| Practicing preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic has made me aware of how broad self-care really is. To truly take care of yourself, you must pay attention to all of your needsspiritual needs and needs for companionship, as well as physical and mental health needs. |
| In my experience, healthy people develop a collection of resources in their quest for good health. Resources may include friends, professional people and health information materials. In addition, one of the most important resources for good health is learning how to listen to your own body. |
| I hope you'll use this book as one important resource in a complete approach to caring for yourself. |
| How We Prepared This Book |
| In planning for this book, we asked people throughout the United States what they'd like to find in a book like this. Here's what they told us: |
| "Discuss common problems in simple language. Give us tips on prevention and self-care. Address important children's health concerns. And, don't forget the workplace. Work is where we spend a third of our waking lives." |
| It was a tall order. We began by reviewing the top 200 reasons why adults and children go to the doctor. Then we talked to Mayo Clinic nurses who respond to telephone calls from people with questions about health and illness. We consulted with health-care providers, employers and managers of corporate health programs to learn what illnesses and injuries are important in the workplace. |
| We also looked at health-care costs. We reviewed our experience at Mayo Clinic, which includes providing care annually for more than 400,000 patients and the 30,000 employees of Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Jacksonville, Florida. |
| Using all of this information, we focused our book on how to prevent illness, how to detect illness before it becomes a serious, costly problem and how to avoid unnecessary trips to the clinic or emergency room. |
| First, page through this book. Read the sections titled Staying Healthy and The Healthy Consumer. If you have asthma or diabetes, read about your condition in the Specific Conditions section. Our self-care tips are designed to prevent complications of the condition or to minimize their effects on your life. |
| If you have questions about health issues and your work, turn to the Your Health and the Workplace section. Our approach to topics related to the workplace is unique and instructive. |
| I hope you'll enjoy this book and use it often. |
 | PHILIP T. HAGEN, M.D.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF |
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