Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This website explains chronic disease and their risk factors in a very easy-to-understand way. They have information on how to contact the CDC, as well as links to programs they’ve started that help prevent chronic disease. They also link to important government sites about vaccinations and prevention plans for different outbreaks and epidemics (like the H1N1 flu).
Health Topics – Chronic Diseases, from the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a branch of the United Nations. Their chronic disease website addresses global health issues and you can find information on virus prevention in foreign countries, how to travel without getting sick, etc. They even have sites that address chronic diseases in each region of the world where the World Health Organization is working. So, if you want to learn about chronic health problems in a certain area, you can go there and find specific information on the country you’re interested in.
Medical Guide to Diseases and Conditions, from the Mayo Clinic
This is a very helpful website outlining any disease or condition you could imagine – from dandruff to diabetes. It was written by doctors and defines the disease, and outlines its symptoms, causes, risk factors, complications, etc. It even tells you what to expect when you go to the doctor so that you feel prepared for any tests that may have to be done. It gives pharmaceutical suggestions as well as home remedies and alternative medicines and provides information on support groups, coping with your disease, and how to prevent it. It is a wonderful tool for anyone that has just completed their family health history and wants to know what they may soon experience and how to prevent it.
MyPyramid, from the United States Department of Agriculture
This website makes eating better an easy task! It outlines what a healthy diet should look like, and also allows you to look up foods and food groups, make a personalized eating plan, analyze your current diet, plan a healthy, balanced menu and exercise schedule, etc. It also has planning tools and tips for healthy toddler and kid diets, as well as specialized diets for pregnant and breast-feeding moms.
This website is full of amazing recipes and lots of great pictures. It has a section on healthy living, vegetarian recipes, quick and healthy recipes, 5-ingredient recipes, and many more. It’s especially helpful for busy moms that are looking fora way to feed their family quick, healthy meals on a small budget. It also has a link for those who want to buy the Cooking Light magazines and recipe books.
The American Heart Association
This website is a complete guide to heart health. It provides information for patients, caregivers, researchers, and doctors. It has pages on all different heart conditions, as well as strokes (which are most commonly caused by blood clots), gives heart-healthy recipes, has a CPR class locator, and talks about risk factors and warning signs of a heart attack. It also has videos and support groups to help patients understand what will happen to them after their initial diagnosis.
The American Diabetes Association
This website completely explains diabetes, its signs and symptoms, how to live with it, new treatments and research, healthy recipes, and even a guide on which diabetes products (pumps, meters, strips, etc.) will work best for you. It is very easy to understand website and is especially great for those who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes.
This website has information for patients, their families, survivors, caregivers, doctors, and volunteers. It has an information page for each type of cancer and also provides tips on how to stop smoking and lose weight. It’s also provides information on being a cancer advocate and what you can do to help change health policies. An especially important part of this website is the Support Program page. It links together cancer patients, families, survivors, and volunteers, so that they can help each other find hope, housing, transportation, products, and classes. It’s especially helpful for those who are traveling for treatment.
The National Cancer Institute, from the United States National Institutes of Health
This website is similar to the American Cancer Society, but is more science oriented. In addition to specific cancer type information, it also gives survival statistics, as well as information about drugs and treatment options, research and funding, and clinical trials that patients might want to be a part of. The Annual Report to the Nation on cancer can also be found on this page.
Many chronic diseases are partially caused by obesity. This website was created to educate people about obesity and give tips on preventing obesity and instead having a healthy lifestyle. There are pages on childhood obesity, disabilities and diseases caused by obesity, insurance information, weight-loss surgery stories, etc. It also has a section to help those who are obese deal with discrimination. It really shows the effects of obesity on the body and hopefully will be able to motivate its readers to have a healthy lifestyle and avoid obesity.
