Search Health Information Topics Online

Reliable health information available on this website will help you understand health issues that matter to you, your family and your community. Type the topic or title that you'd like to lookup and then click Search.

Diabetes – Oral Medicines for Diabetes

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Oral diabetes medicines are medicines that you take by mouth to help control your blood sugar level. They are designed to help people whose bodies still produce some insulin, but not enough…

View Health Topic

Diabetes and Exercise

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Exercise can make a real difference for people who have diabetes. Exercise can help control your weight and lower your blood sugar level. It also lowers your risk of heart disease, a…

View Health Topic

Diabetes and Heart Disease

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. People who have diabetes are more likely to get heart disease. When you have diabetes, your blood sugar level is often much higher than it should be. Too much sugar in the…

View Health Topic

Diabetes and Nutrition

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. People who have diabetes have too much sugar in their blood. Managing diabetes means managing your blood sugar level. What you eat is closely connected to the amount of sugar in your…

View Health Topic

Diabetes Insipidus

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is diabetes insipidus? Despite the name, diabetes insipidus is not related to type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Diabetes insipidus is a hormone disorder that occurs when the body doesn’t…

View Health Topic

Diabetes: Helping a Family Member Who Has Diabetes

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. It isn’t easy for people to hear that they have diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that cannot be cured. It has to be taken care of every day. People who have diabetes…

View Health Topic

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is diabetic ketoacidosis? Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, happens when your blood sugar is higher than normal and your insulin level is lower than normal. This imbalance in the body causes…

View Health Topic

Diabetic Nephropathy

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is diabetic nephropathy? Diabetes can affect many parts of the body, including the kidneys. In healthy kidneys, many tiny blood vessels filter waste products from your body. The blood vessels…

View Health Topic

Diabetic Neuropathy

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is diabetic neuropathy? Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that happens in people who have diabetes. This damage makes it hard for their nerves to carry messages to…

View Health Topic

Diabetic Neuropathy – What is a Total Contact Cast?

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. What is a total contact cast? A total contact cast is a cast used to treat ulcers (serious, deep sores) on a person’s foot. It consists of a fiberglass or plaster shell…

View Health Topic

Diabetic Retinopathy

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is diabetic retinopathy? Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that affects people who have diabetes. It affects your retina. The retina is the part of your eye that is sensitive…

View Health Topic

Diaper Rash

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is diaper rash? Diaper rash is redness and rash on a baby’s bottom or genital area. Diaper rash can be caused by wet diapers that are not changed quickly enough….

View Health Topic

Dietary Fats – What’s Good and What’s Bad

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Certain fats should be part of your healthy diet. They can lower your risk of disease. But you should make sure that you’re eating “good” fats instead of “bad” fats. Your body…

View Health Topic

Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. OVERVIEW What is dysphagia? Dysphagia means difficulty swallowing. People who have dysphagia have trouble swallowing solid foods, liquids, or saliva. They may not be able to swallow at all. Dysphagia can make…

View Health Topic

Digoxin – A Medicine for Heart Problems

If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Digoxin is a medicine used to treat certain heart problems like heart failure. Heart failure results when the heart can’t pump blood well enough to supply the body’s needs. If you have…

View Health Topic