Health Topics A-Z

Macular Degeneration

Damage to the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision.

Malaria Prevention

Avoiding mosquito bites and taking preventive medicine in malaria areas.

Male Fertility

The male contribution to conception, and what measurably affects it.

Male Pattern Hair Loss

Androgenetic alopecia, the gradual thinning driven by genetics and androgens.

Meal Planning

Deciding in advance what you will eat, and shopping and preparing to match.

Measles

A highly contagious viral illness that causes high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes and a spreading rash.

Medicaid Eligibility

The rules that decide who can get Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that covers people with limited income.

Medicare Advantage Plans

Medicare-approved plans from private companies, also called Part C, that replace Original Medicare as the way you get your Part A and Part B benefits.

Medicare and Medicaid Appeals

The formal process for asking Medicare, a Medicare plan or your state Medicaid program to review a decision to deny, stop or limit coverage.

Medicare Enrollment Periods

The fixed windows when you can sign up for Medicare or change your Medicare coverage.

Medicare Wellness Visits

The "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit and the yearly Annual Wellness Visit, which Medicare Part B covers to plan your preventive care.

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

FDA-approved medicines (methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone) used with counseling to treat opioid use disorder.

Medicines and Driving

The legal and practical rules on driving while taking medicines.

Medicines and the Kidneys

How common medicines affect kidney function, and which may need pausing when unwell.

Medicines in Older Age

How medicines behave differently with age, and why the list tends to grow.

Medigap Policies

Medicare Supplement Insurance sold by private companies to help pay costs that Original Medicare does not, such as copays, coinsurance and deductibles.

Memory Problems

Difficulty with recall, concentration or finding words, from many possible causes.

Men and Health Services

The pattern of men seeing a primary care provider less often, and getting checked later.

Men and Mental Health

How mental health problems commonly show up in men, and why they are missed.

Menopause

The point 12 months after the last period, preceded by a transition that commonly lasts years.

Menstrual Cycle Tracking

Recording cycle length, bleeding and symptoms to establish what is normal for you.

Mental Health and Long-Term Illness

The relationship between physical long-term conditions and mood.

Migraine

A neurological condition causing recurrent headaches with nausea or sensitivity to light and sound, sometimes with aura.

Mindfulness

Deliberately attending to present experience without trying to change or judge it.

Mold at Home

Fungi that grow on damp surfaces indoors, often after leaks, flooding or high humidity.

Mouth Cancer Awareness

Recognizing the changes in the mouth and throat that need to be checked.

Mouth Ulcers

Painful sores in the lining of the mouth, such as canker sores, usually harmless and self-limiting.

Napping

Short daytime sleep, and how its length and timing change whether it helps or hinders.

Neck Pain

Pain and stiffness in the neck, usually mechanical and self-limiting.

Neuropathic Pain

Pain caused by damage or disease affecting the nerves themselves.

No-Cost Preventive Care

Screenings, vaccines and checkups that most health plans must cover without a copay or coinsurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Noise at Work

Exposure to loud noise sufficient to cause permanent hearing damage.

Norovirus

A very contagious virus that causes sudden vomiting and diarrhea, often called the "stomach bug."

Nutrition in Later Life

Eating well as appetite, taste and circumstances change with age.

Occupational Asthma

Asthma caused or worsened by substances inhaled at work.

Occupational Health

Managing the effect of work on health, and of health on work.

Occupational Health Services

Services advising on the relationship between health and work.

Occupational Therapy

Help to do the everyday activities that illness or injury has made difficult.

Older Adults and Extreme Weather

Why older adults face higher risks in heat, cold and storms, and how families and neighbors can help.

Open and Special Enrollment

The set times when you can sign up for or change a health plan, either during the yearly open enrollment period or after a qualifying life event.