Frontpage | informedhealth.org

What are you looking for?

Current topic

Photo of a woman talking with her doctor

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease prevents the kidneys from working at full capacity. Taking medicine and following a healthy lifestyle can help, but renal (kidney) replacement therapy may be needed if the kidneys stop working completely.

About us

We are here to help you make informed decisions! Our website offers trustworthy and easy-to-understand information on a broad range of health topics. Our goal is to allow you to use this knowledge in everyday life. The information can help you to talk with doctors and other medical professionals, but not replace appointments.

IQWiG

IQWiG is an independent scientific institution in Germany. It is funded through contributions from the German statutory health insurance funds. Its legal responsibilities include the assessment of diagnostic tests and medical treatments. InformedHealth.org is the English-language version of IQWiG’s German website Gesundheitsinformation.de. It provides the general public with independent, ad-free and cost-free information on many common health issues.

How we work

Our content is developed according to international quality standards and includes articles, graphics and films. We are a diverse team with backgrounds in science, medicine and journalism. We base our information on both high-quality scientific studies and the needs of patients and consumers. Our team ensures that the content of InformedHealth.org is easy to understand, complete and up to date.

Further topics

Heartburn and GERD

Many people are familiar with heartburn – a burning pain between your stomach and throat. In gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), these symptoms ...

Read more
Hearing loss and deafness in adults

Along with aging, the causes of hearing loss mainly include noise and long-lasting ear infections.

Read more
Birth

Toward the end of pregnancy, when everyday life has become more difficult, most women can't wait to finally have the baby. Regular contractions are a...

Read more
Sleep disorders and problems (insomnia)

If you sleep badly at night, you're not alone. About a third of people have trouble sleeping every now and then. Certain relaxation techniques and sl...

Read more
Muscle strains

Putting too much stress on a muscle or overextending it can result in a muscle strain. This kind of injury causes immediate pain right after fast or ...

Read more
Osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis of the knee causes knee pain – at first, only when the joint is under strain. Things like being overweight or putting a lot of strain ...

Read more
Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

The thyroid gland regulates a lot of functions in the body. It is said to be overactive if it makes too many thyroid hormones. This can lead to sympt...

Read more
Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

If you constantly feel tired, have a slow pulse and constipation, you may wonder why. These types of symptoms can be caused by various things, but th...

Read more
Hashimoto’s disease

Hashimoto’s disease is a chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland. It is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid in Germany and other countr...

Read more
Gestational diabetes

Women who find out they have pregnancy-related diabetes are often surprised because there are usually no symptoms. But it increases the risk of certa...

Read more
Generalized anxiety disorder

We all feel scared sometimes. This can help protect us in dangerous situations: It makes us more alert so that we can react quickly. But fear can bec...

Read more
Graves’ disease

Graves’ disease is the most common cause of an overactive thyroid. It sends the body’s metabolism into overdrive, making lots of processes (such as t...

Read more
Sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the air-filled spaces around the nose. It typically leads to a stuffy nose and pain in the face. Read about what help...

Read more
Shoulder pain

Shoulder pain is one of the most common orthopedic problems. It usually arises beneath the bone that forms the “roof” of the shoulder (the acromion)....

Read more