Staying Healthy

Alternative Medicine

Acupuncture. From acupuncture to vitamins, there's a lot to learn about non-traditional forms of medicine that can enhance your health and well-being. Acupuncturists believe a blocking or imbalance of the flow of chi at any point on a pathway may result in illness. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe acupuncture unblocks and rebalances the flow of chi to restore health. read article

Naturopathic Medicine is based on the belief that the body can heal itself naturally. Naturopathic medicine attempts to improve health, prevent disease, and treat illness by promoting the use of organic foods and exercise; encouraging a healthy, balanced lifestyle; and applying concepts from other areas of complementary medicine. read article

Birth Control

Birth control, also called contraception, is any method used to prevent pregnancy. It allows you to choose whether or when to have a child. read article

Combination hormonal birth control methods like pills, skin patch, or vaginal ring, help to prevent pregnancy by preventing eggs from being released from the ovaries. read article

Children's Health

Helping Your Child Develop Healthy Self-Esteem. Although building self-esteem is a lifelong process, the foundation of self-esteem is established in childhood. That foundation can do much to help a child deal with difficult life issues as they are encountered. read article

Growth & Development, Ages 2-5 Years Children between the ages of 2 and 5 years make huge strides in their physical, social, language, emotional, and mental development. They gain confidence in their skills and become independent. read article

Disease Injury & Prevention

Skin Cancer, can be prevented. Protect your skin from the sun and you may decrease your chances of developing skin cancer and help prevent wrinkles. read article

Are You Depressed? This interactive tool calculates how many common symptoms of depression you have and suggests where you might fall on a scale from normal to depressed based on your answers. try the tool

Fitness

Fitness. It is very important to exercise regularly. If you aren't already active, your doctor may want you to begin an exercise program. Even if you can only do a small amount of exercise, it is better than not doing any exercise at all. read article

Are You at Risk for a Heart Attack? This interactive tool measures your chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. try the tool

Tool: How Many Calories Did You Burn? You don't always have to run a marathon to burn calories. See how even every day chores add up try the tool

Healthy Eating

Alternative Diet Programs. Most alternative diet programs center on the belief that you can improve your health by eating or avoiding certain foods. Most programs emphasize dietary changes plus lifestyle changes, such as routine exercise and stress reduction. read article

Dietary Guidelines for Americans To stay healthy, avoid disease and prevent weight gain, Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat dairy products. read article

Infant & Toddler Health

Healthy Eating for Children. Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods so that your child gets the nutrients he or she needs for normal growth. Your child can eat all types of food, as long as his or her weekly intake is balanced and varied. read article

Health & Safety, Birth to Two Years Children age two and younger are not yet able to understand and recognize many dangers that threaten their physical safety. Parents must take measures to keep babies and young children safe from everyday hazards both inside and outside of the home. read article

Men's Health

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which affect both men and women, are a worldwide public health concern. STDs can be spread by people who don't know they are infected. read article

Testicular Cancer Testicular cancer is a disease that occurs when abnormal cells in the testicles begin to grow in an uncontrolled manner. Although rare, testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men between the ages of 20 and 34. read article

Mind-Body Wellness

Mental Health Problems and Mind-Body Wellness Mental health problems are similar to other health problems: some can be prevented; others will go away on their own with home treatment; and some need professional attention. read article

How Well Do You Bounce Back? This tool measures your resiliency – your ability to bounce back from stressful situations. People who are resilient recover quickly from disruptive change, illness, or misfortune without being overwhelmed or acting in destructive ways. try the tool

Oral Care

CIGNA's Online Dental Toolkit for Parents and Children includes educational flyers and fun activities designed to help parents teach their children proper oral hygiene and encourage healthy habits. Topics include brushing techniques, dentist visits, caring for infant teeth, and healthy eating. view toolkit

Smile. Good oral health is easy when you know how to take care of your teeth and gums. Basic dental care involves brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, seeing your dentist and/or dental hygienist for regular checkups and cleanings, and eating a mouth-healthy diet. read article

Self-examination for Dental Plaque Dental plaque is a sticky, invisible film that sticks to all surfaces of the teeth. You can perform a self-examination for dental plaque by using a product that stains the plaque on your teeth, allowing you to see how thoroughly you are brushing and flossing your teeth. read article

Pregnancy

Home Pregnancy Tests Home pregnancy tests can detect the presence of a pregnancy hormone in a sample of urine. The home tests produce similar results to the pregnancy tests done on urine in most health professionals' offices if they are used exactly as instructed. read article

Managing Morning Sickness For many women, the toughest part of early pregnancy is morning sickness. By following a few proven guidelines, you are likely to gain significant relief from nausea and vomiting. read article

Senior Health

It's never too early or too late to take the path of healthy aging. No matter when you start, a healthy lifestyle improves your quality of life and may extend your lifespan. read article

Helping Older Adults Who are Grieving Older adults often have many major losses within a short period of time. For example, older adults who lose their spouses may suffer many losses, including financial security, their best friend, and their social contacts. Understanding their grief, may help you help them. read article

Stress

Stress Management. Some stress is normal and even useful. But if stress happens too often or lasts too long, it can have bad effects. The good news is that you can learn ways to manage stress. read article

Tool: What is Your Stress Level? Use this online tool to determine just how much stress is affecting your life. try the tool

Smoking Cessation

How Does Smoking Affect Your Life Span? Based on the number of cigarettes you smoked in the past or how many you will smoke in the future, this tool estimates how many years the damaging effects of smoking may take away from your life. try the tool

Are You Ready to Quit Smoking? Using the stages of change approach, this tool measures your readiness to quit smoking and will identify the stage you are in and help you think about what to do next. try the tool

Tool: What's Your Stress Level? Measure your stress level based on the number of life changes you have had recently. Your score indicates a rough estimate of your current stress level and the likelihood that you will have health problems due to stress in the next 12 to 18 months. try the tool

Teen Health

Asthma in Teens and Adults Asthma makes it difficult for you to breathe. This can happen only every now and then, or in more severe cases, every day. Asthma may also last throughout your life, but you can control it through treatment with medications. read article

Infectious Mononucleosis Mononucleosis, also called "mono," is a common viral illness that can leave you feeling tired and weak for weeks or months. Mono goes away on its own, but lots of rest and good self-care can help you feel better. read article

Weight Loss

CIGNA Health Steps to Weight Loss^SM Lose weight and improve your health. When you enroll in this program, you won't be starting a diet. Instead, this program helps you change your behaviors permanently. You'll learn healthier eating habits and how to incorporate exercise into your schedule – helping you to feel better, look better and improve your overall health. read article

Moderate Diets for Weight Loss. You can eat almost anything you want on moderate diet programs, just not as much as you want. Balance and calorie control are what's important — you don't eat too much of one thing or too little of another. read article

Tool: How Many Calories Did You Burn? The food you eat is measured in calories. The energy you expend every day is also measured in calories. You are using energy all the time, even at rest. This interactive tool measures how many calories are burned during many common activities. try the tool

Women's Health

Pap Test. During a Pap test, a small sample of cells from the surface of the cervix is examined for abnormalities that may indicate abnormal cell changes. It is important to have your first Pap test within 3 years of starting to have sex or by age 21. read article

Clinical Breast Examination A clinical breast examination is a physical examination of the breast done by a health professional. Clinical breast examinations are used along with mammograms to check women for breast cancer. Clinical breast examinations are also used to check for other breast problems. read article

Work Issues

Protecting Your Income When you can't work, your financial situation can become difficult very quickly. If you're like most people, you don't have a lot of savings to tide you over if your paycheck stops - and the bills keep coming. That's why you should consider how valuable disability insurance can be. more

Managing Job Stress Job stress comes in many different forms and affects your body in various ways. Usually it is the major sources of stress that lead to burnout, causing people to become unhappy and less productive. Job stress can affect your health and home life as well. read article

Office Ergonomics Ergonomics is the study of how your body interacts with your environment when you perform a task or activity. Office ergonomics focuses on arranging your work environment to fit your needs while you do your job. read article