MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world's largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It was built as an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends.
MedlinePlus presents high-quality, easy to understand, relevant health and wellness information that is trusted.
What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from foods you eat. The cells ...
What is the prostate? The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system. It lies just below the bladder. It makes fluid that is part of semen.What ...
What is sleep? While you are sleeping, you are unconscious, but your brain and body functions are still active. Sleep is a complex biological process ...
What are heart valve diseases? Heart valve disease happens when one or more of your heart valves don't work well. Your heart has four valves: the tricuspid, ...
What is blood glucose? Blood glucose, or blood sugar, is the main sugar found in your blood. It is your body's primary source of energy. It comes from ...
... of the mitral valve become floppy and don't close tightly. In some cases, blood may leak ...
... Taking antibiotics when they're not needed won't help you, and they can have side effects. ... treatment for you when you're sick. Don't ask your provider to prescribe an antibiotic for ...
... or runny nose, sneezing, and coughing. You don't usually need to treat a cold or the cough that it causes. You can't cure a cold, and antibiotics won't help ...
... These defects happen when a baby's heart doesn't develop normally during pregnancy. Congenital heart defects are ... What causes congenital heart defects? Researchers often don't know what causes congenital heart defects. They do ...
... energy. For people with diabetes, your body doesn't make enough insulin, can't use it as well as it should, or ...
... a type of white blood cell, called a T cell or B cell, becomes abnormal. The cell ... the body. Most of the time, doctors don't know why a person gets non-Hodgkin lymphoma. ...
... human papillomavirus) Pubic lice Syphilis Trichomoniasis STIs don't always cause symptoms. So it is possible to ... getting tested before having sex. If you can't talk about STIs, you aren't ready to ...
... antibiotics when you really need them. They won't work on viral infections such as colds and the flu. And you don't need antibiotics for every bacterial infection. For example, ...
... is serious.What causes prostate cancer? Researchers don't know for sure what causes prostate cancer. They ... the symptoms of prostate cancer? Prostate cancer doesn't always cause symptoms, especially at first. If it ...
... TB germs live in your body but don't make you sick. TB disease (active TB) where ... who have TB germs in their bodies don't get sick with TB disease. Instead, they have ...
... the site's "About Us" page. If you can't find information about who runs the website, the ... health information high quality? Good health information doesn't promote one treatment over another. It gives you ...
Children aren't just small adults. It is especially important to remember this when giving medicines to children. Giving a child ... side effects in your child The medicine doesn't appear to be working when you expect it ...
... the sexual activity happens even though you don't agree to it. Sexual assault may happen with: ... say what you want to do and don't want to do. Are not underage. Are not ...
... During a heart attack, the heart usually doesn't suddenly stop beating. With an SCA, the heart ... where the ventricles (the heart's lower chambers) don't beat normally. Instead, they beat very fast and ...
Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare, inherited disease. It affects the nervous system, immune system, and other body systems. Symptoms appear in ... Delayed physical and sexual development People with A-T have an increased risk of developing diabetes and ...
