Professional medical care is only a small part of health care. We take charge of our own health care with self-care. This means that we gather health information, choose healthy behaviors, diagnose and treat our own minor ailments, and use medical services. Self-care allows us to evaluate and improve our health before we get sick. It enables us to cope with illness and treat minor problems. It helps us to make good use of health facilities when serious illness does occur. Problems can be detected early. Steps can be taken to prevent such health threats long before they require a doctor's care.

Unnecessary visits to doctors to obtain advice and information can be avoided. Health-active people learn how their problems are related to their lifestyle. Self-study materials and proper training (for example, taking a CPR course or learning how to monitor your own blood pressure) are vital to self-care.

Sound, reliable health information is available to the public. Seek information from credible resources. Useful books that can be found in the public library or local bookstore include:
* Mayo Clinic Family Healthbook (William Morrow, 1997) ,
* The New Our Body, Ourselves (Touchstone, 1992) ,
* Health Online (Addison-Wesley, 1996) ,
* Infomedicine: A Consumer's Guide to the Latest Medical Research (Little Brown and Company, 1996) ,
* Mosby Medical Encyclopedia (Signet, 1996) ,
* Nutrition Bible (William Morrow, 1995) , and
* The AMA Family Medical Guide (Random House, 1994).

Health associations are also an excellent resources: the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association, are just a few or the many available.

Self-care enables successful at home care for minor health problems. Self-care empowers the individual and family to better health.

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