Yet with the wealth of information online, it may be cumbersome figuring out where to start. Listed below are some of the top sites for staying abreast of the most up-to-date health news and scientific innovations.
Sites to keep in your Favorites file:
This consumer health site is part of the WebMD network as a spin off of eMedicine.com, which provides peer reviewed clinical articles for physicians and healthcare professionals. Current medical information is available under 80 different centers, including Health and Medical, First Aid and Emergencies, and Lifestyle and Wellness.
Articles on the latest trends in health and medicine are written by physicians for consumers. Utilize site tools like the medical dictionary and symptom checker to learn more about a condition and treatments. With photo slideshows, users can identify important signs and symptoms on a wide range of illnesses and trauma.
HealthScout.com is a reliable source for the very latest in healthcare research and news coming down the pike. As part of the comprehensive HealthScout Network, HealthScout is a leading provider of personalized health management tools including health alerts, newsletters, and specialty sections like latest recalls, mini-checkups, and family health pages.
Numerous conditions have their own forums, from acid reflux to sleep disorders. To stay on top of current news by topic, sign up for a specialized newsletter.
This site provides consumers with information and services from the world's first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group medical practice. Users can take advantage of health information provided directly from the expertise of Mayo’s 3,400 physicians and scientists. The various tools such as slide shows and videos helps consumers learn how to access medical services, stay up-to-date on the latest research news and manage their conditions. No subject in healthcare is ignored, from conditions to drugs, and healthy living advice to a special “Ask a Specialist” section.
Sign up for a newsletter and keep a calendar of their blogcasts and podcasts.
This site is a wide-ranging database of health information specifically designed for women and other caregivers – or as the site calls it, the family’s Chief Medical Officer. RevolutionHealth.com is a user friendly site offering current news and health tips through articles on a variety of topics, and they offer more than 125 online tools aimed at helping individuals take an active role in their well-being.
The Web site is also partnered with more than 50 companies, nonprofits and experts to support this consumer direct program. Businesses and individuals can become members to receive direct assistance with scheduling appointments, health insurance claims and much more.
The best way to be fully informed on medical studies and healthcare research is to visit some of the most trusted sources in health news: the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Healthfinder.gov.
These three sites detail a robust variety of medical protocols ongoing across the United States. They also provide data and statistics and informative articles on numerous diseases, biological processes and mental and physical disorders.
NIH.gov has the latest in research into the causes, diagnosis, prevention and cure of human diseases, which is financially supported by this federal entity. It also covers the processes of human growth and development, environmental contaminants, understanding of mental disorders and addictions and a vast array of medical libraries, including continuing research in medical centers and universities throughout the U.S.
CDC.gov is the CDC’s primary online communication, with about 41 million page views per month. Whether it’s for personal use, a school report or data aggregations, this site provides the most current data and statistics on diseases and conditions, emergencies and disasters, environmental health and healthy living – along with news on research and government health policies. Stay informed on the latest in vaccinations, disease prevention and burgeoning treatments.
Healthfinder.gov is a great place to streamline the process of searching for information from those bigger databases. More consumer friendly, topics can be found A to Z and it provides a section called myhealthfinder where users can receive advice on their own or a family member’s medical condition. Sign up for regular newsletters to get the latest health updates.
One more helpful site to stay informed on health, medicine and scientific news is ScienceDaily.com. As one of the leading online magazines dedicated to science, technology and medicine, ScienceDaily brings users breaking news about the latest discoveries and hottest research innovations, as they put it, from astrophysics to zoology.
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NATURALLY SAFE COLD REMEDY CHALLENGES EFFECTIVENESS OF
OVER-THE-COUNTER COLD MEDICATIONS
--U.S. Families Spend Over $3 Billion Each Year on OTC Cold Remedies--
NEW YORK, NY (November 11, 2008) – America is about to be hit with runny noses, sore throats and coughs, but recently a new, naturally safe solution has been introduced in the U.S. that is clinically proven to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of the common cold.
Zucol, a naturally-safe cold remedy produced by German pharmaceutical company, Schwabe, uses as its active ingredient an extract of pelargonium sidoides, which is one of the most researched plant-based pharmaceutical ingredients. Grown in South Africa, pelargonium has been used for generations as a remedy throughout Europe and Africa. The benefits of pelargonium have been featured in several U.S. medical journals including the American Family Physician and The Journal of Family Practice.
“For hundreds of years African Zulu tribes have used pelargonium sidoides preparations to treat coughs and upper respiratory symptoms, and it is the top-selling active ingredient for upper respiratory tract infections sold in Germany and most of Europe. It was only a matter of time that Zucol would arrive in the United States,” said David Gumner, Vice President Mass Market at Nature’s Way, Schwabe’s U.S. subsidiary. “Extensive clinical research has proven the safety and efficacy of pelargonium, which justifies its use to reduce the need for typical OTC medications that merely mask symptoms of the common cold.”
Zucol is produced according to exacting FDA-drug standards and is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of colds and upper respiratory tract infections related to the common cold.
Taken at the earliest signs of a cold, Zucol has been proven to end cold symptoms sooner and reduce the likelihood of secondary infections. The natural active ingredient in Zucol has been the subject of 18 published clinical studies involving over 2,500 patients. These studies concluded that cold sufferers were able to return to their normal routines a full two days faster than those who simply treated their symptoms with OTC medications. Pelargonium sidoides halted the development of symptoms related to the common cold and patients felt better faster without experiencing the worst cold symptoms.
Despite the benefits of Zucol, American families will still spend more than $3 billion annually on cold remedies, and will miss approximately 22 million school days, according to Information Resources, Inc. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respectively.
“Zucol is powerful medicine to fight colds, and this plant-based extract has been studied extensively and found to be safe for children. In Germany, it is prescribed to adults of all ages and children beginning at two years of age - though we recommend that when used for children younger than six, you consult your family doctor,” said Dr. David Riley, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, University of New Mexico Medical School and Founder of the Integrative Medicine Institute. “With all of the recent warnings from the FDA about conventional cough and cold medications in children, it seems prudent to use a safe and effective alternative.”
Unlike competing zinc-based products, Zucol is a gentle, quick-dissolve lozenge, which should be taken three-times-a-day for six full days. The product will not irritate membranes, upset the stomach or leave a lingering unpleasant taste in the mouth. And with no known drug interactions, Zucol helps eliminate unnecessary worry when taken with other remedies or medicines. Like any medication, Zucol is only effective if used as directed.
Zucol will be available nationwide in January at Walgreens and is currently available in all Rite Aid, Duane Reade, Meijer Stores, and regional drug stores and pharmacies across the US.
About Schwabe Pharmaceuticals
Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, based in Karlsruhe Germany, is a leading phyto-pharmaceutical company and purveyor of leading OTC medicines in Germany and worldwide. Schwabe leads in the research, development and commercialization of the most effective plant-based remedies. As a vertically integrated pharmaceutical company, Schwabe carefully controls the manufacturing process from growing and harvesting the plants to the production and finished goods. Schwabe products are sold in over 60 countries worldwide
About Nature’s Way
Nature’s Way was founded in 1968 and has improved the lives of millions of consumers by bringing the healing power of nature through herbal formulations. Nature’s Way is headquartered in Springville, Utah and its products are sold throughout the US.
For more information on Zucol, please log onto Zucol.com.
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Thanks for the great article and resources. It really is hard sometimes to navigate through the numerous ones online. One thing, though, that I feel like you are missing is health sites that focus on more natural medicine. These are all focused on traditional Western practice. I suffer from sleep apnea, and I've found as I've read my bible, sleep comes much easier. ( http://surrenderedsleep.com )
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