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...

Habits are hard to break. That's why the sooner in life we build good, healthy habits, the easier it is to keep them and stay as healthy as possible. And when good habits are in place, it's easier to resist bad ones. The most important thing to remember is that you are your child's role model. Your habits affect your...

Briefly discusses various sleep problems of those 12 and older. Covers insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Covers birth control methods, including the pill, skin patch, Depo-Provera shot, condoms, cervical cap, and diaphragm. Provides questions to help you decide the right birth control method for you. Covers emergency contraception (the morning-after pill).

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system, the body's natural defense system. Without a strong immune system, the body has trouble fighting off disease. HIV infection is treated with medicines that slow or stop the damage to the immune system. If it's not treated, in time HIV will...

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes your bones thin, brittle, and easy to break. It's related to the loss of bone mass that happens as a natural part of aging. It's most common in women who have gone through menopause, but it can also occur in men. As osteoporosis gets worse, it can lead to broken bones in the hip...

Briefly discusses common allergies, including ones to food, medicine, insect stings, latex, and animals. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

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 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...

Focuses on palliative care as a holistic—body, mind, spirit—approach to dealing with serious illness. Explains that palliative care team guides talks about treatment, pain management, hospice care, family needs, and legal issues.

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...

Briefly discusses signs of the body losing too much fluid through diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, or exercise. Also covers dehydration in babies, small children, and older adults. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Covers type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. Describes how pancreas regulates blood sugar (glucose) levels. Includes info on hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Discusses treatments, including insulin.

Briefly discusses symptoms of sore throat caused by virus and bacteria infections and irritants. Covers common cold, mononucleosis (mono), strep throat, and flu. Covers symptoms such as swollen glands and pain. 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...

Inner strength is the ability to cope with the stressful situations in life. This is often called "resilience." Building inner strength begins with simple actions or thoughts that your child practices, such as planning for what to do next and learning to accept change. Inner strength can help a child face problems...

Briefly discusses male genital problems and injuries. Looks at testicle, penis, and scrotum symptoms. Covers rashes and infections. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

Briefly discusses diarrhea in older children and adults. Covers causes and symptoms such as abdominal pain and black or bloody stools. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

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...

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

Includes causes and symptoms of heart disease. Looks at cholesterol, hypertension, and risk of heart attack. Covers diet, physical activity, and treatment with medicines, angioplasty, and bypass surgery. Includes how to help prevent heart disease.

Aerobic fitness means increasing how well the body uses oxygen, which depends on the condition of the heart, lungs, and muscles. Experts tend to describe aerobic activity in three ways: light, moderate, and vigorous. When people do moderate-intensity activities, they notice a faster heartbeat. To get the benefits of...

Briefly discusses common causes of burns, such as heat, chemicals, and friction, and the seriousness of burn depth and size. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.

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 possible causes of abdominal pain in children 11 and younger, including stomach flu, urinary tract infection, constipation, and appendicitis. Offers interactive tool to help decide when to seek care. Also offers home treatment tips.