Have you ever searched the net for medical information? Earlier this week I had a backache and was debating whether I should take any medication for it. I try not to take a pill every time I get a little ache or pain. Young folks may not know this, but when you get older, parts of your body can start acting up for no reason at all. I had some 800 MG tablets of Ibuprofen that my doctor had prescribed for me earlier this year for back pain. I remembered that I should eat before taking one but little else. Where’s a good place to get reliable medical information about Ibuprofen online? I didn’t remember all of the pharmacies instructions about taking  Ibuprofen, and I needed a refresher if I  was going to take it.

What are the best websites for finding reliable health information? I did a Google search for back pain and Ibuprofen, and it returned with thousands and thousands of sites. It came back with so much information; I was not sure what I could trust. It’s a well-known fact; you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Information about my health is an area where I want to make sure I’m getting reliable, trustworthy information. I also don’t want to get scared out of my wits after typing some symptoms into Google.

The best and most dependable healthcare and medical information websites on the internet are sites sponsored by the U.S. government, nonprofit health or medical organizations, and university medical centers. While sites put up by for-profit companies such as drug or insurance companies are usually not your best option. To find out who’s sponsoring a site and where the information came from, click on the “About Us” tab on the site’s homepage. Two exceptions to the rule are WebMD and Merck Manuals; I will talk about them last. Let’s get started, here they are…

5 excellent healthcare websites. 

1. Health Finder is a site run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. This site provides straightforward health information and tools to help you and the ones you love stay healthy. Notably, the site impressed me with how easy it was to use. Anyone who has taken the time to read this far should click the link to this site and use the My HealthFinder on the homepage to find out which preventive services they need this year.
2. The American Cancer Society has an exceptional site devoted to cancer. There’s a lot of information about cancer on the internet. If I had to choose only one place on the web to learn about cancer and it’s treatments this would be the site. Indeed, this website takes an incredibly complicated topic and breaks it down to where a patient or average person can understand it.
3. The American Diabetes Association If you have diabetes, know someone who does or want to know what you can do to prevent this malady; you have to visit this site. It’s very enlightening, and it lets you know that diabetes is treatable and tells you how to live with diabetes ( key word live). Take a look at this site; it even has delicious recipes for people with diabetes.
4. WebMD is a publicly traded (NASDAQ: WBMD) healthcare information website. It includes a symptom checklist, pharmacy information, drugs information and more. Advertising, third-party contributions, and sponsorships finance WebMD. I have used WebMD many times and will continue to use it. The site is nicely arranged, and it’s uncomplicated. WebMD’s operations are also accredited by the URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization that is a well-known leader in promoting healthcare quality through its accreditation programs for healthcare. Just to let you know, I am not affiliated with or being paid by any of the sites in this post.  
5. Merck Manuals is a site set up by the Merck & Co. an American pharmaceutical company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Their online health information website has an enormous amount of information. This site is amazingly useful. They have divided the site into two main manuals, a professional version for doctors and medical students and a consumer version for everyday people and patients like you and me. The site even has a veterinary manual info for pets. Just scroll to the bottom of one of the consumer edition’s pages and there it is to the right, a link to the veterinary version or you can use the link I’ve included in this post.  

The post title is 5 awesome medical information websites. I’ll add one more to the list. Some people may not have any medical coverage in light of that, I’m including a link to the Affordable Health Care Acts website, Healthcare.gov . Open Enrollment ended on January 31, 2016. But you may be able to get covered through the Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP. Sign up now to receive reminders before important enrollment deadlines and learn about your coverage options

Healthcare and medical information change all the time. Check the date that information was published to make sure it’s current. If you’re doing research online before seeing a doctor, print your findings out on paper. Be Sure to include the site you got your information from, so you can check it together. Always see your doctor for diagnosis, treatment, and advice on medical conditions. It never hurts to be well-informed. Further, more it’s a good idea to know the best questions to ask your doctor during a visit.

I found a lot of other great web sites for staying healthy and getting medical information while writing this post. I’ll have to write an update or a part 2 at some later date. I’m praying that everyone is in good health and Special Prayers for all of us who are in battles with sickness and disease. How about everyone out there in cyberspace doing the same; say a prayer for the sick. Believe me, sooner or later we will all need that same prayer, prayed for us. God be with you until we meet again!