• Ah-Choo! Welcome to Spring Allergy Season

    Allergy sufferers know, spring brings more than April showers and May flowers. It also brings allergies. The sneezing, itchy and watery eyes — along with other cold-like symptoms — are often known as hay fever. In reality,...
    • 11805 Views
  • Prediabetes Can Be Reversed

    Want to hear some good news about diabetes? For many of us, the disease can be delayed or even prevented with a few simple lifestyle changes. This is important because diabetes affects more than 37 million people in the U.S. That’s about one o.....
    • 10599 Views
  • Myth or Fact? What’s True about Asthma?

    Is your asthma knowledge up-to-date? As researchers continue to find out more about asthma, make sure you know the facts vs. the myths. Here are some of the most common ones. Myth: Asthma is only caused by airborne allergens like mold, pollen and...
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  • Wellness U: Dating Abuse in College

    College is a special time. It’s about discovery and growing into adulthood. It’s about pursuing your passions and carving a path for your future. Dating is likely to be part of the mix, too. For many, dating may be casual fun. For others,...
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  • Understanding Thyroid Cancer

    Do you know where your thyroid is? Do you know what it does? Small and unassuming, most of us don’t pay it much attention to it. Still, the butterfly-shaped gland makes important hormones. These hormones regulate our metabolism – the way ...
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  • Fuel Your Brain: What Foods Support Mental Health?

    If you pay attention, your body will tell you if what you’re eating is good for it or not. You may feel energized after a healthy meal. Revived from drinking a tall glass of water. Or you may feel sluggish if you eat too much. Or uncomfortable ....
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  • Not Sleeping Well? Done Right, Daily Activity Can Help

    If sleeping doesn’t come easy, you’ve probably already tried a few things you thought might help. If they didn’t help, there may be another option — more activity each day. It may seem odd to say that more activity can help yo...
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  • How Serious is Cirrhosis?

    Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) works closely with Loyola University School of Medicine to support research about cirrhosis of the liver. By doing so, we help doctors anticipate and treat the growing number of cases they now see....
    • 7914 Views
  • Pregnancy with Gestational Diabetes

    Angela R. had her first child when she was 21. Fifteen years later, she learned she was expecting her second at the age of 36. While her first pregnancy went smoothly, a complication rose its head 25 weeks into her second. Gestational diabetes. &ldqu...
    • 6704 Views
  • Cancer and Pregnancy: 5 Things You Need to Know

    Baby showers, gift registries, nursery decorations, baby names and routine doctor’s visits. They are all things women expecting a child focus on. It’s a time of excitement and planning for the future. Cancer is the last thing a ...
    • 4587 Views
  • What Does Your Thyroid Do?

    Everyone is born with a thyroid. It’s the “butterfly-shaped” gland in the lower front part of your neck. It sits right below the Adam’s Apple. The thyroid gland makes two hormones – T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxin...
    • 3896 Views
  • Health Insurance and Pregnancy: The Basics

    Having a baby is life changing. While babies are a blessing, they also cost money – even before they're born. That’s why it’s important to have health insurance before and after you become pregnant. With health insurance maternity b...
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  • Are You Prepared for Earthquakes?

    How do you prepare for the unexpected? What do you do when something you hoped you’d never experience suddenly happens? While an earthquake can happen anywhere, there some parts of the United States that have a higher risk. People in Alaska, Ca....
    • 2732 Views
  • Detox Diets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    You’ve likely heard about detox diets. They may be trendy, but there isn’t much proof that detox diets rid the body of toxins. How do detox diets work? Most include a period of fasting (not eating). Afterward, individuals follo...
    • 5573 Views
  • Fall and Wintertime Skin Care: How to Prevent and Treat Dry Skin

    The leaves are falling, the holidays are just around the corner. So is something else. Itchy skin. Yep, as the seasons change, so does your skin. The skin routine you use in the summer may not work so well in the fall and winter when humidity dr...
    • 5973 Views