When it comes to the health and wellness of your family, you want to be proactive and informed. Hospitals and Medical offices understand that patients or family members are overwhelmed when medical emergencies strike. So to help you get all the information you need, they ask you to prepare a list of questions for your doctor. But the big questions are what do you need to know and where do you go to find information on your symptoms, ailments, or diagnoses?
Luckily, the internet has a wealth of information to help you become an informed patient. The following websites are loaded with useful information and while none of these sites are designed to take the place of the highly skilled and trained expertise of a medical professional, they will provide you with useful medical facts and possible peace of mind.
WebMD
Written by medical professional, the WebMD site gives you access to a large amount of information in short amount of time. You can search the site by entering keywords such as “colds and flu†or you can browse through the lists of topics available. The site offers “communities†you can follow for informational updates, discussion, and support.
The Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic website is accessible to patients and visitors. Through the website you can access an alphabetical listing of diseases, conditions, drugs, supplements, tests and procedures. When you visit the site, you will also find links to blogs written by medical experts and references material available through the Mayo Clinic’s bookstore.
Healthline.com
Healthline.com has been in operation since 1999 and provides consumers with information to self manage the status of their health and well being. At Healthline.com you can search for information on symptoms, treatments, and doctors in your area. The Healthline.com website also offers video explanations of topics such as alcoholism, vaccinations, and yoga.