Health Topics A-Z

Erectile Dysfunction

Ongoing difficulty getting or keeping an erection firm enough for sex.

Everyday Noise Exposure

Loud sound from everyday sources such as power tools, concerts, sporting events, firearms and personal listening devices.

Exercise in Later Life

Activity aimed at maintaining strength, balance and independence from around the sixties onward.

Exercise Motivation

The behavior side of training: starting, and still doing it in six months.

Exercise Recovery

The rest, sleep and nutrition between sessions during which training adaptations actually occur.

Exercise with a Long-Term Condition

Physical activity adapted to a condition rather than avoided because of it.

Exercise with Persistent Pain

Graded physical activity as a core treatment for chronic pain.

Eye Tests

A comprehensive eye exam, which checks your vision and screens for eye disease and signs of some general health conditions.

Fad Diets

Restrictive eating patterns marketed with rapid results and rules rather than principles.

Fall-Proofing Your Home

Simple changes to the home that lower the risk of falls for older adults and young children.

Falls Prevention

Reducing the risk of falling, particularly in adults 65 and older.

Fatigue in Long-Term Illness

Persistent tiredness that is part of a condition rather than a lack of sleep.

Fatty Liver Disease

Fat accumulating in liver cells, now most often called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Feet and Diabetes

Daily checking and protection of the feet in anyone with diabetes.

Feet and Exercise

Preventing the foot and ankle problems that come with increasing activity.

Fentanyl Risks

The dangers of illegally made fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid now found in many street drugs and fake pills.

Fertility Awareness

Understanding the fertile window, and when difficulty conceiving warrants assessment.

Fever

A raised body temperature, usually part of the immune response to infection.

Fever in Children

A raised temperature in a child, usually from a viral infection that clears on its own.

Fibromyalgia

Widespread pain with fatigue, disturbed sleep and cognitive difficulty.

Finding a Primary Care Doctor

Choosing a primary care provider — a family medicine, internal medicine or pediatric clinician — who becomes your regular starting point for care.

Finding Substance Use Treatment

How to find help for a drug or alcohol problem, from your doctor and the SAMHSA National Helpline to treatment programs.

Flare Management

Planning in advance for periods when persistent pain temporarily worsens.

Flood Water Safety

Staying safe during and after floods, including the risks of driving and walking through water and of contaminated water.

Flu Vaccination

An annual vaccine updated each year to match circulating influenza strains.

Flu Versus a Cold

How to tell influenza, a potentially serious viral illness, from a common cold caused by other respiratory viruses.

Fluid and Kidney Health

How much to drink for kidney health, and when more is not better.

Flying and Health

The health considerations of air travel, including blood clots, cabin pressure and infection.

Folic Acid Before and During Pregnancy

The synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin the body needs to make new cells, taken as a supplement or eaten in fortified foods.

Food Allergy

An immune reaction to a food protein, ranging from mild to life-threatening.

Food and Water Safety Abroad

Reducing the risk of stomach and gut infections from food and water while traveling.

Food Intolerance

A reproducible adverse reaction to a food that does not involve the immune system.

Food Labels

The Nutrition Facts label, ingredients list and allergen statement required on packaged food.

Food Recalls

Actions taken by a company, usually with the FDA or USDA, to remove food from sale because it may be contaminated, mislabeled or otherwise unsafe.

Foods to Avoid in Pregnancy

Foods and drinks that carry a higher risk of infection, mercury or other harm to a developing baby.

Foot Care in Later Life

Keeping feet comfortable and functional as reaching them gets harder.

Frailty

A state of reduced physical reserve in which a minor illness can cause a large decline.

Frostbite

Injury caused by freezing of the skin and the tissues under it, most often on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin.

Fruit and Vegetables

Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice forms of plant foods, counted in cup-equivalents on MyPlate.

Fungal Skin Infections

Infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm and nail fungus caused by dermatophytes.