You've probably heard the word "literacy" (say: lit-er-eh-see).
It's often used when people are talking about being able to
read. If you're reading this, then you're literate! But there's
another kind of literacy called health literacy. Health literacy
means that you can understand information about your health, so
you know how to take care of yourself and make good decisions.
If you have a health condition, such as asthma, being health
literate means that you know what asthma is and you know how to
treat it. It means you have gone to a trustworthy source, like
your doctor, and received information that you understood. And
now, if you have any breathing troubles, you know that you take
a certain number of puffs from your inhaler. You also know when
to call the doctor or go to the emergency department for more
serious problems. Steps to Health Literacy It's important for
both kids and adults to be health literate. Health literacy can
be a serious problem for people who are older or who don't speak
English. The