Health Decision Guides

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.

Click here to begin.

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.

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.

Click here to begin.

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.

Sorry to hear you have hand pain.

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

Hand pain may develop for a number of reasons -- fracture and infection are among the most serious while sprains and strains are among the most common. There are rare causes of symptoms that will not be included here and would require more detailed evaluation than this guide can provide.

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

Did your pain start following significant injury, such as a fall or an auto accident?

Yes, my pain began after a significant injury.

No, my pain did not begin after a significant injury

Good. That makes a fracture or serious ligament injury much less likely. Next are some questions that could help determine whether an infection or joint inflammation might be present.

Can you see swelling and/or redness in either (or both) of your hands?

Yes, I do have swelling and/or redness in my hand(s).

No, I do not have swelling or redness in my hand(s).

Headaches are very common in children. Most of the time, they are not serious and should respond to simple treatments.

If your child is having headaches, this decision guide will help you sort out the possible causes and treatments.

Please remember that this decision guide in no way replaces a call or visit to the doctor.

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Does your child have any of the following symptoms?

- A severe headache

- A high fever (102F or greater)

- Extreme sleepiness

- A stiff neck

- A rash that looks like dark-colored spots under the skin

- Trouble walking, talking, or seeing

Yes, my child has one or more of these symptoms.

No, my child does not have any of these symptoms.

Welcome to our Decision Health Guide on Hot Flashes.

This guide is designed for women who are experiencing hot flashes during menopause.

Hot flashes occur when estrogen hormone levels decrease. Hot flashes are felt by about 85% of women during the years immediately before and after menopause. They are uncomfortable, but they are not dangerous. By answering a short series of questions, you will learn about typical hot flashes and ways to help relieve them.

The information provided in our guide is intended to augment the advice from your own doctor. You should always contact you doctor's office if you think your symptoms are even a little atypical. You want to be sure that they are just hot flashes related to menopause.

Click here to review the symptoms of a typical "hot flash."

Hot flash symptoms are remarkably similar for different women. Hot flashes are more common at night. A hot flash begins all of a sudden, with a surprising sensation of heat on your face and upper chest. This feeling of heat quickly spreads to involve much more of your upper body. The sensation lasts between two and four minutes. It is caused by dilating blood vessels near to your skin surface.

Many hot flashes cause women to perspire heavily, even to the point of soaking your clothing. Because a hot flash causes you to lose heat from your skin surface, it drops your body temperature slightly. When the hot flash subsides, your body goes to work trying to restore your core temperature to normal. During this recovery time, you can experience shivering, chills, and occasionally heart palpitations (extra beats or a sensation that your heart is racing).

Hot flashes can interfere with your sleep. Because they can awaken you repeatedly at night, they can cause daytime fatigue. Hot flashes and loss of sleep can interfere with your ability to concentrate on tasks, and for some women hot flashes and loss of sleep can contribute to depression.

Fevers can cause flushing and shivering as well, so take your temperature to make sure you are dealing with hot flashes instead of a fever. A fever is never caused by a menopausal hot flash symptom. If you feel hot and your temperature taken by a thermometer is abnormally high, you are experiencing a fever, not a hot flash.

Having reviewed this description, do you think your hot flash symptoms are typical?

Yes, I am having typical hot flashes.

No, my symptoms are not typical for a hot flash.

Welcome to the symptom guide regarding imbalance or unsteady gait. We're sorry to hear you're having this problem.

This symptom guide is designed for persons who have noticed balance problems or unsteadiness while walking.

Please keep in mind that this guide cannot replace a face-to-face evaluation with a health professional. It is meant to provide helpful information while you are awaiting further evaluation, or to supplement what you may have already learned after medical evaluation.

In this guide, you'll be asked a series of questions that will guide you through some of the most common reasons for balance problems; however, it won't cover every cause.

So, if none of the conditions covered in this guide seem to apply to you, keep in mind that sometimes no cause is found. Or, you may have a rare cause of imbalance that's not covered here.

Let's get started.

The first questions are aimed at the possibility of a serious or dangerous cause of imbalance or unsteady gait.

Did your balance problems begin after a head injury?

Or did they develop along with any of the following?

- A severe headache

- Weakness on one side of the body

- Slurred speech

- Inability to walk

- Tremor

- Trouble swallowing

Yes, one or more of those is true.

No, none of those is true for me.

Mothers-to-be need their sleep. Unfortunately, many have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, especially during the first three months of pregnancy and the last three months.

This guide will take you through a series of questions and answers to help you identify what might be disturbing your sleep and how to improve your nightly slumber. It's best to continue through the entire guide, since there are often multiple reasons why you might not be getting the quality of sleep you desire.

Let's get started.

Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep during each 24-hour period. Women who are pregnant might require even more sleep than that. Most people sleep at night; for those who work the afternoon or night shift, though, sleep happens during the day.

It might seem obvious, but you need to set aside adequate time for sleep. Some women are so busy, or become so frustrated with lying in bed awake, that they don't give themselves enough time for sleep. If you aren't setting aside at least seven hours for sleep, then this would be your first step.

Are you giving yourself enough time to get the sleep you need?

Yes, I am.

No, probably not.

Welcome to the Decision Guide for Swallowing Difficulty.

Swallowing problems can be associated with pain, but that is not always the case. This interactive guide can help you to identify some of the causes that might explain your symptoms and to anticipate the recommendations that your doctor might make for your evaluation.

Swallowing problems need to be evaluated by a doctor because swallowing difficulty can arise from a serious medical problem. This guide is intended to be used as a complement to discussions with your doctor, not as a substitute for evaluation by your doctor.

You will encounter a small number of survey questions about your swallowing symptoms as you proceed through this program. Your answers to these questions will help us apply our information to your personal circumstances.

Let's get started.

Is your swallowing problem brand new (present for a day or less)?

Yes, my problem is brand new.

No, my problem has been present for longer.

Welcome to our Health Decision Guide for women who are concerned about excessive body and facial hair (called hirsutism).

By answering a short series of questions, you will learn about the most common reasons for hirsutism.

The guide is intended to provide information. It is not intended to make a specific diagnosis; nor is meant to replace a face-to-face evaluation with your doctor or other health care professional.

Click here to start.

Approximately 10% of American women believe that they have more body hair than they should.

There is great variation in hair pattern in different ethnic groups and in people from different parts of the world. Mediterranean women and those from the Near East and India tend to have more body hair, but this is completely normal for them. Asian American and Native American women tend to have less body hair, and that pattern is normal for them.

There is also variation between families that should be kept in mind in deciding whether hair growth is excessive.

Do you have more body hair than your female relatives?

Yes, I have more body hair than my female relatives.

No, I don't have more body hair than my female relatives.

Welcome to this symptom guide about tinnitus. We're sorry to hear you have this problem!

While tinnitus is often called ringing in the ears, that's just one way people with tinnitus describe the problem. Others describe hearing a hissing, whooshing, roaring, or buzzing sound, or experiencing a beating sensation in the ear. So, for the purposes of this guide, we'll stick with the more general term, tinnitus.

There are a number of causes of tinnitus. This guide will cover some of the most common, but it is not exhaustive; rarer causes will not be covered. In addition, tinnitus results from just about any cause of hearing loss. For example, excessive buildup of wax in the ears may cause hearing loss and tinnitus. However, this guide will focus on tinnitus rather than hearing loss.

By answering a short series of questions, you will learn about the more common reasons for tinnitus and the cause that most likely applies to you. This guide is not intended to replace a face-to-face meeting with your doctor about these symptoms. Many causes of tinnitus require an in-person examination and testing to diagnose.

Let's get started.

Have you had any significant injury or trauma to your head, neck, or ears recently?

Yes, I have had recent injury or trauma.

No, fortunately, I've had no injury or trauma recently.

Good!

Because certain causes of tinnitus are more likely in older people, the next question is about your age.

Are you over the age of 55?

Yes, I'm over the age of 55.

No, I'm 55 or younger.