BODY WATCH : The Health Hot Lines

Sneezing from allergies? Suffering from gout? Does someone close to you have Alzheimer’s disease? The good news is that for just about any physical health problem you can name--and even those you can’t--there are lots of organizations and federal agencies out there ready to provide assistance.

The best news: Most of it is free. Here is a sampling of resources, which will send you brochures, bibliographies, studies and other printed material.

For groups that don’t list phone numbers, write for information. To contact the local chapters of national organizations, consult your phone book.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

AGING

* Administration on Aging

Department of Health and Human Services

330 Independence Ave. S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

(800) 677-1116 (Eldercare Locator Program only)

* National Institute on Aging Information Center

P.O. Box 8057

Gaithersburg, Md. 20898-8057

AIDS / HIV

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National AIDS Hotline

(800) 342-2437 (24 hours); Spanish: (800) 344-7432; TTY: (800) 243-7889

* Project Inform HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline

(800) 822-7422 or (415) 558-9051

ALCOHOL ABUSE

* National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence

12 W. 21st St.

New York, N.Y. 10010

(800) 622-2255 or (212) 206-6770

* American Council on Alcoholism

(800) 527-5344

* National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

P.O. Box 2345

Rockville, Md. 20847-2345

(800) 729-6686 or (301) 468-2600; TTY: (800) 487-4889 or (301) 230-2867; fax: (301) 468-6433

ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA

* American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

611 E. Wells St.

Milwaukee, Wis. 53202

(800) 822-2762

* Allergy and Asthma Network

3554 Chain Bridge Road

Suite 200

Fairfax, Va. 22030

(800) 878-4403

* Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

1125 15th St. N.W., Suite 502

Washington, D.C. 20005

(800) 7-ASTHMA

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

* Office for the Study of Unconventional Medical Practices

National Institutes of Health

Building 31, Room 2B25

Bethesda, Md. 20892

(301) 496-7498

Refers to associations including homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

* Alzheimer’s Assn.

919 N. Michigan, Suite 1000

Chicago, Ill. 60611-1676

(800) 272-3900

ARTHRITIS

* National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse

1 AMS Circle

Bethesda, Md. 20892-3675

(301) 495-4484; fax: (301) 587-4352

* Arthritis Foundation Information Line

1314 Spring St. N.W.

Atlanta, Ga. 30309

(800) 283-7800

BACK PAIN

* Back Pain Hotline, (800) 247-BACK

CANCER

* American Cancer Society Response Line

(800) 227-2345

* Cancer Information Service

National Cancer Institute

Building 31, Room 10A16

9000 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, Md. 20892

(800) 4-CANCER

* American Institute for Cancer Research

1759 R St. N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20009

(800) 843-8114

CHILDREN’S HEALTH

* National Information Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities

P.O. Box 1492

Washington, D.C. 20013-1492

Voice or TTY: (800) 695-0285 or (202) 884-8200; fax: (202) 884-8441

* National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information

P.O. Box 1182

Washington, D.C. 20013-1182

(800) FYI-3366 or (703) 385-7565; fax: (703) 385-3206

* National Youth Crisis Hotline

(800) 448-4663 (24 hours)

DENTAL

* American Dental Assn.

211 E. Chicago Ave.

Chicago, Ill. 60611

(312) 440-2593

* National Institute of Dental Research

Building 31 Room 2C35

31 Center Drive MSC 2290

Bethesda, Md. 20892-2290

(301) 496-4261

DIABETES

* American Diabetes Assn.

(800) DIABETES or (703) 549-1500; fax: (703) 549-6995

DIGESTIVE DISORDERS

* National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

2 Information Way

Bethesda, Md. 20892-3570

DRUG ABUSE

* National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

P.O. Box 2345

Rockville, Md. 20847-2345

(800) 729-6686 or (301) 468-2600; TTY: (800) 487-4889 or (301) 230-2867; fax: (301) 468-6433

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

* Environmental Protection Agency Public Information Center

401 M St. S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20460

(800) 424-4000; Asbestos Hot Line: (800) 368-5888; Drinking Water Hot Line: (800) 426-4791; Lead Hot Line: (800) LEAD-FYI; Indoor Air Hot Line: (800) 438-4318; Radon Hot Line: (800) SOS-RADON

EYES

* The National Eye Institute

2020 Vision Place

Bethesda, Md. 20892-3658

* National Eye Care Project Helpline

P.O. Box 9688

San Francisco, Calif. 94101-9688

(800) 222-EYES

* American Council of the Blind

1155 15th St. N.W., Suite 720

Washington, D.C. 20005

(800) 424-8666 or (202) 467-5081; fax: (202) 467-5085; electronic bulletin board: (202) 331-1058

* National Assn. for Parents of the Visually Impaired

P.O. Box 317

Watertown, Mass. 02272-0317

(800) 562-6265; fax: (617) 972-7444

FAMILY PLANNING

* Office of Population Affairs Clearinghouse

P.O. Box 30686

Bethesda, Md. 20824-0686

(301) 654-6190; fax: (301) 907-9655

Information, publications and referrals in areas of family planning, adolescent pregnancy and adoption.

* Planned Parenthood Federation of America

810 7th Ave.

New York, N.Y. 10019

(800) 669-0156 (health information); (800) 230-PLAN (for the center nearest you)

FOOD SAFETY

* Meat and Poultry Hotline (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

(800) 535-4555

* Seafood Hotline

(800) FDA-4010 (24 hours)

GENERAL HEALTH:

* National Health Information Center

P.O. Box 1133, Washington, D.C. 20013-1133

(800) 336-4797 or (301) 565-4167; fax: (301) 984-4256

Sponsored by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Referrals, database, publications; Spanish-speaking operators available.

* CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Technical Information Service Branch

4770 Buford Highway

MS K13

Atlanta, Ga. 30341-3724

(404) 488-5080

* Food and Drug Administration Office of Consumer Affairs

5600 Fishers Lane HFE-88

Rockville, Md. 20857

(301) 443-3170; fax: (301) 443-9767

HEADACHE

* National Headache Foundation

5252 N. Western Ave.

Chicago, Ill. 60625

(800) 843-2256

HEARING IMPAIRED

* National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse

1 Communication Ave.

Bethesda, Md. 20892-3456

(800) 241-1044; TTY: (800) 241-1055; fax: (301) 907-8830

* Self Help for Hard of Hearing People

7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1200

Bethesda, Md. 20814

(301) 657-2248; TTY: (301) 657-2249; fax: (301) 913-9413

HEART

* American Heart Assn.

7272 Greenville Ave.

Dallas, Tex. 75231

(800) 242-8721

* National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Information Center

P.O. Box 30105

Bethesda, Md. 20824-0105

(800) 575-WELL or (301) 251-1222; fax: (301) 251-1223

IMMUNIZATION

* National Coalition for Adult Immunizations

4733 Bethesda Ave., Suite 750

Bethesda, Md. 20814

(301) 656-0003

IMPOTENCE

* Impotence Information Center

P.O. Box 9

Minneapolis, Minn. 55440

(800) 843-4315

KIDNEY

* National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

3 Information Way

Bethesda, Md. 20892-3580

(800) 891-5390 or (301) 654-4415; fax: (301) 907-8906

LICE

* National Pediculosis Assn.

P.O. Box 149

Newton, Mass. 02161

(617) 449-6487

LIVER

* American Liver Foundation

1425 Pompton Ave.

Cedar Grove, N.J. 07009

(800) 223-0179 or (201) 256-2550

LUNG

* American Lung Assn.

1740 Broadway

New York, N.Y. 10019-4374

(800) LUNG-USA or (212) 315-8700

* National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine

(303) 355-5864; Lung Line: (800) 222-5864; Lung Facts: (800) 552-LUNG

NEUROLOGY

* National Institute of Health Neurological Disorders and Stroke

P.O. Box 5801

Bethesda, Md. 20824

(800) 352-9424 or (301) 496-5751

NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES

* Muscular Dystrophy Assn.

3300 E. Sunrise Drive

Tucson, Ariz. 85718

(800) 572-1717

NUTRITION

* Food and Nutrition Information Center

U.S. Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Library

10301 Baltimore Blvd. Room 304

Beltsville, Md. 20705-2351

* American Dietetic Assn.’s Consumer Nutrition Hotline

(800) 366-1655

ORTHOPEDIC

* American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

P.O. Box 1998

Des Plaines Ill. 60017

(800) 824-BONES (24 hours) or (708) 823-7186; fax: (708) 823-8026

PARALYSIS

* American Paralysis Assn.

500 Morris Ave.

Springfield, N.J. 07081

(800) 225-0292; fax: (201) 912-9433

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

* American Parkinson’s Disease Assn.

1250 Hyland Blvd.

Staten Island, N.Y. 10305

(800) 223-2732; fax: (718) 981-4399

RARE DISORDERS

* FDA Office of Orphan Products Development

5600 Fisher’s Lane (HF-35)

Rockville, Md. 20857

(800) 300-7469

Information and referrals for disorders that affect less than 200,000 people nationally.

* National Organization for Rare Disorders

P.O. Box 8923

New Fairfield, Conn. 06812

(800) 999-6673 or (203) 746-6518; fax: (203) 746-6481; TTY: (203) 746-6927

Information on 5,000 rare disorders and their symptoms, standard and investigative therapies.

REHABILITATION

* National Rehabilitation Information Center

8455 Colesville Road, Suite 935

Silver Spring, Md. 20910-3319

(800) 346-2742 or (301) 588-9284, Ext. 22 for voice and TTY; fax: (301) 587-1967

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

* CDC National STD Hotline

(800) 227-8922

SKIN

* American Academy of Dermatology

P.O. Box 681069

Schaumburg, Ill. 60168

SLEEP

* Better Sleep Council

333 Commerce St.

Alexandria, Va. 22314

(703) 683-8371

SMOKING

* CDC Office on Smoking and Health

4770 Buford Highway N.E.

Mail Stop K 50

Atlanta, Ga. 30341-3724

(800) CDC-1311 or (404) 488-5762 or 5705; fax: (404) 488-5939

* California Nicotine Anonymous

P.O. Box 25335

Los Angeles, Calif. 90025

(800) 642-0666 (California only)

SPINAL CORD INJURY

* National Spinal Cord Injury Assn.

545 Concord Ave.

Cambridge, Mass. 02138

(800) 962-9629 or (617) 441-8500

STROKE

* National Stroke Assn.

(800) STROKES or (303) 771-1700

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

* SIDS Alliance

1314 Bedford Ave., Suite 210

Baltimore, Md. 21208

(800) 221-SIDS or (410) 653-8226; fax: (410) 653-8709

UROLOGICAL DISORDERS

* American Foundation for Urologic Disease

(800) 242-2383