Looking for Reliable Medical Information? Visit These Top Health Websites

It’s easy to find medical information online, but it can be difficult to separate the truth from misinformation. This is especially true with Covid-19 and its variants. Better Health Advisors carefully vetted these 10 consumer-friendly websites which provide reliable, accurate health information:

1. ‍Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Updates on recent disease outbreaks, health news, and guidelines for healthy living and emergency preparedness‍
2. American Diabetes Association: Tips and advice for managing diabetes and maintaining a healthy lifestyle‍
3. American Heart Association: Resources related to heart health, heart attack and stroke symptoms, and managing a heart condition‍
4. FamilyDoctor: Advice on staying healthy and family health, as well as navigating the healthcare system and managing the healthcare experience (handling insurance bills, booking appointments, keeping the right documents, etc.)‍
5. Harvard Health: Articles and information on common health conditions, diagnostic tests, and medical procedures
6. Health Grades: Platform for finding a doctor and reading about patient experiences with doctors, hospital quality, and patient satisfaction
7. Mayo Clinic: Encyclopedia of diseases and conditions, symptoms, medical tests and procedures, drugs and supplements, healthy living, and patient care‍
8. MD Anderson: Descriptions of cancer types, cancer treatments, and clinical trials
9. National Institutes of Health: Disease information, a health services locator, wellness toolkits, science education resources, and NIH-sponsored clinical trials‍
10. RxList: Straightforward descriptions of drugs and the conditions they treat, drug interactions, supplements, and a pill identifier tool ‍

Many people have questions about the omicron variant. As the new variant spreads in the United States, there is no reason to panic. As we wait for more details to emerge about omicron, here are some general rules to follow if you feel sick or have concerns about Covid-19 exposure:

1) Talk to your doctor about care and treatment.

2) If you aren't vaccinated, get vaccinated. Get your booster as soon as you're eligible.

3) Don't panic.

4) Protect the most vulnerable.

5) Continue taking protective measures (masking, distancing testing, etc).

6) Rely on trusted resources, including the ones listed above, for updates.

While vaccination, masks, distancing, ventilation, and testing help to reduce the spread of Covid-19, new medications are also being reviewed to treat those with Covid-19. Read more about the new treatments in this article from The Atlantic.

Getting vaccinated does the following:

1. Prevents you from getting seriously ill

2. Decreases your ability to transmit the virus to others 

3. Helps you protect others in your community who are at high risk of severe disease

4. Decreases the healthcare burden currently occurring at hospitals, so people with other illnesses can be treated

5. Helps prevent development of worse variants of the virus 

If you or someone you love is coping with a new diagnosis, struggling with a chronic health condition, or needs support maintaining their good health, reach out to an expert health advisor.