Wittman: Plenty of Web sites for health-related queries; be selective
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My feet hurt.
I mean they really hurt, to the point that I can't wear my favorite shoes. My husband has urged me to go to the doctor to have it checked out, but I'm not a fan of taking trips to the doctor's office so I did what I generally do when I have a question - I went to the Internet.
Medical information - some solid, some suspect - abounds on the Web. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, of sites have information on virtually every conceivable medical condition. Most have bulletin boards where people can post questions as well as responses.
The trick is separating the wheat from the chaff. That's easier to do when you go to Web sites you know are reputable.
There are two go-to medical Web sites that offer sound information. The first is WebMD. This site is easy-to-use and offers so much information it can be overwhelming. WebMD.com also contains a lot of useful preventive care tips.
If you have an ailment, the Mayoclinic.com site may be able to help you diagnose the cause - or at least help you narrow down the field before you talk to your doctor. And since the information is coming from the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, you know it's accurate.
HealthAtoZ.com is another comprehensive health and medical resource site put together by medical professionals. Here you can find answers to common - and not so common - health-related questions. Plus, you can use its private online health record to store your vital medical info and even schedule e-mail reminders for prescription refills, recommended immunizations and regular check ups.
Straightfromthedoc.com, written by internal medicine specialist Dr. Kevin Pho, offers a doctor's view of the often confusing field of health care. He writes a lot about new drugs and recent medical studies.
If you ever wanted to know what it is like to be a nurse, Codeblog.com will give you a taste. You won't find medical advice here. What you will find is a fascinating snapshot of the day-to-day realities of being a medical professional.
Romi Carrell Wittman is a business writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative, with headquarters in Marana. She can be reached at r.wittman@cox.net.
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