Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Safety and Injury Prevention

  • If you have seizures that alter your awareness, consciousness, or muscle control, you may not have the legal right to drive. Laws vary from state to state, but in many cases you have to be seizure-free for at least 6 months to 1 year before you can...

  • Whether a person with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia should still be allowed to drive is a common dilemma faced by people who have the disease and by their caregivers. Taking away driving privileges may reduce the person's sense of independence and increase dependence on family and friends. But it is extremely...

  • Are there driving restrictions for people with heart rhythm problems? If you have an arrhythmia or an ICD that makes it dangerous for you to drive, your doctor might suggest that you stop driving, at least for a short time. If you have an arrhythmia that doesn't cause significant symptoms, you don't have to stop or...

  • After a stroke, problems with your vision, speech, or ability to move can change your ability to drive safely. So you'll need to get approval to drive again. This may be hard to accept. You may feel that this is a big loss of independence. But this approval is for the safety of yourself and others. Talk with your...

  • Guides through decision to stop driving because of age. Discusses how aging affects the ability to drive and when it is time to stop driving. Offers other transportation options. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.

  • Learn how to fix some common tripping hazards around your home.

  • Every year, thousands of older adults fall and hurt themselves. Falls are one of the main causes of injury and disability in people age 65 and older. Those who fall once are 2 to 3 times more likely to fall again. Hip fractures are especially serious, and most of them are caused by falling. Falls are often caused by...

  • As people age, they lose muscle strength, which can make them more likely to fall. Also, their reflexes slow down. This makes it harder for them to regain their balance if they start to fall. Learn some strength and balance exercises, and take the time to do them each day. This can help you stay active and...

  • Learn how to use lighting and contrast to make your home safer.

  • During a hospital stay, you may have a higher-than-normal risk of falling. You might get medicines that make you dizzy and more likely to fall. You may get weak and confused because of illness, surgery, or treatments, and you may have a hard time...

  • Learn what causes most falls and what you can do to stay safe.

  • Learn how getting an eye exam may help you stay safe and independent.

  • Learn how to do a simple exercise to strengthen your core and prevent falls.

  • Learn how some medicines can make you dizzy or drowsy and how you can stay safe.

  • Learn how to do two exercises to improve your strength and balance.

  • Learn to spot hazards in your home by using a home safety checklist.

  • What does "high-risk" mean? High-risk means that a medicine can cause serious health problems or accidents. High-risk doesn't always mean "do not use." It can mean "use with care" when a medicine is more likely to help you than harm you. If you take a medicine that may make you feel confused, drowsy, or dizzy...

  • Learn how to prevent falls by taking care of yourself, preparing your home, and following a few safety tips.

  • You can help protect the person in your care by making the home safe. Pad sharp corners on furniture and countertops. Keep objects that are often used within easy reach. Install handrails around the toilet and in the shower. Use a tub mat to prevent slipping. Use a shower chair or bath bench when...

  • There are many things you can do to make living with low vision easier and safer. Low-vision rehabilitation specialists can give you detailed information and training on doing your household tasks and other activities that can be more challenging...

  • Tips for older adults and people who have had a stroke or have multiple sclerosis or osteoporosis to help prevent falls and injuries. Covers taking care of your health and making changes in your home. Covers preventing falls in the bathroom and outdoors.

  • Covers making your home fall-proof to prevent injuries. Looks at common hazards like clutter and throw rugs. Discusses simple changes you can make in your home and the way you do some activities to reduce risk of falling.

  • Learn how to fix some common tripping hazards around your home.

  • Learn how to use lighting and contrast to make your home safer.

  • There are many things you can do to make living with low vision easier and safer. Low-vision rehabilitation specialists can give you detailed information and training on doing your household tasks and other activities that can be more challenging...

  • You don't see as well as you used to. Eye problems such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts, or diabetic retinopathy may be making it hard to work and manage many of your daily activities. But don't give up. There are lots of things you can do to adapt to low vision and make your life easier...

  • Covers making your home fall-proof to prevent injuries. Looks at common hazards like clutter and throw rugs. Discusses simple changes you can make in your home and the way you do some activities to reduce risk of falling.

  • When people use a tanning bed or booth or a sunlamp to get a tan, it's called indoor tanning. Indoor tanning uses artificial ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light, rather than sunlight, to tan the skin. People may feel that a tan makes...

  • You can lower your chance of being bitten by an insect or spiderlike animal (arachnid) by using insect repellents. Mosquitoes, biting flies, and ticks can cause annoying bites and sometimes a serious disease. Mosquito bites can spread infections such as West Nile virus, a virus that causes swelling of the brain (...

  • If you've had surgery on your back or belly, an injury to your trunk, or pain in your back, then you know that bending and twisting can cause more pain or injury. Movements that would normally be easy and automatic may be hard or unsafe until you...

  • Learn easy ways to protect your back when you get in and out of bed and while you sleep.

  • Keep pets in good health All pets, whether they are kept indoors or outside, should be in good health, show no evidence of disease, and be friendly toward children. The following suggestions benefit your pets and may also help protect young children from both illness and injury: Immunize cats and dogs, and...

  • Learn how to check your skin for possible signs of skin cancer.

  • Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a group or population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower the number of deaths caused by cancer. To prevent new cancers from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective...

  • Excessive exposure to the sun and its ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause skin cancer. You can reduce your risk for skin cancer by: Protecting your skin, and that of your family members, from UV radiation. Performing frequent skin self-examinations. Finding out whether you have an increased risk for melanoma and other...

  • The following warning signs may be present in adults who have a high risk for suicide: Depression or other mental health condition, such as severe anxiety, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), or schizophrenia Depression followed by sudden cheerfulness and contentment, which may mean the...

  • Suicide rates increase with age and are highest among white men age 65 and older. Divorced and widowed men in this age group have the highest suicide rates, and their most common method of suicide is firearms. The following warning signs may be present in older adults who have a high risk for suicide...

  • You may be depressed if you have at least five of these symptoms for 2 weeks or longer, and one of the symptoms is either sadness or loss of interest. You feel sad or hopeless. You lose interest in or stop getting pleasure from most daily activities. You lose or gain a lot of weight because of changes in how hungry...

  • Children who are depressed may have the same symptoms as adults. But adults may believe that these symptoms are normal in children. Some signs that may alert adults that children are depressed include: Being irritable and crying for no reason you...

  • Take any mention of suicide seriously. If someone you know is threatening suicide, get help right away. Health professionals should try to find out whether the person: Has the means (weapons or medicines) available to do self-harm or to harm another person. Has set a time and place to attempt suicide...

  • Common warning signs for suicide include: Making suicidal statements. Being preoccupied with death in conversation, writing, or drawing. Giving away belongings. Withdrawing from friends and family. Having aggressive or hostile behavior. It is extremely important that you take all...

  • When people use a tanning bed or booth or a sunlamp to get a tan, it's called indoor tanning. Indoor tanning uses artificial ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light, rather than sunlight, to tan the skin. People may feel that a tan makes...

  • Questions on safety standards If you are thinking about having a tattoo or body piercing, go to a reputable studio. Look for or ask about the following: Is it clean? The entire shop, including the bathroom, should be clean. What type of sterilization procedures does the shop follow? Is there a...

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