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Heart, blood and hormones: find the right page
The pages on this site for the heart, the blood, blood sugar and hormones were spread out across the long list of tools. This page puts 24 of them on one list, sorted by what you notice or what you were told. Pick one and it opens. Each line below is that page’s own description.
If you think someone’s life is in danger, call 911 now. This page is a list. It cannot tell one problem from another, and it cannot tell you how serious something is.
Our heart attack page says to call 911 even if you are not sure, and not to drive. Our stroke page says to call 911, note the time, and not to drive. Our diabetes page says, for low blood sugar: sugar now if they can swallow; glucagon and 911 if they can’t. Our high blood pressure page says what to do with a reading of 180/120 and when to call 911.
Type a word or two, like chest, sugar, thyroid or iron. Nothing you type here is kept or sent.
Chest pain, a face that droops, or someone who collapsed (heart attack, stroke)
The first is for pressure or pain in the chest, pain in the arm, jaw or back, shortness of breath or a cold sweat, and for someone who has collapsed and is not responding. The second is for a face that droops, an arm that goes weak or speech that comes out wrong, all of a sudden, and for signs that came and went. Both say: call 911, and do not drive.
- When it might be a heart attackPressure or pain in the chest, pain in the arm, jaw or back, short of breath or a cold sweat; you are not sure it is your heart; someone has collapsed and is not responding; you are home after a heart attack; or you are beside someone who is. Keeps nothing.
- When it might be a strokeA face that droops, an arm that goes weak or speech that comes out wrong, all of a sudden; signs that came and went; you are home after a stroke; or you are beside someone who is. Keeps nothing.
High blood pressure (hypertension)
The first is for anyone told their blood pressure is high, or who just got a very high reading. It says what to do with a reading of 180/120 and when to call 911, and covers high blood pressure during and after pregnancy. The second keeps the readings your doctor asks you to take at home; the numbers stay in your browser.
- When it’s high blood pressure: what the numbers mean, a very high reading and when to call 911, checking at home, medicines, salt and food, pregnancy, and what to askFor people who were told their blood pressure is high (hypertension), people who just got a very high reading, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
- Blood pressure log: your readings, kept on your own deviceFor the doctor who asks you to check your blood pressure at home. What you type is kept only in this browser.
A heart that flutters, races or skips (atrial fibrillation)
Written for anyone told they have AFib, and anyone whose heart flutters, races or skips and who does not know why. It names the signs that are a 911 call, and covers blood clots, stroke and blood thinners.
- When it’s atrial fibrillation (AFib): when to call 911, what it feels like, blood clots and blood thinners, medicines, cardioversion and ablation, day to day, and what to askFor people who were told they have atrial fibrillation, people whose heart flutters, races or skips and who do not know why, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Short of breath, swelling, or heart failure
The first is for anyone who has heart failure, or who gets short of breath or has swelling and does not know why. It says when to go to the emergency room or call 911. The second keeps the morning weigh-in a doctor or nurse asks for, most often with heart failure. It is not for losing weight.
- When it’s heart failure: when to call 911, symptoms, the ejection fraction number, medicines, the morning weigh-in, salt and fluid, and what to askFor people who have heart failure (congestive heart failure), people who get short of breath or have swelling and do not know why, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
- Weight log: your morning weigh-in, kept on your own deviceFor the doctor or nurse who asks you to weigh yourself every morning, most often with heart failure, where a sudden gain can be fluid building up. What you type is kept only in this browser.
High cholesterol
Written for anyone told their cholesterol is high, and anyone holding a lab report they cannot read. It covers the numbers, statins and other medicines, food, and what to know when it runs in the family.
- When it’s high cholesterol: what the numbers mean, how often to be tested, statins and other medicines, food, when it runs in the family, and what to askFor people who were told their cholesterol is high, people holding a lab report they cannot read, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Blood sugar that goes too low or too high (diabetes)
The first is for someone with diabetes who is shaky, sweaty, confused or has passed out, for sick days, for anyone just told they have diabetes, and for anyone who can’t afford the insulin. It says: sugar now if they can swallow; glucagon and 911 if they can’t. The second keeps the readings a doctor or diabetes educator asks you to take; the numbers stay in your browser.
- When blood sugar goes too low or too highSomeone with diabetes is shaky, sweaty, confused or has passed out; blood sugar is very high, or you are sick and can’t keep anything down; you have just been told you have diabetes; you are worn out by it; you can’t afford the insulin; or you are beside someone who has it. Keeps nothing.
- Blood sugar log: your readings, kept on your own deviceFor the doctor or diabetes educator who asks you to check your blood sugar. What you type is kept only in this browser.
Blood sugar higher than normal, but not diabetes (prediabetes)
Written for anyone just told they have prediabetes or insulin resistance, anyone wondering whether to get tested, and anyone holding an A1C or fasting glucose result. NIDDK says many people can take steps to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
- Prediabetes and insulin resistance: getting tested, what the numbers mean, and the steps that can prevent type 2 diabetesFor anyone just told they have prediabetes or insulin resistance; anyone wondering whether to get tested; anyone holding an A1C or fasting glucose result; anyone whose doctor brought up their weight or metformin; and anyone worried about a child or a parent. Keeps nothing.
Tired and cold, or racing and shaky: the thyroid
The first is for an underactive thyroid: anyone tired, cold and wondering about their thyroid, or starting or changing thyroid medicine. The second is for an overactive thyroid: a heart that races, hands that shake, or losing weight without trying, and Graves’ disease.
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism): the signs, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and taking the medicineFor anyone just told they have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease; anyone tired, cold and wondering about their thyroid; anyone starting or changing thyroid medicine; anyone pregnant with a thyroid problem; and anyone caring for someone with one. Keeps nothing.
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism): the signs, getting a diagnosis, the treatments, and Graves’ diseaseFor anyone whose heart races, whose hands shake, or who is losing weight without trying and wondering about their thyroid; anyone just told they have hyperthyroidism or Graves’ disease; anyone choosing between medicine, radioactive iodine and surgery, or taking antithyroid medicine; anyone pregnant with a thyroid problem; and anyone caring for someone with one. Keeps nothing.
A low blood count, low iron, or sickle cell
The first is for anyone told their blood count, hemoglobin or iron is low, or tired, weak, pale or dizzy and wondering why. The second is for anyone with sickle cell disease or the trait, and parents whose baby’s newborn screening came back with it. It names the symptoms that are emergencies.
- Anemia: the signs, getting tested, iron and vitamin B12, and treatmentFor anyone told their blood count, hemoglobin or iron is low; anyone tired, weak, pale or dizzy and wondering why; anyone with heavy periods; anyone pregnant; anyone just handed iron pills or B12 shots; and anyone worried about a baby or young child. Keeps nothing.
- When it’s sickle cellFor people who have sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait, parents whose baby’s newborn screening came back with it, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Hot flashes, night sweats, and the years around menopause
Written for anyone going through perimenopause or menopause, and the people beside them. It says which bleeding to have checked: any bleeding after a full year without a period.
- Menopause, and the years around itFor anyone going through perimenopause or menopause, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
Where diabetes and high blood pressure can reach: the kidneys and the eyes
The first is for anyone who has diabetes or high blood pressure and has never been told how their kidneys are, and for anyone with kidney disease. The second is for anyone with diabetes, in pregnancy too, who wants to protect their eyesight.
- When it’s your kidneysFor people who have kidney disease, who have diabetes or high blood pressure and have never been told how their kidneys are, or who are facing dialysis, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
- Diabetic retinopathy: the signs, who is at risk, the yearly eye exam, protecting your sight, and treatmentFor anyone with diabetes (type 1, type 2, or diabetes in pregnancy) who wants to protect their eyesight; anyone just told they have diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema; anyone with blurry vision or dark floating spots; anyone pregnant with diabetes; and anyone facing eye injections, laser treatment or surgery. Keeps nothing.
Medicine or a doctor you can’t afford
These two are for anyone who can’t pay for a prescription, or is sick, hurt or out of medicine with no insurance or no money. The first covers the insulin limit. They were not made only for the heart, blood or hormones.
- When you can’t afford your medicine: what to ask, the programs that help, and buying online safelyFor anyone who can’t pay for a prescription, and the people beside them. Keeps nothing.
- When you need a doctor and can’t paySick, hurt or out of medicine, with no insurance or no money, anywhere in the US. Keeps nothing.
Before you call or go in
These four are for anyone’s appointment, call or medicines. They were not made for the heart, blood or hormones.
- Symptom diary: write it down, show your doctorWrite down what you notice when it happens, with your own number from 0 to 10. What you type is kept only in this browser.
- Get ready for your appointmentTen minutes before you go: what has been happening, your medicines, your questions and what helps you, on one page to hand to your doctor, therapist or psychiatrist, with room to write down the plan. What you type is kept only in this browser.
- Call script: know what you will say before you dialA phone call you keep putting off? Write who you are calling, the sentence that says what you want, what to have ready and what to ask. What you type is kept only in this browser.
- My medicines: a list and a daily check“Did I already take it?” Write down what you take and when, tick each medicine as you take it, and the page keeps the time. What you type is kept only in this browser.
No page on this list matches those words. Try one word, press Show all, or search the whole site.
Good to know
What these pages are
- All 24 were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast. No doctor, nurse or pharmacist has reviewed them.
- The health guides pass on what named public sources say, such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIDDK and the National Institute on Aging. Most guides name the sources they were built from.
- Every line on this list is copied from the page it points to when this list is built. This list adds no health facts of its own.
- The order of the list is not an order of how serious a thing is. Being lower on the list does not make anything less urgent.
- They are for the United States: the phone numbers and the offices are U.S. ones.
What this page can’t do
- It is not medical advice. It cannot tell one problem from another, or tell you whether to wait or to go in.
- It does not have every subject. If what you have is not on this list, a doctor, a nurse line or low-cost care can help.
- Most of these pages were written about adults. The anemia page has a part on young children, the sickle cell page covers children, and the prediabetes page is also for anyone worried about a child.
- It does not replace a doctor, a nurse line, a pharmacist or a clinic. If something feels wrong to you, call them.
Pages that go with this
- First aid: what do you see?: the cards for when someone is hurt in front of you.
- Kidneys and bladder: find the right page and Eyes and sight: find the right page: the lists for two places diabetes and high blood pressure can reach.
- All the free tools, and search.
- The phone list: the helplines the guides lead with, on one page.
- Pass it on: any of these pages as a code to show or a slip to print.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). The names and lines of the 24 pages are read from the pages’ own descriptions when this page is built. The page was checked by programs, not yet used by people. It runs no analytics or tracking (privacy). Also in Spanish: Corazón, sangre y hormonas. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].