer. Personally, my maternal grandfather passed away due to cancer and by the young age of 20, I'd already had minor surgery to remove skin cancer cells.

When someone gets such devastating news, it is important to have an honest discussion with your doctor regarding the course of treatment that is best for you. Sadly, there is always someone out there looking to make a profit by being dishonest to consumers. Because of this, FTC recently launched a new site that encourages cancer patients who are curious about new treatments to ask their doctors first.

This site was developed in response to a group of companies who were selling fake cancer cures to cancer patients. FTC is suing 11 of these companies for false and deceptive claims. This site gives tips and advice to help people distinguish legit companies from scammers.

Always ask your doctor about any product you may have seen advertised, and do your research on the different treatments available to you.

How have you helped a loved one deal with a diagnosis of cancer?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cancer   cancer_treatment_scam   doctor   federal_trade_comission   ftc   phillies   scam   treatment  

 

Entry bubble Buying Prescription Drugs Online

By: Nicole | July 11, 2008 | Category: Health

Prescription medicine pillsA recent study found that 85% of websites that sold prescription drugs directly to consumers didn’t require a doctor’s prescription. That’s an alarming statistic, especially when one considers the danger of prescription drug abuse and fake medication.

It’s no secret that the price of prescription drugs in this country continues to rise at an incredible rate. For many people, especially those who take maintenance prescriptions, these rising costs can have a serious impact.

Some consumers have discovered that they can fill their prescriptions cheaper and easier online. In fact, some insurance companies require policy holders to do so.

One way online pharmacies reduce costs is by automatically using generic drugs unless prohibited by your physician’s order. Whether or not you buy online, you can usually save some cash by opting for generic drugs.

If you find yourself about to plunge into the sea of online pharmacies, keep these tips in mind:

  • National Association of Boards of Pharmacy logoUse the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to research a website before using it.
  • Don't buy from sites that sell prescription drugs without a prescription or that sell drugs not approved by the FDA.
  • Only use sites that have a pharmacist available to answer your questions.
  • Only buy from sites based in the U.S. It’s against the law to buy prescription drugs from other countries. It could also be unsafe.
  • Talk to your doctor or clinic before using any medicine for the first time.

When you receive your medication, you might want to verify that it’s the right pill by searching for its image in the Drug Digest database.

Have you used an online pharmacy to buy meds? Were you happy with the experience?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: buy   doctor   drugs   generic   internet   medications   meds   nicole   online   online_pharmacies   pharmacist   pills   prescriptions   purchase   sales  

 

Entry bubble Think Local

By: Nancy | June 05, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

As much as the national and world news get splashed across our TV screens, when it comes down to it, what seems to matter most in our lives is what's going on at home, in the neighborhood and around town. We honor our local heroes, passionately discuss local politics and are rediscovering that some of the best food we can get may be right in our own backyard or around the corner.

Keeping it local, USA.gov has a wonderful section to help you locate in-person services near you.

couple walking through neighborhoodIf you're the kind of person, like my mom, who prefers to do business with the government face to face, you can find links to locate local offices of federal agencies like Social Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and passport offices.

Have a consumer complaint? Find your local consumer protection office or check out contractors with your local Better Business Bureau before you hire them.

Looking for a doctor or dentist nearby you can trust? Search the National Institutes of Health's online directory. You can also find other health resources, like mammography facilities, nursing homes and your nearest Red Cross chapter, so you can help counteract the summertime donation shortfall and give blood.

Save time and gas by doing a little research online before you run errands. You can find out which service station in your town has the cheapest gas prices and check the hours of places like your local post office or division of motor vehicles.

From finding the nearest pet rescue and adoption center to locating the closest place to get the installation of your child's car seat checked, you can find some really unexpected and extremely helpful local links in USA.gov's "Locate In-Person Services Near You" section.

Now...what are we missing? What other kinds of local services or resources would you like to see us list and link to on USA.gov?

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Entry bubble Laryngitis: Say What?

By: Nancy | January 17, 2008 | Category: Health

mime covering his mouthWell, with the exception of Sam so far, we seem to be on a health kick this week at Gov Gab headquarters, where I find myself at a loss for words. And as the Gov Gab team can tell you, that's a rare thing.

I'm speechless because I got an upper respiratory infection last week that left me with a spectacular case of laryngitis.

"Call your doctor!" every concerned and exasperated friend here at the office is urging. Call my doctor? Sure, I'll tap Morse code into the mouthpiece of the phone. :) Ok, I'll make an appointment if it doesn't get better in a couple more days. I promise. In the meantime, I'm doing a little medical research on USA.gov.

Laryngitis is an inflammation of your larynx (aka your voice box or the "vocal fold" ) and your vocal cords. It's usually associated with straining your voice from overuse--like too much talking, singing or screaming for your favorite sports team; from inhaling irritants like smoke or other fumes or from a cold or the flu.

MedLine Plus from the National Institutes of Health has a great section on laryngitis. It says to contact your health care provider if you have trouble breathing or swallowing or if you've been dealing with the hoarseness for two weeks or more. I'm just at the one week mark, am eating everything in sight and I'm breathing fine.

Since most cases of laryngitis associated with a cold are viral and not bacterial, antibiotics won't help. What does help is resting your voice, drinking lots of water and soothing things like tea and honey, and using a humidifier to keep the air you're breathing moist. Good timing. The humidifier we ordered for the office I share with some of my fellow Gov Gabbers arrived last week. Our office was pretty dry, so thanks to the humidifier, we're all enjoying being able to breathe better and not having dry skin.

Sure, laryngitis is inconvenient. I'm having to rely a lot more on email and instant messenger to communicate with my coworkers. But it's actually kind of fun too. My lack of a voice has become something of a behavioral science experiment. My hearing is as good as ever, but most people are responding to my voicelessness by either acting out what they want to tell me or by whispering back to me. Have I mentioned that my coworkers are adorable and that I love them? They are, and I do. And a couple have said that, after this week of laryngitis, my miming skills are not half bad.

So now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pull an invisible rope or something.

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