Briefly discusses the symptoms that can occur from insect or spider bites. Covers skin reactions, allergic reactions, and toxic reactions. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Briefly discusses symptoms that may show a serious problem during pregnancy. Covers vaginal bleeding, fever, and swelling. Describes emergency symptoms like shock, seizures, and leaks from your vagina. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Briefly discusses respiratory problems that babies and children can have. Covers viral and bacterial infections, allergies, and asthma. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of structures inside of the body. During the test, you lie on a table that is attached to the CT scanner, which is a large doughnut-shaped machine. The CT scanner sends X-ray pulses through the body. Each pulse lasts less than a second and takes a...

Briefly discusses fevers in children age 11 and younger. Includes info on temperatures considered normal, mild fever, and high fever. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Epilepsy is a disorder that causes repeated seizures. Seizures may cause problems with muscle control, movement, speech, vision, or awareness. They usually don't last very long, but they can be scary. Most people are able to control their seizures with medicines. Some people outgrow epilepsy and no longer have seizures.

Briefly discusses respiratory problems that older children and adults can have. Covers viral and bacterial infections, allergies, and asthma. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Cold and heat therapies are treatments that use cold or heat to help with pain, soreness, muscle spasms, swelling, and inflammation. There are different ways you can do cold and heat therapies. For example, you might use an ice pack for cold...

What are colds? Colds are the most common infection of the nose, sinuses, or throat (upper respiratory infection). Colds are caused by viruses. They're spread by coughs, sneezes, and close contact. You can catch a cold at any time of year, but they're more common in late winter and early spring. There's no cure for...

Briefly discusses common causes that make a young baby or child cry. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Local anesthesia is a method to deliver pain control medicine to a specific area. It can be injected or applied to the skin or mucous membranes to numb an area and its surrounding tissues. Local anesthesia does not make the person sleepy or relieve other pains. But it may be used along with other medicines that have...

What is alcohol use disorder? Alcohol use disorder means that a person drinks alcohol even though it causes harm to themselves or others. It can range from mild to severe. People with this disorder may find it hard to control their alcohol use. Over time, drinking too much alcohol may cause health problems, like liver...

What are grief and grieving? Grief is a natural response to the loss of someone or something very important to you. The loss may cause sadness and may cause you to think of very little else besides the loss. The words sorrow and heartache are often used to describe feelings of grief. Grieving is the process of emotional...

Intellectual disability is a decreased ability to think and learn. It's caused by a problem with how the brain works. The diagnosis is based on intelligence quotient (IQ) tests and a child's learning problems. The disability can range from mild to severe. People who have intellectual disability may have a hard time...

Covers eating a variety of foods so that your child gets the nutrients needed for normal growth. Looks at how much food is good for your child and how you can help your child eat well and be healthy. Explains how to help a child who is overweight.

What is substance use disorder? Substance use disorder means that a person uses substances even though it causes harm to themself or others. This disorder can range from mild to severe. It can develop from the use of almost any type of substance. This includes: Alcohol. Marijuana and other drugs. Prescription medicines...

Childhood is a great time to help your child develop healthy habits. The sooner in life we build good, healthy habits, the easier it is to keep them and stay as healthy as possible. One important thing to remember is that you are your child's role...

What is food poisoning? Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating foods that have harmful germs in them. These germs are mostly found in raw meat, chicken, fish, and eggs, but they can spread to any type of food. They can also grow on food that's left out on counters or outdoors or is stored too long before you eat...

Level of consciousness is a term used to describe a person's awareness and understanding of what is happening in his or her surroundings. There are three main levels of consciousness: Consciousness is an awake state, when a person is fully aware of his or her surroundings and understands, talks, moves, and responds...

Briefly discusses the common causes of nausea and vomiting in children, including stomach illnesses and infections. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Each Decision Point is designed to guide you through a key health decision. Decision Points combine medical information with your personal values to help you make a wise health decision. See a list of: Decision Points about medical tests. Decision Points about medicines. Decision Points about surgeries. Decision Points...

Covers the causes and symptoms of osteoarthritis. Covers possible treatments with over-the-counter pain medicines and prescription medicines. Includes info on home treatment for joint pain, including using heat or ice, staying at a healthy weight, and exercise.

Briefly discusses physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety. Covers anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and phobias. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Offers tips to help with anxiety.

Briefly discusses how cuts may occur and types of cuts. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Briefly discusses common types of headaches and their causes. Covers when a headache is an emergency. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.