Health Decision Guides

Sorry to hear that your head hurts.

Our Health Decision Guide on Headache is designed for the person experiencing a headache that is either new or different from prior headaches. However, anyone with persistent headaches may also find some helpful information in the guide.

There are many possible reasons why you have a headache. By answering a series of questions, you will learn about the cause or causes likely to be most relevant to you.

This guide is a learning tool and not a substitute for consultation with your own doctor.

Let's get started.

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Most headaches, even very severe ones, are not associated with a serious medical problem. But it is important to first identify a headache that needs immediate medical attention.

Sudden onset severe pain that is different from any type of headache that you have ever experienced before always requires medical evaluation.

Is this the worst headache of your life?

Yes, this is the worst headache ever.

No, this is not the worst one.

Welcome to our guide on hair loss in men.

Most men can expect some thinning or change in their hair pattern as they age. Usually hair loss is gradual, but sometimes it can occur in a sudden, dramatic, or otherwise abnormal way. This type of hair loss can sometimes signal an underlying condition or medical problem.

Hair loss may result in diffuse hair thinning or cause one or more areas of the scalp to become bald (the medical term for baldness is alopecia).

This guide is intended to help you figure out why you are losing hair and to point you in the right direction for evaluation and treatment. Please keep in mind that this information cannot replace a face-to-face evaluation with your own health care provider.

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Some types of hair loss can be caused by damage to the skin of the scalp.

With your hair loss, have you noticed any of the following changes of the skin on your scalp?

- Redness

- Flaking

- Irritation or itching

- Scarring

- Open sores

Yes, I am experiencing one or more of these skin changes.

No, the skin on my scalp is normal.

Welcome to our Health Decision Guide on frequent urination.

There can be many reasons why women may find themselves needing to urinate more often than usual.

By answering a short series of questions, you will gain a quick understanding of the likely causes of your urinary frequency.

Please keep in mind that this guide is a learning tool and not a substitute for consultation with your own doctor.

Let's get started.

There are two main reasons why you need to urinate frequently -- either your kidneys are making a lot of urine and your bladder fills up quickly, or you might have an urge to go to the bathroom often even though there is only a small amount in your bladder.

Do you have to urinate often but when you go, only a little comes out?

Yes, I urinate only a little each time.

No, I urinate a lot each time.

Everyone forgets things from time to time. It tends to happen more often as you get older, which can be worrisome. Normal memory loss, though, doesn't cause significant problems with your day-to-day functioning or your independence.

Through a series of questions and the answers you select, this guide will help determine if your forgetfulness is within the realm of the expected or if it is more problematic. It will also explore causes of memory loss and help identify any items that you might be able to change in order to improve your memory.

There are many things that can affect one's memory. Whatever path your answers take, we suggest following it to the end of the guide.

Let's get started.

It is normal to have some difficulty remembering names and summoning specific words as you get older. This may gradually worsen as you age, but it should not prevent you from getting around in your daily life. Normal memory loss does not affect a person's daily function. Abnormal or worrisome memory loss is different--it can affect daily function.

Other than forgetting people's names, words for things, and where you left your keys, is your memory generally okay?

Yes, my memory is generally okay.

No, I am more forgetful than this.

Welcome to this symptom guide about fever. Sorry to hear you have a fever!

This guide is intended for adults who have an abnormally elevated temperature. Although we think of normal body temperature as 98.6 degrees F, body temperature varies -- and so does the definition of fever. Since body temperature rarely climbs above 99.9 degrees without a reason, this guide will consider a fever to be present when the body temperature is 100.0 F (38 degrees C) or higher. While temperatures between 98.6 and 99.9 degrees might be high for you, minor elevations in temperature are less likely to be a true indication of illness and are often within the range of normal variation.

There are many causes of fever. This guide will cover some of the most common, but it is not exhaustive; rarer causes will not be covered.

This guide is not intended to replace a face-to-face meeting with your doctor about your symptoms. Many causes of fever require an in-person examination and testing to diagnose. However, this guide may be particularly helpful while awaiting a visit to your doctor or after your initial evaluation.

Okay. To begin, here's a two-part question:

1. Is your temperature greater than 104 degrees F?

2. Along with fever, do you have any of the following?

- Severe headache

- Shortness of breath

- Lethargy or confusion

- A rapidly spreading rash

- An inability to drink fluids

Yes, one or more of those is true for me.

No, none of those is true for me.

Good. That makes a serious or dangerous cause of fever less likely.

Along with fever, do you have a significant cough?

Yes, I do have a bad cough.

Nope, no cough.

Welcome to the Decision Guide for Jaundice.

Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes that results from accumulation of an intensely yellow natural substance, bilirubin. Bilirubin is contained inside red blood cells, and it is cleared out of the body in the digestive substance "bile," which drains from the liver and gallbladder. People who get jaundice usually also have dark yellow or brown urine from extra bilirubin.

If you have jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), this guide can help you to understand some of the most common causes that might explain your symptoms.

Jaundice needs to be evaluated by a doctor in every case, because it usually indicates a serious medical problem. You should contact your doctor so that you can arrange an urgent evaluation. If your healthcare provider is not able to see you today, he or she may recommend that you visit an emergency department for an immediate evaluation. This guide is intended only as an introduction to the topic of jaundice. It is not a substitute for a doctor's evaluation.

You will encounter a small number of survey questions about your medical history as you proceed through this program. Your answers to these questions will help us to personalize our information for you.

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Your recent activity and possible exposure to infections could be an important clue to the cause of your jaundice.

Have you traveled out of the country in the last several weeks?

Yes, I have recently traveled.

No, I have not traveled out of the country.

Welcome.

The two main reasons for blacking out are insufficient blood flow to the brain and abnormal electrical activity within the brain (a seizure).

While both of these sound scary, in reality most episodes of blacking out are not related to life threatening health problems.

This guide is designed to provide insight into why you passed out. It is not a diagnostic tool or a substitute for evaluation by a health professional.

The questions are ones your doctor is likely to ask you. Your answers provide a path to better understanding of the common reasons for losing consciousness.

Let's begin.

Certain situations demand emergency medical care.

Do any of the following apply to you?

- Chest pain or shortness of breath before or after you passed out

- Bloody or black stools

- Severe headache

- Recent blow to the head

- A heart condition

Yes, one of those applies to me.

No, none of those apply to me.

Sorry to hear you have a problem with your nail(s).

Please keep in mind that this guide is not intended to replace a face-to-face evaluation with your doctor. The goal of this guide is to provide information while awaiting evaluation with your doctor or additional information after you have seen him or her.

Nail problems may develop for a number of reasons -- skin inflammation, an ingrown nail, and psoriasis are among the most common, but an infection is among the most serious. Any problem in the nail that does not improve over time should be evaluated by your physician. There are rare causes that will not be included here and would require more detailed evaluation than this guide can provide.

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Certain symptoms suggest a serious cause of nail problems that requires prompt attention. It's important to ask questions about these symptoms first.

Do you have a painful fingernail or toenail that began after a significant injury?

Yes, my nail is painful and it began after an injury.

No, the problem did not begin after an injury.

Welcome to our Health Decision Guide for women who experience breast pain or discomfort.

By answering a short series of questions, you will learn about reasons for breast pain most relevant to you.

There are times that you can expect increased sensitivity, soreness, or tenderness in one or both breasts. Many women experience this just before or during menstrual periods. These symptoms can also occur with a normal pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Breast discomfort and sensitivity are often part of the pre-menstrual syndrome. Sometimes these pre-menstrual symptoms can be more bothersome around the time of menopause.

Painful breasts are most worrisome when accompanied by a breast lump or nipple discharge. The presence of a breast lump or nipple discharge is always a reason to contact your doctor, even if you don't have any pain.

To get the most from this guide, we recommend that you do a self-breast exam first. It will make it easier to answer some of the questions.

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Have you found a lump or lumps in one or both breasts during your breast self-exam?

Yes, I found a lump in one or both breasts.

No, I do not have any breast lumps.

Welcome to our Guide on Depression.

By answering a series of questions, you will learn about the different forms of depression and the significance of the symptoms you or a loved one may have.

While depression comes in many forms, two features will almost always be present -- change in mood and physical changes.

Change in mood: Depression always involves a noticeable change in mood. That can mean feeling low, blue, or sad, but sometimes depression appears as irritability or not being able to enjoy everyday activities.

Physical changes: People with mood disorders may also develop changes in appetite, sleep, or energy.

The purpose of this guide is to help you better understand what depression is. This guide is not designed or intended to make a diagnosis. But knowing more about the condition often makes it easier to talk with a doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing.

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Death by suicide is the most dreaded consequence of depression. Fortunately it is a rare event.

The overwhelming majority of depressed individuals do NOT commit suicide.

Thinking about suicide is a form of suffering in its own right, so mental health providers pay attention to it. They often ask questions about it in people who have symptoms of depression.

Relieving suffering from depression should reduce the risk of suicide.

The best approach to helping a person who is thinking about suicide is to treat the underlying problem or problems. But the first order of business is to make sure you stay alive to get that treatment.

Are you currently having thoughts about suicide and do you think you might act on them?

Yes, I am having thoughts about suicide.

No, I am not having thoughts about suicide.