Consumer Health

Decisions about your health care are important—including decisions about whether or not to use complementary health approaches.

From the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Library of Medicine trusted health information for you. They include Health Topics, Drugs & Supplements, Genetics, Medical Tests, Medical Encyclopedia, Healthy Recipes, Videos & Tools.

Learn about your prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines. Includes side effects, dosage, special precautions, and more.

Find consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variation on human health.

Read about symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention for over 1000 diseases, illnesses, health conditions and wellness issues. MedlinePlus health topics are regularly reviewed, and links are updated daily.

Staying healthy can be a challenge, but simple lifestyle changes – like eating healthy meals and being physically active – can help a lot. Research shows that these changes can help you maintain a healthy body weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

The A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia includes over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries. It also contains an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations. For more information about A.D.A.M., see its content review board.

Learn about medical tests, including what the tests are used for, why a doctor may order a test, how a test will feel, and what the results may mean.

Medical tests can help detect a condition, determine a diagnosis, plan treatment, check to see if treatment is working, or monitor the condition over time. A doctor may order these tests as part of a routine checkup, to check for certain diseases and disorders, or to monitor your health.

Watch health videos on topics such as anatomy, body systems, and surgical procedures. Test your knowledge with interactive tutorials and games. Check your health with calculators and quizzes.

Merck Manual for Consumer information in plain text