Health Topics A-Z

Supporting a Family Member With Addiction

Practical ways to help a loved one with a substance use problem while protecting your own health.

Supporting Someone Else

What actually helps when someone close to you is struggling with their mental health.

Surprise Medical Bills

Unexpected bills from out-of-network providers, and the federal No Surprises Act protections that limit many of them.

Suspected Heart Attack

Blockage of a coronary artery, cutting off blood supply to part of the heart.

Suspected Stroke

Interruption of the blood supply to the brain, from a clot or a bleed.

Swollen Ankles

Fluid building up in the lower legs and ankles.

Taking Medicines Correctly

Using prescription and over-the-counter medicines as intended.

Talk Therapy

Structured psychological treatments, also called psychotherapy, such as CBT, counseling and guided self-help.

Talking About Cancer

Communicating with someone who has a cancer diagnosis, and knowing what helps.

Talking to Clinicians About Pain

Communicating persistent pain in a way that leads to useful decisions.

Talking to Your Care Team

Getting the most from appointments when you see several services.

Teen Acne

Clogged pores, blackheads, whiteheads and pimples that become common in the teen years as hormones increase oil production.

Teen Driving Safety

The risks new teen drivers face and the steps families can take to reduce them.

Teen Mental Health and 988

Emotional well-being in the teen years, and how to get help, including through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Teen Sleep

The amount and timing of sleep teenagers need, which shifts later during puberty as the body clock changes.

Tendon Problems

Pain and dysfunction in a tendon, commonly the Achilles, rotator cuff or elbow tendons.

Testicular Self-Checks

Knowing what your testicles normally feel like, so that a change is noticeable.

Testosterone

The main male sex hormone, and what genuinely raises or lowers it.

The Body Clock

The roughly 24-hour internal rhythm that sets when you feel alert and when you feel sleepy.

The Childhood Schedule

The routine immunizations recommended through infancy, childhood and the teen years.

The Four Steps to Food Safety

The four core habits US food safety agencies promote at home: clean, separate, cook and chill.

The Sleep Environment

The temperature, light, noise and bedding conditions of the room you sleep in.

Thyroid Function Tests

Blood tests measuring TSH and thyroid hormones to assess thyroid activity.

Thyroid Lumps

Nodules or swelling in the thyroid gland, most of which are benign.

Tinnitus

Hearing sound that has no external source, commonly ringing or buzzing.

Tooth Decay

Destruction of tooth structure by acid produced when bacteria ferment sugars.

Toothbrushing

Mechanical removal of plaque with a fluoride toothpaste, twice a day.

Travel Insurance and Healthcare Abroad

Arranging coverage for medical treatment outside the US.

Travel Vaccinations

Immunizations recommended or required for travel to particular destinations.

Travelers' Diarrhea

Diarrhea picked up while traveling, usually from contaminated food or water.

Traveling with Medicines

Carrying prescription medicines abroad legally and safely.

Tuberculosis Basics

A bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs and can stay inactive in the body (latent TB infection) or cause illness (TB disease).

Type 2 Diabetes

A condition in which blood glucose runs persistently high because the body responds poorly to insulin and produces less of it over time.

Underactive Thyroid

Hypothyroidism: the thyroid producing too little hormone, slowing many body processes.

Understanding eGFR

An estimate of how much blood the kidneys filter per minute, calculated from a blood test.

Urinary Tract Infections

Infection of the bladder or urinary tract, far more common in women than men.

Using a Nurse Line or Urgent Care

The options between your regular doctor and the ER: after-hours lines, nurse advice lines, telehealth visits and urgent care centers.

Vaccination

Training the immune system to recognize a pathogen without having to survive the disease first.

Vaccination in Older Adults

The vaccines recommended for older adults, and for younger adults with certain conditions.

Vaccination in Pregnancy

The vaccines recommended during pregnancy to protect both parent and baby.