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 hyperthyroidism? Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, happens when your thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. Your ...
What is hypothyroidism? Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, happens when your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormones to meet your body's ...
Food provides the energy and nutrients that babies need to be healthy. For a
baby, breast milk is best. It has all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Infant ...
What are infectious diseases? Germs, or microbes, are found everywhere - in the air, soil, and water. There are also germs on your skin and in your body. ...
Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest foods with lactose in them. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and foods made with milk. After eating foods ...
Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is Hodgkin disease. The rest are called ...
Metabolism is the process your body uses to make energy from the food you eat. Food is made up of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Chemicals in your digestive ...
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a type of movement disorder. It happens when nerve cells in the brain don't produce enough of a brain chemical called dopamine. Sometimes ...
What are peripheral nerves? Nerves are like wires that carry messages back and forth between your brain and your body. Your peripheral nerves branch off ...
Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes itchy or sore patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales. You usually get the patches on your elbows, knees, scalp, ...
Radiation is a type of energy. People are exposed to small amounts of radiation every day from sources such as sunlight. A radiation emergency would involve larger ...
What is radiation? Radiation is energy. It travels in the form of energy waves or high-speed particles. Radiation can occur naturally or be man-made. ...
Table salt is a combination of two minerals - sodium and chloride Your body needs some sodium to work properly. It helps with the function of nerves and muscles. ...
Many disorders can affect our ability to speak and communicate. They range from saying sounds incorrectly to being completely unable to speak or understand ...
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a stroke that lasts only a few minutes. It happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly blocked. Symptoms ...
What is a tremor? A tremor is a neurological condition that includes shaking or trembling movements in one or more parts of your body. It most often affects ...
What are viruses? Viruses are very tiny germs. They are made of genetic material (either DNA or RNA) inside of a protein coating. There are a huge number ...