Connect Community

Browse By Topic

Read more articles that interest you.

After a Hospital/ER Visit Continue Your Care

BCBSIL Connect Team March 13, 2025

Were you just in the hospital or ER? Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure what to do next? Watch this short video and let us help you take the next step toward wellness. Learn more about Behavioral Health.
- 11 Views
Vaccines for Young Adults

BCBSIL Connect Team February 7, 2025

You’re young. Healthy. Active. With years of life ahead of you. You’re bulletproof, right? When you’re young, it’s easy to think you’re safe from a lot of the stuff that can trip you up — including illness. Maybe ...
- 6459 Views
Feeling Dizzy? There Are Some Common Culprits

BCBSIL Connect Team February 6, 2025

It’s hard to ignore a dizzy feeling. The room spinning will get your attention fast. Feeling off balance is scary. And no one wants to feel lightheaded, like you might faint. There are differences between being dizzy and lightheaded. Whatever y....
- 12818 Views
Breast Cancer Complementary Therapies Help Boost Treatment

BCBSIL Connect Team May 24, 2024

Women with breast cancer often have choices for medical treatment. If you're fighting breast cancer, your doctor will make a treatment plan. It might involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapy. Along with questions about traditional...
- 4354 Views
Blood Glucose Levels: Get Curious

BCBSIL Connect Team May 23, 2024

Dinner is almost ready and it's that time again. You unzip your black pouch to take out a glucose meter. As you pull back the lever of the lancet, you think, "Gosh, I hope my blood sugar isn’t high again.” Blood glucose testing is vital f...
- 8739 Views
Are You Paralyzed by Social Anxiety? Learn the Best Ways to Manage It.

BCBSIL Connect Team May 22, 2024

Do you have a friend who always bails when you make plans? They may not be trying to avoid you. That can happen when people have social anxiety. Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a long-term mental health issue. It affects...
- 9045 Views
Summer Heat Safety Reminders

BCBSIL Connect Team May 15, 2024

Staying safe during hot summer months isn’t hard. There are steps you can take to protect yourself. Drinking lots of water and wearing sunscreen isn’t enough. Here are three things to know to keep summer fun. UV Rays Can Hurt You Ultravi...
- 7503 Views
Depression and Anxiety: Different and Similar

BCBSIL Connect Team May 13, 2024

One in 5 adults in the U.S. lives with a mental health issue. You likely know people who experience depression or anxiety. Some people have both. They are different health problems, but share some of the same warning signs. Help is available for...
- 4913 Views
Care for Your Skin in the Summer Sun

BCBSIL Connect Team May 9, 2024

Growing up, many of us skipped sunscreen. Decades ago, we weren't as savvy about the sun's dangers. It was normal for my dad to turn a darker shade of brown after playing soccer games in the intense summer heat. I followed suit. I also tanned nicely...
- 10303 Views
Care for Your Mental Health Throughout Your Pregnancy

BCBSIL Connect Team May 3, 2024

Health care is important before, during and after pregnancy. And that means caring for your mind as well as your body. A healthy pregnancy starts before you’re even pregnant. You might need mental health support if you face issues getting...
- 3568 Views
Men’s Health: Do You Know the Signs of a Silent Heart Attack?

BCBSIL Connect Team May 3, 2024

Think you know what you’d feel like if you were having a heart attack? Think again. Silent heart attacks, known as a silent myocardial infarction (SMI), account for 45 percent of heart attacks. And they are more likely to strike men than women.....
- 28845 Views
Prescription or Over the Counter: Follow Directions to Stay Safe

BCBSIL Connect Team May 3, 2024

Medicine can help your health in many ways. From over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to prescription medicines that treat life-threatening conditions, medicine can have a major positive impact. But only if it’s taken — and taken correctly. O...
- 10678 Views
4 Simple Steps for Better Whole-Body Fitness and Function

BCBSIL Connect Team April 30, 2024

Most people focus on one or two types of exercise and think they’re getting what their body needs. But there are four types of exercise you need to help your body function at its best: endurance, strength, balance and flexibility, says the Nati....
- 108 Views
Inhale. Exhale. What Your Lungs Do for You.

BCBSIL Connect Team April 30, 2024

Breathe in. Breathe out. It’s something that we do every day, every waking minute. It relaxes us, wakes us, and keeps us alive. The lungs are part of the respiratory system — organs and tissues that work together to help you breathe, says...
- 4590 Views
A Hug Only Takes 10 Seconds, Yet the Benefits Last Forever

BCBSIL Connect Team April 29, 2024

Fun fact about hugs: They don’t just give you a warm, fuzzy sense of well-being — they can also be good for your health. It’s true. Hugging for just 10 seconds can boost feel-good hormones like oxytocin. Often called the &ldqu...
- 39700 Views

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation,
a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

Telligent is an operating division of Verint Americas, Inc., an independent company that provides and hosts an online community platform for blogging and access to social media for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.

File is in portable document format (PDF). To view this file, you may need to install a PDF reader program. Most PDF readers are a free download. One option is Adobe^® Reader^® which has a built-in screen reader. Other Adobe accessibility tools and information can be downloaded at https://access.adobe.com.

You are leaving this website/app ("site"). This new site may be offered by a vendor or an independent third party. The site may also contain non-Medicare related information. Some sites may require you to agree to their terms of use and privacy policy.