Health Information

  • A Dentist Explains Root Canals

    In a root canal, the soft tissue inside the tooth's canal is removed and the space is filled with a material that's compatible with the body's own tissues.

  • Why the Eye Doctor Uses Those Dilating Drops

    The drops enable ophthalmologists to get a far better look at the tiny, complicated world inside your eyes.

  • Dental Sealants Shield Against Tooth Decay

    Children with sealants have 50 percent less tooth decay than children without sealants, dental experts say.

  • A Guide to Eyeglass Lenses

    Eyeglasses can be prescribed for a range of vision problems, from nearsightedness to farsightedness to the diminished vision of advancing age.

  • What the Inside of Your Nose Reveals

    Doctors usually don't look inside your nose unless they have a specific reason. Usually, they are looking for an infection or allergy. Sometimes, they're looking for other sources of your breathing problem, such as a deviated septum, the term doctors use to describe a misalignment of the cartilage that runs down the center of your nose.

  • Why the Doctor Gives You an EKG or ECG

    Did you know that electrical currents flow throughout your body? Because the strongest of these travels through your heart, doctors are able to monitor your heart by placing electrical sensors on the surface of your skin. They do this by giving you an electrocardiogram -- abbreviated either ECG or EKG (from the original German spelling of the word).

  • Why the Doctor Asks for a Urine Sample

    Few tests can match the routine urine analysis for telling your doctor what's going on inside your body.

  • Using Allergy Medications Wisely

    Keep these guidelines in mind when looking for allergy relief.

  • What Those Blood Pressure Numbers Mean

    The two blood pressure numbers indicate how much pressure builds up in the arteries as the heart beats and between beats.

  • All About Blood Pressure Medication

    Several kinds of medicine are commonly prescribed for high blood pressure. Here are some of the main types.

  • Dentistry: It's Not the Same Old Drill

    A revolution in dentistry is spawning new devices and products, from laser "drills" to high-tech toothpaste and mouth rinses.

  • Air Filters, Dehumidifiers, and Humidifiers

    Here are some helpful tips for understanding the air in your house and the air-quality appliances that can alter it.

  • Pills: Make Them Go Down Easy

    Sometimes a pill gets stuck. That tends to happen at the ring of muscles at the top of the esophagus.

  • Why the Doctor Uses a Stethoscope

    Your doctor's stethoscope is a simple device that gives him or her crucial information about your heart.

  • Exercise and Target Heart Rate

    The key to cardiovascular fitness is getting a good but safe aerobic workout. Heart rate monitors, which monitor your heart rate while you exercise, can help you do that with ease.

  • Why the Doctor Takes a Blood Sample

    You probably don't enjoy giving a blood sample, but it's an important part of a physical exam. From a small sample of your blood, your health care provider can order scores of tests.

  • Men Over 50 Need Annual Prostate Exam

    The best weapon against prostate cancer is catching it early.

  • Andreas Vesalius, Father of Modern Anatomy

    Vesalius revolutionized the science of anatomy by basing his findings on direct observation of the body itself, rather than on centuries-old received wisdom.

  • The Doctor Who Discovered Vaccines

    Before an English country doctor named Edward Jenner stepped forward to attack it, smallpox killed people by the thousands.

  • Q and A on Generic Drugs

    Although many generic drugs are made in other countries, drug makers must adhere to strict manufacturing requirements in order to distribute and sell their products in the United States.

  • This Doctor Solved the Riddle of Blood Circulation

    In 1616, when William Harvey announced that the heart propels blood and that blood circulates throughout the body, his findings were revolutionary.

  • Why the Doctor Presses Your Abdomen

    When your doctor presses on your abdomen, he or she is feeling to see if any major internal organs are enlarged or tender, making them painful to touch, which could indicate disease.

  • Allergy Medications and Vaccinations for Older Adults

    As you age, you should check with your health care provider about any allergy medications you take and make sure you are up to date on your shots.

  • A Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs

    Here's a look at some of the more common medicinal herbs. Most herbs have not been thoroughly tested for effectiveness or interactions with other herbs, supplements, drugs or foods.

  • Side Effects of Medicine May Increase With Aging

    Sometimes medicines can cause side effects and actually make a person feel worse. Side effects are more common as people age, so it's important to understand how to identify and prevent side effects.

  • Vaccine Offers Hope for Children's Earaches

    Earaches are common during childhood, but a vaccine can ease the pain for thousands of kids.

  • Monitoring Medications

    Side effects of medications are more common as people age, so it's important to understand how to identify and prevent them.

  • Learn to Be a Smart Pharmaceutical Consumer

    Prescription medications have joined the ranks of new cars and breakfast cereals. Many of them are being marketed directly to the public through ads on television and in magazines. Some medications get so much free publicity they don't need to be advertised.

  • Hypnosis: Helps Treat Pain, Other Conditions

    The idea that a patient can't resist a hypnotic suggestion is just plain false. Simply put, hypnosis is a normal state of relaxed, focused attention.

  • Medication Terms You Need to Know

    Use this guide of common terms used on over-the-counter labels to help you choose and use medicines correctly.

  • How to Plan for Long-Term Care

    Most older people are independent. But later in life, you or someone you love may need help with everyday activities, such as shopping, cooking and bathing.

  • After Rehabilitation: Here Are Some Tools

    Recovering people can use the tools they learn in rehab to begin the intense challenge of avoiding relapse.

  • Screening for Prostate Cancer

    If you are a man, you are at risk for prostate cancer. The risk for prostate cancer increases with age. Your risk is also higher if you are African-American or have a family history of prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that men over age 50 get tested for prostate cancer once a year.

  • What Is Angioplasty?

    When you feel chest pain from blocked arteries, you might see an interventional cardiologist for treatment.

  • What to Expect at Your Mammogram

    A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. It can find changes in the breast when a lump is too small for you or your doctor to feel.

  • Why Doctors Remove Cataracts

    A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens, a clear, soft structure behind the pupil that works much like a camera lens. The top cause of cataracts is aging. In fact, more people over 70 have cataracts than not.

  • What to Do if Your Child Needs Surgery

    If having surgery makes you nervous, imagine how it can seem for a child. By helping the youngster anticipate and face those fears, you can ease the trauma and smooth the way for a quicker, easier recovery.

  • Why a Colonoscopy Is Important

    Many people worry about having their large bowel examined with a colonoscope. While anxiety is normal, the colonoscope is an amazing instrument that gives gastroenterologists like me a very close view of the large bowel, also called the colon.

  • Treat Children's OTC Drugs With Care

    Over-the-counter drugs can help ease a child's aches and pains, but you should know a few things before you pop open a bottle.

  • Anti-Aging Hormones: Do They Work?

    Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could look and feel years younger just by taking a supplement? The makers of "anti-aging" hormone supplements would like you to believe that this is possible. But before you accept their claims and open your wallet, see what medical researchers say.

  • What Every Parent Should Know About Vaccinations

    Where can you as a parent turn to for the facts about vaccine safety? The first place to go is your child's doctor.

  • Scoping Out Sunglasses

    You may think we wear sunglasses for comfort and fashion. But here's another important reason to wear sunglasses: to protect the health of your eyes.

  • How to Be a Savvy Medical Consumer

    The benefits of being an active medical consumer include better health, more effective health care, and lower health costs.

  • Indispensable Health Insurance Glossary

    Understanding your health insurance policy and the benefits to which you're entitled, can improve your health care and reduce your costs.

  • Planning the Care of Your Aging Parents

    Many children of aging parents wait until there's a crisis, and then they're left scrambling for mediocre options.

  • Guarding Against Medical Scams

    These tips will help you reduce your risk of being ripped off and putting your health in danger.

  • Teaming Up with Your Pharmacist

    Pharmacists do much more than count tablets and pour liquids. Their main job is to focus on the medications you take and the effect they have.

  • Recognizing Medication Tampering

    No packaging system is completely safe, so it's important that you check for signs of tampering whenever you buy or use a medicine.

  • What You Need to Know About Hearing Aids

    If your doctor recommends a hearing aid, these suggestions can help you determine which kind will suit you best.

  • A Must-Know Guide to Drug-Drug Interactions

    Drug-drug interactions occur when one drug interacts or interferes with another drug. Such interactions are dangerous because they can alter the way one or both of the drugs act in the body. They can also cause unexpected side effects. The following information can help you avoid drug-drug interactions.

  • The Risks of Mix 'n Match Medicine

    Are you taking a chance by combining too many prescription drugs, OTC medicines and supplements?

  • Mental Health: Finding the Help You Need

    When your life seems to be spinning out of control, it's OK to seek professional mental health help.

  • Laser Surgery Can Improve Vision Problems

    Laser vision surgery is a popular treatment of vision problems that eliminates the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses.

  • Taking OTC Pain Relievers

    At first glance, visiting the pain-reliever section of your drugstore might just give you a headache -- if you don't already have one. After all, there are more than 150 products on the market to choose from.

  • Who's Who in Health Care

    This list of health care professionals, which excludes doctors, can help you understand the wide array of people called upon to render care.

  • Curb Antibiotic Abuse in Children

    Antibiotics are not necessary for the majority of infections seen in the pediatrician's office.

  • AEDs: High-Tech Help for Heart Attacks

    Technology has given us the automated external defibrillator (AED), which is turning up far from hospitals. Some schools and public buildings already have AEDs.

  • How to Cut Your Hospital Bills

    Although you may not be able to avoid a hospital stay, there are ways to trim the expenses.

  • The Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

    Chemotherapy and radiation treatments save lives. They also can bring a variety of temporary but unpleasant side effects.

  • Making Sense of Medical Advice

    If seemingly contradictory health news has you confused, it's time to learn how to read between the lines.

  • Tips for Using Home Medical Tests

    Home tests can reduce doctor visits and medical costs, but you need to ask: Are they right for you?

  • Managing Your Medicine Cabinet

    Stocking your medicine cabinet isn't difficult and doesn't take much time. You'll first want the essentials for first aid and symptom relief, rounded out with a few items that meet the special needs of you and your family.

  • How to Properly Manage Medical Devices

    Many people with chronic illnesses depend on elaborate medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers or blood-glucose monitors for their health and well-being. Countless others help their loved ones, young or old, deal with an oxygen machine, asthma medication inhaler or other device. No matter how sophisticated or simple the piece of medical equipment is, it's crucial to use and maintain it properly.

  • How to Find Dr. Right

    Your relationship with your health care provider is one of the most important in your life.

  • Influenza Shots Urged for Young Children

    Each fall you hear that the flu threatens senior citizens and folks with chronic ailments. But the rate of hospital stays is highest in another group--young children.

  • Over-the-Counter Remedies for Seniors

    It's easy to forget that OTC remedies are drugs that can cause side effects and affect other medications. That's why it's important to read the dosage instructions, health risks and warnings on the packaging.

  • Options in Nicotine Therapy

    By using nicotine replacement therapy to reduce withdrawal symptoms, smokers who try to quit have a better chance of succeeding.

  • Use Caution with Pain Relievers

    Over-the-counter pain relievers are safe and effective when used as directed. It's when a person doesn't follow the label's advice that problems may occur.

  • Tame Your Fear of the Dentist

    Does the mere idea of visiting a dentist send chills down your spine? If so, you've got company.

  • Talking with Your Doctor About Alternative Medicine

    Here are suggestions that can help you work with your doctor if you choose to use alternative therapies.

  • How to Prepare for Scheduled or Elective Surgery

    People who prepare mentally and physically before their operations are likely to have fewer complications, less pain and a quicker recovery than those who don't prepare.

  • Act Now to Cut Your Health Care Bills

    It's important to reduce your medical expenses. Even if you have health insurance, you pay a percentage of every health care bill you incur.

  • Evaluating Complementary Cancer Cures

    Although some complementary and alternative methods have been scientifically proven to promote healing or reduce symptoms, many have not.

  • Your Child's Diabetes Care Team

    Having a child with diabetes can be overwhelming. Fortunately, a team of experts can guide you now and in the years to come.

  • Biofeedback: Another Way to Manage Pain

    This technique can ease migraines and tension-type headaches, as well as low back pain and fibromyalgia.

  • Migraines: Should You Take Preventive Medication?

    For some people, taking medication every day can help prevent migraines and make them less painful when they occur.

  • Planning for End of Life

    You need to understand your options and take time to consider what will help you reach the end of your life with dignity, comfort and a sense of control.

  • When and How to Stop Antidepressant Medication

    Deciding when and how to stop taking several popular antidepressants is something you should always discuss with your health care provider.

  • Your Asthma Health Care Team

    An entire team of health care experts is on hand to help people with asthma manage their symptoms and continue to live normal, active lives.

  • How to Be an Active Patient

    People who are actively involved in their medical care stay healthier, recover quicker when they're ill and live longer, healthier lives.

  • For Adults: Take Care with Antidepressants

    These drugs take time to be effective. It may take weeks to know if one is helping you.

  • All About Generic Medications

    Every year, more than 400 million prescriptions are filled with generic medications in the United States.

  • Your Arthritis Health Care Team

    No matter what form of arthritis you have, your role as part of your health care team can make the difference in how well you function with pain, stiffness or inflammation.

  • The Value of a Second Opinion

    If your provider suggests non-emergency surgery or a major medical test, it can be worthwhile to get a second opinion

  • How Much of a Threat Is Bird Influenza?

    Influenza, with its fever, aches, fatigue and threat of complications, seems a uniquely human illness. But the flu, caused by a virus, can infect animals and birds, as well.

  • Maintaining Your Personal Health Record

    A PHR can help reduce or eliminate duplicate tests and allow you to receive faster, safer treatment and care in an emergency. It also can help you play a more active role in your health care.

  • Depressed Kids Need Help

    Teen depression is a serious illness. The benefits of getting help, including taking medications if needed, far outweigh the potential risks.

  • Plastic Surgery Is Up Among Youths

    Plastic surgery is not for every youth. For some procedures, the child must reach milestones in age, growth and physical maturity.

  • Make Your Doctor Your Partner in Health

    It's no picnic being a patient. But as long as you have to be one, it pays to make the most of it.

  • The Quest for Whiter Teeth

    The experts say most of us can have whiter teeth. What's more, many of us can do it ourselves with an over-the-counter (OTC) tooth-whitening product.

  • Childhood Immunizations: Get the Facts

    If you are the parent of a young child, you may be confused about the safety of immunizations.

  • Your Guide to Health Savings Accounts

    With a health savings account, part of your monthly pretax income goes into an account for use toward future medical expenses.

  • Hope on the Horizon for Breast Cancer

    In recent years, researchers have discovered new and better ways to detect and treat breast cancer--and to keep it from coming back.

  • Living Wills Offer Peace of Mind

    A living will tells others how you want to be treated when it comes to life-sustaining measures.

  • Working with Your Diabetes Health Care Team

    Diabetes affects the body in many complex ways, and having a team to help you stay as healthy and vital as possible, for as long as possible, is key.

  • Over-The-Counter Medicines for Infants and Children

    OTC drugs have information on the bottle or box. Always read this information before using the medicine.

  • For Obese Teens, Surgery Is the Last Resort

    Extreme obesity plagues more than a million teens and young adults, experts estimate. What's a parent to do?

  • Steroids, Sterols, Anabolic Steroids, and Corticosteroids: What's the Difference?

    Steroids are important compounds used in medicine, but people often misunderstand what they are.

  • All About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

    According to the American Heart Association, there are five main types of cholesterol-lowering medications.

  • Oral Health and Asthma

    If you have asthma, does your dentist know? This is important for good oral health, especially if you use a corticosteroid inhaler.

  • Clinical Trials: Should You Participate?

    Being involved in a clinical trial has risks and benefits. Being informed and asking lots of questions can help you make a decision.

  • Understanding Outpatient Surgery

    More than 60 percent of elective surgery procedures in the United States are now performed as outpatient surgeries.

  • Optimal Timing for Screenings, Appointments and Medications

    Get your timing right, and you'll whiz through waiting rooms at doctor's appointments. Your medications will work their best.

  • Understanding Diuretics

    Diuretics help your blood pressure go down by helping your body to get rid of extra water and salt by producing more urine.

  • How to Get Medications for Less

    Here are strategies from the Food and Drug Administration to help you cut your prescription costs by 50 percent or more.

  • How to Get Optimal Medical Care

    To get the best medical care you can, you should be an informed patient who works closely with your health care provider.

  • Take Care With Nasal Sprays

    A medicated nasal decongestant spray may offer fast relief when your nose is congested and running. It can reduce swelling and clear mucus from your nasal passages quickly.

  • Treatment Options for Testicular Cancer

    Testicular cancer is a type of cancer that typically develops in men ages 20 to 35. It can be treated and is usually curable.

  • For Seniors: Choosing a New Doctor

    Whatever the reason for needing a new primary care physician, these suggestions can help you find the right doctor.

  • Get the Most From Your Doctor Visits

    To avoid wasting valuable time, be prepared for every doctor visit, using these suggestions.

  • Offsite Health Care Options

    Many forms of emergency treatment take place outside the emergency room, and even many surgeries are performed in locations other than a hospital operating room.

  • Self-Treat? Or See a Doctor?

    When you're sick, knowing whether you should treat yourself at home or see your doctor can save you time and hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars a year.

  • Ways to Take a Bite Out of Your Dental Bills

    The most effective way to lower your dental bills is to take care of your teeth, and to make sure your children do the same.

  • Contraception: Many Options

    For a woman who wants to plan when she becomes pregnant, there are many choices.

  • Understanding Your Osteoarthritis Medication

    Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, most often affects weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. It also can affect the hands and spine.

  • Choosing a Hospital

    You don't have time to choose a hospital if you have a health emergency. But if you're facing surgery or treatment for a particular health condition, taking time to find a hospital that meets your needs is well worth the effort.

  • How to Take Part in Every Medical Decision

    Well-informed people who play a significant role in deciding how they're going to treat their health conditions are likely to feel better about the decision process.

  • Second Opinions for Cancer

    Whether you're facing major surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, a second opinion can help ensure you're getting the most targeted, effective treatment for your condition.

  • Understanding Long-Term Care

    When people of any age need others to help them with medical, physical or emotional needs over an extended period of time, they need long-term care.

  • Insulin Pump Use

    Insulin pumps are used most often by people with type 1 diabetes, but some people with type 2 diabetes use them, too.

  • Is My Asthma Medicine Working?

    To make sure that you are getting the most benefit from your asthma medicines, here are questions to ask yourself.

  • Common Questions About Corticosteroids in Asthma

    Here's where to find out more about these important asthma medications.

  • Heart Failure: Getting the Care You Need

    It's important to ask your provider questions during your visit to make sure you understand your condition and what your treatment involves.

  • Asthma Medications and Emotional Side Effects

    Although medications can successfully treat asthma symptoms, they may also have side effects that leave you feeling jittery.

  • Heart Disease: Managing Multiple Medications

    Whether you take prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicine or both, there are important guidelines to follow to get the most from them.

  • COPD: Understanding Pulmonary Rehabilitation

    Rehab is based on a team approach and combines exercise, emotional support and education. You and your providers work together to create a treatment plan just for you.

  • What Is Spinal Stenosis?

    Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal narrows and pinches the nerves, resulting in back and leg pain.

  • Make Sure You Understand Your Treatment

    For optimum health, you need to understand your health problem and your treatment plan, including how to take prescription medications.

  • Are You Frenetic About Genetics?

    Experts say you should pay close attention to what is, by far, the most useful genetic knowledge--your family medical history.

  • How to Be a Wise Health Care Consumer

    Here are common problems you may run into as a health care consumer, with tips for wise responses.

  • ADHD Drugs Safe, Experts Say

    Parents of kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a tough choice: whether to medicate their children or not.

  • How to Safely Choose OTC Medications

    Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and pain relievers, laxatives, and headache remedies may treat different conditions, but they all have one thing in common: They're serious medicines that need to be taken with care.

  • Medications to Treat ADHD in Children

    Children who have ADHD are often given medication as part of their treatment plan. The type of medication most often chosen is a psychostimulant.

  • Is Your Medication Working for You?

    Prescription drugs can enhance your life, but when not used correctly, they may have the opposite effect.

  • Medications that Can Treat Alzheimer's Disease

    Many people believe that Alzheimer's disease can't be treated. The truth is that medications are available that may help slow the progression of symptoms.

  • Using a Surgeon's Tools to Erase the Years

    It's called plastic surgery, but there's no plastic involved. In this case, "plastic" refers to the ability of the surgeon to reshape the skin, the face, or other body parts. With advances in technique and an aging population, plastic surgery is more popular than ever.

  • Use Your Medications Wisely

    Although most medications are safe when you take them the right way, some drugs can cause dizziness, loss of consciousness, bleeding, irregular heartbeats, and other side effects in some cases.

  • Dental Implants Can Last a Lifetime

    The basics of implant surgery haven't changed much in decades, but the materials dentists use have improved markedly.

  • Trouble Flossing? Help Is at Hand

    Are you one of those people who don't floss because you find it awkward to maneuver the floss between your teeth? If so, a number of products can help you get the job done.

  • Digital X-Rays Give Dentists the Big Picture

    Digital technology has spread to the dentist's office. Somewhere between 10 to 30 percent of dentists have forgone film, choosing instead digital X-rays that come with a number of advantages.

  • How to Tell if Your Child Needs Braces

    Orthodontic treatment most commonly begins between ages 9 and 14 because kids in this age range have at least some permanent teeth and are still growing.

  • Striking a Match: Ideal Doctor/Ideal Patient

    Your health is so central to who you are, so important to how well you function and enjoy life, your doctor can be one of your most valued life partners.

  • How to Control Surgical Costs

    Hospitalizations account for more than half of all health care costs, so avoiding surgery is one of the best ways to reduce your medical expenses.

  • New Rules for OTC Cold Relief

    You'll face new hassles as you sneeze and sniffle. You'll have to ask your pharmacist or a store worker for medications that include pseudoephedrine.

  • For More Babies, Birth Comes Too Soon

    One in eight U.S. babies is preterm, says the Institute of Medicine. That's a rise of 30 percent in recent decades.

  • What to Look for on OTC Drug Labels

    Always read the label. All OTC medicine labels have detailed usage and warning information to help you choose and use the products.

  • Safe Use of Alternative Remedies

    Using any herb, vitamin, or natural hormone without knowing what you're getting into--and without a health care provider's advice--carries a real risk of damaging your health.

  • MRSA Infections on the Rise

    Bacteria resistant to antibiotics are causing a growing number of infections, both in hospitals and in schools and other community settings.

  • For a Smile That Dazzles Think Veneers

    Veneers can fix a variety of problems--teeth too short, too far apart, misshapen, or damaged. But the most common reason for veneers is discoloration.

  • Make Your Dentist Your Partner

    One of the most important things you can do to ensure great oral health care is to develop a good relationship with your dentist.

  • Glossary of Dental Terms

    Dentists use a lot of terms to describe problems and procedures. Here is a look at some of them.

  • Could Medication Be Causing Weight Gain?

    The most common prescription medications to cause weight gain include drugs that treat depression, heartburn, bipolar disorder, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

  • Get the Facts About Elective Surgery

    Elective surgeries are operations done when there's no hurry. But just because these surgeries are optional doesn't mean they aren't serious.

  • Antibiotics Not the Cure for the Common Cold

    Most of the time, however, a cold passes in a week, with or without the use of antibiotics. Taking these drugs does not help you get better faster. In fact, it can create problems.

  • Using Antibiotics Safely and Wisely

    Antibiotics have been misused so much in recent years that doctors now face an alarming problem. Bacteria that once were easily controlled have become resistant to many antibiotics.

  • Making Sense of Medical Notes

    If you've ever tried to read a medical chart but couldn't understand the doctor's shorthand, these definitions can help.

  • How to Evaluate Your Health Care Providers

    To make sure you're getting high-quality care, ask yourself if your health care provider is meeting your needs in five areas.

  • 8 Ways to Avoid Common Self-Care Mistakes

    Treating common illnesses at home isn't complicated. Even so, doing it safely requires knowledge and a willingness to follow the rules.

  • Aspirin and Your Heart: Should You or Shouldn't You?

    Although aspirin is a common over-the-counter medication, it's not appropriate for everyone.

  • When You're Taking Heart Medications

    These medications are life-giving and powerful. It's important to take them just as your doctor has prescribed.

  • Controlling Mental Health Costs

    Mental health care can be expensive even for people with health insurance. Here are ideas on ways to save.

  • Stay Safe When You're In the Hospital

    Being active and involved in care decisions and taking extra precautions to avoid infection when in a hospital can help keep you and your family safe.

  • Health Newcomer: The Patient Advocate

    Patient advocates fulfill many roles, even, in some cases, staying with hospitalized patients around the clock to help guard against medical errors.

  • Why Should You Choose a Teaching Hospital?
  • Robots: Now Appearing in an Operating Room Near You
  • Genetics and Illness: What's Your Fate?

    Although inheriting certain genes might boost your chances of contracting a disease, it's rarely a sure thing. Often, your lifestyle and environment can join with disease-prone genes to make a potential disease a reality.

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Range of Treatment

    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be a frustrating condition to deal with because it doesn't have an easily identifiable cause. It's an autoimmune disorder, which means your immune system literally attacks your body--in this case, your joints.

  • For Parents: Treat at Home or Call the Doctor?

    For parents of a newborn, first-time parents, or any anxious mom or dad, it may be hard to tell a true health threat that needs a doctor's attention from a frightening, yet simple, illness that doesn't require medical treatment. Most sniffles, sneezes, and stomachaches don't need medical attention. But how do you know when it's time to call the doctor?

  • Coping with Hair Loss During Cancer Treatment

    Hair loss, known medically as alopecia, is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy, the drugs used to attack the cancer cells in your body. Hair loss can be difficult emotionally because of the way it alters your appearance.

  • End-of-Life Concerns for Cancer Patients

    How you choose to live out and prepare for the end of your life, are choices that you are able to make, to make this time as meaningful as possible.

  • Older Adults and the Common Cold

    Cold and flu season is hard on everyone, but for older adults who may have chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, it's especially challenging.

  • Over-the-Counter Medication Quiz

    Just because a drug is available without a prescription doesn't mean it's safe to take. Take this quiz and learn the ins and outs of OTC medicines.

  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG)

    Coronary artery bypass surgery is performed to treat a blockage or narrowing of one or more of the coronary arteries, thus restoring the blood supply to the heart muscle.

  • Medicine 2.0: How Technology Can Help Your Health

    Did you know that high-tech gadgets and networks can connect you with medical resources? Depending on your health needs, technology may be just what the doctor ordered.

  • How to Plan for Major Surgery

    Major surgery can be intimidating, but you'll feel more confident if you get all the information you need about your surgery beforehand. This will help you prepare for the procedure and for your recovery in the hospital or at home.

  • Planning for Same-Day Surgery

    Same-day surgery can take place at a hospital, surgical center or doctor's office. Because of advances in surgery and anesthesia, many surgeries that once required a hospital stay can be safely done as same-day surgery.

  • What to Know About Herbs and Surgery

    Experts recommend that all herbal supplements be stopped two to three weeks before surgery. That's because these herbs can have side effects that could make surgery more dangerous for you.

  • What to Know About Joint Replacement Surgery

    Many factors are used to determine the need for joint replacement surgery. Some of the factors that you and your doctor will consider are the extent and nature of the damage to the joint in question.

  • New Ways to Heal Broken Bones

    Advances in orthopedic technology are helping broken and fractured bones to heal quicker and more strongly than ever before.

  • Palliative Care: Bringing Comfort

    Palliative care focuses on improving a patient's quality of life by improving the symptoms of his or her illness, such as pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping. It's used with a variety of ailments, including cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure, or congestive heart failure.

  • What Is a Personal Health Record?

    A personal health record is a documentation of your medical history and care. Although health care providers routinely keep such medical records, you can create your own record, and records for other family members.