Free Health Screenings Often Available Locally

Your doctor or community hospital may offer free health screenings for many conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The best way to learn when these screenings are available is to call the non-emergency number for your local hospital, visit their Web site or check your newspaper's events section.

If you have a condition you'd like to know more about before seeing your physician, you have several online options for obtaining information. These Web sites, however, are only for informational purposes. It is recommended that you visit your doctor for final diagnosis.

* MyElectronicMD.com offers a free health screening section, separated into easy steps, which can give you possible conditions based on the symptoms you're having.

* WebMD.com offers an interactive symptom checker that describes possible health risks associated with the symptoms you describe. It will also advise you on how soon to see your doctor about your symptoms.