Retinal disorders are conditions that affect the retina, the thin light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye. The retina senses light and sends signals to your brain so you can see.

Retinal disorders can cause blurred or distorted vision. Some can lead to vision loss or blindness.

The causes of retinal disorders vary. Aging is a common factor, but other things can raise your risk, such as if you:

• Smoke
• Have obesity
• Have health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure
• Have had an eye injury or trauma
• Have a family history of retinal disorders

Some common retinal disorders include:

• Macular degeneration. Occurs when the macula (the center of the retina that helps you see fine details) breaks down. There are two types: wet and dry macular degeneration.
• Diabetic retinopathy. Occurs when diabetes damages small blood vessels in the retina, causing them to swell or leak.
• Retinal detachment. Occurs when the retina pulls away from the back of the eye. This is a medical emergency.
• Retinal tears. A hole or break in the retina caused when the gel-like substance inside your eye (the vitreous) pulls away.
• Retinoblastoma. A rare cancer of the retina that most often affects young children.
• Macular pucker. Scar tissue that forms on the macula and distorts vision.
• Macular hole. A small opening in the macula, often related to aging or injury. It can blur or distort central vision.
• Eye floaters. Small specks, cobwebs, or threads that drift across your vision. These are more common with aging.
• Retina pigmentosa. A group of inherited disorders (passed down through families) that slowly damage the retina and cause loss of night and side (peripheral) vision.

Symptoms can vary, but most retinal disorders affect your vision. Common symptoms include:

• Blurred or distorted vision
• Loss of central or side (peripheral) vision
• Flashes of light
• Seeing floating specks or cobwebs
• Trouble seeing at night
• Sudden vision loss (in severe cases)

Seek medical care right away if you notice flashes of light, sudden vision changes, or a sudden increase in eye floaters. These can be signs of a serious retinal problem.

Eye care providers check for retinal disorders with a dilated eye exam. Eye drops are used to widen your pupils so your provider can look at the retina for signs of damage.

They may also do other tests, such as:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) to take detailed pictures of the inside of your eye.
• Fluorescein angiography to check the blood vessels in your retina.
• Visual field tests to measure your side (peripheral) vision.

Some retinal disorders can be treated to slow or stop vision loss, and sometimes to restore vision. Treatment depends on the cause and severity. It may include:

• Laser therapy
• Medicine or eye injections
• Surgery
• Lifestyle management to control health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure

Not all retinal disorders can be prevented. Some are related to aging or genetics. But you can protect your eyes by:

• Wearing safety goggles or sunglasses
• Getting regular eye exams
• Making healthy lifestyle changes, such as:
  • Quitting smoking (or not starting)
  • Managing diabetes and blood pressure

NIH: National Eye Institute

Many men have sexual problems. They become more common as men age. Problems can include:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Reduced or lost interest in sex
• Problems with ejaculation
• Low testosterone

Stress, illness, medicines, or emotional problems may also be factors. Occasional problems with sexual function are common. If problems last more than a few months or cause distress for you or your partner, you should see your health care provider.

There are many problems that can keep a woman from enjoying sex. They include:

• Lack of sexual desire
• Inability to become aroused
• Lack of orgasm, or sexual climax
• Painful intercourse

These problems may have physical or psychological causes. Physical causes may include conditions like diabetes, heart disease, nerve disorders, or hormone problems. Some drugs can also affect desire and function. Psychological causes may include work-related stress and anxiety. They may also include depression or concerns about marriage or relationship problems. For some women, the problem results from past sexual trauma.

Occasional problems with sexual function are common. If problems last more than a few months or cause distress for you or your partner, you should see your health care provider.

Your skin is your body's largest organ. It covers the entire outside of your body. There are many ways that your skin protects your body and helps keep you healthy. For example, it:

• Holds body fluids in, which helps prevent you from getting dehydrated
• Keeps out harmful germs, which helps prevent infections
• Helps you feel things like heat, cold, and pain
• Helps control your body temperature
• Makes vitamin D when the sun shines on it
• Shields your body against heat and light

There are many different problems and conditions which can affect your skin. Some of them can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as itching, burning, redness, and rashes. They might also affect your appearance. Some of the more common skin conditions include:

• Acne, which causes pimples when hair follicles under your skin get clogged up
• Burns
• Cuts and scrapes
• Dandruff, flaking of the skin on your scalp (the top of your head)
• Eczema (atopic dermatitis), which causes inflammation, redness, and irritation of the skin
• Hives, which are red and sometimes itchy bumps on your skin
• Insect bites
• Psoriasis, which causes itchy, scaly red patches
• Skin cancer
• Skin infections

Since your skin protects your body in many ways, it's important to try to keep your skin healthy. For example, you can:

• Wear the right protective equipment, like gloves, long sleeves, knee and elbow pads, or helmets to protect against cuts, bumps and scrapes.
• If you do get a cut or scrape, clean it right away with soap and warm water. Put on a bandage to protect it while it heals.
• When you are spending time outdoors, wear long sleeves and pants and use insect repellant to prevent insect bites.
• Prevent sunburn by covering up and using sunscreen when outdoors.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• When you take a shower or bath, use warm (not hot) water. Use mild cleansers and wash gently (don't scrub).
• Use moisturizers, like lotions, creams, or ointments, to prevent dry skin.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps you digest food, store energy, and remove harmful substances (toxins). Steatotic liver disease, formerly called fatty liver disease, happens when too much fat builds up in your liver. It's typical to have some fat in your liver cells, but too much can be a problem.

There are two main types of steatotic liver disease:

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
• Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD)

MASLD is a type of steatotic liver disease that is not caused by heavy alcohol use. It used to be called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. There are two main forms:

• Simple fatty liver, in which you have fat in your liver but little or no inflammation or liver damage. This form usually does not get bad enough to cause liver damage or complications.
• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH (previously called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH), is when MASLD gets worse. In addition to fat in your liver, MASH may cause inflammation and liver damage. This can lead to fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver. This scarring sometimes leads to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

ALD is caused by heavy alcohol use. It used to be called alcoholic fatty liver disease, or alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Your liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink, so it can be removed from your body. But the process of breaking it down can create harmful substances. These substances can damage liver cells, cause inflammation, and weaken your body's natural defenses. The more alcohol that you drink, the more you damage your liver. ALD is the earliest stage of alcohol-related liver disease. The next stages are alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.

The cause of MASLD is unknown, but it is more common in people who:

• Have type 2 diabetes and prediabetes
• Have obesity
• Are middle aged or older (although children can also get it)
• Have high cholesterol or triglycerides
• Have high blood pressure
• Take certain medicines, such as corticosteroids and some cancer medicines
• Have certain metabolic disorders, including metabolic syndrome
• Have rapid weight loss
• Have certain infections, such as hepatitis C
• Have been exposed to certain harmful substances

MASLD is the most common chronic (long-term) liver disease due to increasing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.

ALD only happens in people who are heavy drinkers, especially those who have been drinking for a long period of time. The risk is higher for people who drink heavily and are women, have obesity, or have certain gene changes (known as variants or mutations).

Both MASLD and ALD usually have few or no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you may feel tired or have discomfort in the upper right side of your abdomen (belly).

Because there are often no symptoms, it's not easy to find steatotic liver disease. Your health care provider may suspect you have it if you have abnormal results on liver tests. To make a diagnosis, your provider may use:

• Your medical history. This may include asking about your alcohol use and any medicines you take.
• A physical exam. This may include checking your height and weight. Your provider may also check your body for signs of liver disease such as an enlarged liver or jaundice, a condition that causes your skin and whites of your eyes to turn yellow.
• Blood tests. These may include liver function tests and blood count tests.
• Imaging tests. These tests may be used to check for fat in the liver and for fibrosis.
• A biopsy. In some cases, a biopsy may be done to confirm the diagnosis and check for liver damage.

The first step in treating MASLD is usually weight loss. Losing weight can reduce fat in the liver, inflammation, and fibrosis. If your provider thinks that a certain medicine is the cause of your MASLD, they may tell you to stop or switch medicines. But don't stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to.

More studies are needed to see whether certain medicines are safe and effective to treat MASLD. Currently, no medicines are approved for treatment.

The most important part of treating ALD is to stop drinking alcohol. If you need help, you may benefit from counseling, a recovery program, or medicines that reduce cravings or make you feel sick if you drink alcohol.

Both ALD and one type of MASLD can lead to cirrhosis. Health problems caused by cirrhosis may be treated with medicines, surgery, and other medical procedures. If cirrhosis leads to liver failure, you may need a liver transplant.

If you have any type of steatotic liver disease, there are some lifestyle changes that can help:

• Eat a healthy diet, limiting salt and sugar, plus eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Talk with your provider about vaccinations. If you have chronic liver disease you are more likely to get infections. Your provider may recommend vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, the flu and pneumococcal disease.
• Get regular exercise, which can help you lose weight and reduce fat in the liver.

Check with your provider before using dietary supplements, such as vitamins, or any complementary or alternative medicines or medical practices. Some supplements or herbal remedies can damage the liver.