Health Library

Articles In This Section

• Sports Physicals

  Just as professional sports stars need medical care to keep them playing their best, so do student athletes. That's why it's important to make sure that kids and teens get a sports physical.

• Steroids

  Get the facts about steroids, their side effects, and why kids and teens might try them.

• Compulsive Exercise

  Even though exercise has many positive benefits, too much can be harmful. Teens who exercise compulsively are at risk for both physical and psychological problems.

• Kids & Sports

  Get tips on everything from finding the best sport for your kids to preventing and handling injuries.

• Safety Tips: Snowboarding

  Snowboarding is a great way to have fun and get exercise, but it has some very real dangers. These safety tips can help keep your family safe on the slopes.

• Safety Tips: Sledding

  Sledding is a lot of fun, but can also cause injuries, some of them pretty serious. To keep your kids safe while sledding, make sure they follow these safety tips.

• Safety Tips: Skiing

  Skiing is fun but also has some very real dangers. Make sure your kids follow these safety tips to learn how to stay safe on the slopes.

• Safety Tips: Skateboarding

  Skateboarding is undeniably cool, but it's also easy for riders to get hurt. Help your kids keep it safe with these safety tips.

• Safety Tips: Hockey

  As fun as it is, ice hockey carries a very real risk of injury. To keep your kids as safe as possible, follow these tips.

• Safety Tips: Basketball

  Basketball is fun - but it's also a contact sport, and injuries happen. To help your kids stay safe on the basketball court, take a look at these safety tips.

• Safety Tips: Baseball

  Baseball is by no means a dangerous sport. But it can present a very real risk of injuries from things like wild pitches, batted balls, and collisions in the field. These safety tips can help keep your kids safe on the diamond.

• Preventing Children’s Sports Injuries

  Participation in sports can teach kids sportsmanship and discipline. But sports also carry the potential for injury. Here's how to protect your kids.

• Bike Safety

  Bike riding is a great way to get exercise and share time as a family. But there's an important factor that you need to consider - safety.

• First Aid: Teeth Injuries

  If your child loses a baby tooth, there's no need to replace it. But if a permanent tooth is dislodged, it's a dental emergency. Here's what to do.

• First Aid: Strains and Sprains

  Here's what to do if you think your child has pulled or torn a muscle, ligament, or tendon.

• First Aid: Broken Bones

  A broken bone needs emergency medical care. Here's what to do if you think your child fractured a bone.

• Nosebleeds

  A nosebleed can be scary, but it's rarely cause for alarm. Here's how to handle one at home.

• Heat Illness

  Active kids can be at risk for heat illness, which can result in heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke. Learn how to prevent and treat heat illness.

• Head Injuries

  Head injuries can be external or internal. Learn more about both kinds, how to prevent them, and what to do if your child is injured.

• Dehydration

  Sometimes kids lose fluids and salts through fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or sweating. Here are some tips on preventing or treating dehydration.

• A to Z: Head Injury

  Learn more about head injuries (head trauma).

• Water Safety

  Kids need constant supervision around water — whether the water is in a bathtub, pool, the sea, or a water park. Here's how to keep them safe.

• How to Handle Heat Illness

  In hot weather, a child's internal temperature can rise and cause heat exhaustion, which can progress to heatstroke if not treated quickly.

• Strains and Sprains

  Sprains and strains are common injuries, especially for kids who play hard or are into sports.

• Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

  Rotator cuff tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons of the rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder bones.

• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner’s Knee)

  Patellofemoral pain syndrome (or runner's knee) is the most common overuse injury among runners, but it can also happen to other athletes who do activities that require a lot of knee bending.

• Osgood-Schlatter Disease

  Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It's really not a disease, but an overuse injury.

• Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injuries

  MCL injuries can happen in active and athletic kids, when excessive pressure is put on the knee joint, resulting in a torn ligament.

• Knee Injuries

  Knee injuries are common among young athletes. Learn about causes, treatments, and prevention.

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears

  ACL injuries can happen in active and athletic kids when excessive pressure is put on the knee joint, resulting in a torn ligament.

• Burner (Stinger)

  Burners (or stingers) are injuries to the nerve network in the shoulder, arm, forearm, hand, and fingers. They're pretty common in sports and usually go away quickly.

• Can Kids and Teens With Asthma Play Sports?

  Kids and teens who have asthma can and do play sports. But some activities are better than others - find out more.