Everything’s online these days, so why shouldn’t you take advantage of the free health resources you can access? The trick is finding credible sources that give you good information, and, of course, the Web can never take the place of sitting down face-to-face with your doctor.
But there are sites that provide good information on prevention of diseases and medical conditions, as well as how to cope with being ill. Following are five sites recommended by Truckers News for help with maintaining or improving your health.
The American Heart Association site is a gold mine of tools and resources for heart health and weight loss. The site offers tools like the Start! Walking Guide, which allows participants to keep track of their daily exercise and goals; the What’s Your Risk section, where you can enter information to get an estimate of your risk for certain conditions like diabetes; and the Heart360 Online Health Tracker, which lets you keep up with your vital stats. The site also includes a number of heart-healthy recipes and exercises.
This site provides information about dealing with diabetes and also how to lower your risk. Currently on the site, you’ll find a 2010 consumer’s guide to diabetes-related products, in addition to regular articles on recipes, fitness and diabetes-related topics.
American Sleep Apnea Association
The website for the American Sleep Apnea Association provides information for those who have sleep apnea and also a diagnostic tool that gives you an idea of whether you might have the disorder. The site features a directory of sleep apnea-related products and services, as well as a forum and links to additional resources.
The Mayo Clinic is one of the most trusted health centers in the United States, and its site provides a large directory of diseases and conditions and their symptoms. You will also find a section devoted to questions frequently asked about common medical tests and procedures. The site has a section devoted to healthy living, as well.
The government’s health site is your best source for information about health issues of national concern, such as the recent H1N1 influenza outbreak. The site also links to other government sites that offer information for your health, like NIH Senior Health and smokefree.gov.