Patient Handouts
Trusted guides from Alberta Health Services, MyHealth Alberta, Screening for Life and Hypertension Canada and others.
Most asked for
Blood pressure logBP monitorsPrediabetesDiabetes mealsCholesterolHeart healthy eatingStatin mythsBP & lifestylePotassium in foodLow FODMAPAcid refluxAsthma action planIron in pregnancyFood in pregnancy
🤒Everyday Illness & Walk-InCoughs, sore throats, sinus and ear infections — the common reasons people walk in.6 handouts🩹SkinAcne, eczema, warts and the fungal rashes we see most often.5 handouts👶Children & BabiesFevers, teething, colic and the childhood illnesses parents ask about most.9 handouts🍼Newborn & FeedingThe first weeks at home, feeding your baby, and breastfeeding support.9 handouts🤰PregnancyWhat to expect through pregnancy, eating well, and recovery afterwards.4 handouts🌸Women’s HealthMenopause, contraception and periods.3 handouts🩸Diabetes & PrediabetesUnderstanding your numbers, and eating well without giving up food you like.6 handouts🫀Heart & Blood PressureBlood pressure, cholesterol, and the everyday changes that protect your heart.12 handouts🫁Lungs & AsthmaAsthma control, using inhalers properly, and breathing problems during sleep.5 handouts🍽️Digestive HealthReflux, IBS and the eating changes that settle a difficult gut.6 handouts🦵Aches, Injuries & Back PainBack and neck pain, and the joint and tendon problems that come with use.6 handouts🦴Bones & OsteoporosisBone strength, calcium and vitamin D, and preventing falls.9 handouts🧠Mind & WellbeingSleep, and where to find mental health support in Alberta.3 handouts🎗️Cancer ScreeningThe screening tests you are offered, and what each one involves.3 handouts✅Prevention & Healthy LivingQuitting smoking, staying active, and staying well before problems start.7 handouts
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🤒 Everyday Illness & Walk-In
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Acute Sinusitis: Care Instructions
Easing sinus pain and congestion at home, and the signs that mean you should be seen.
MyHealth Alberta
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Bronchitis: Care Instructions
Why a cough can linger for weeks, what helps, and why antibiotics usually are not the answer.
MyHealth Alberta
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Croup in Children: Care Instructions
Recognising the barking cough, what to do during a night-time attack, and when to seek help urgently.
MyHealth Alberta
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Ear Infection (Otitis Media): Care Instructions
Managing ear pain, how long it usually lasts, and when antibiotics are needed.
MyHealth Alberta
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Pink Eye: Care Instructions
Telling the causes apart, easing the irritation, and how to avoid passing it on.
MyHealth Alberta
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Shingles: Care Instructions
Caring for the rash, managing the pain, and who around you needs to be careful.
MyHealth Alberta
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🩹 Skin
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Acne: Care Instructions
A daily skin routine that helps, what makes acne worse, and how long treatments take to work.
MyHealth Alberta
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Athlete's Foot: Care Instructions
Treating the itch and peeling, and keeping it from coming back or spreading.
MyHealth Alberta
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Eczema: Care Instructions
Everyday skin care, using moisturisers and steroid creams properly, and managing a flare.
MyHealth Alberta
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Ringworm: Care Instructions
What it actually is (not a worm), how it is treated, and how to avoid passing it on.
MyHealth Alberta
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Warts: Care Instructions
The treatment options, how long they take, and why patience matters.
MyHealth Alberta
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👶 Children & Babies
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Colic in Babies: Care Instructions
What colic is, how long it usually lasts, and what helps a baby who cries for hours.
MyHealth Alberta
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Constipation in Children: Care Instructions
Getting things moving again, how long it usually takes, and when to bring your child in.
MyHealth Alberta
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Diaper Rash in Children: Care Instructions
Treating the rash, preventing the next one, and the signs it has become an infection.
MyHealth Alberta
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Eczema in Children: Care Instructions
Daily care for a child's skin, using creams properly, and what to do during a flare.
MyHealth Alberta
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Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Children: Care Instructions
What to expect over the week, keeping your child comfortable, and when they can return to school or daycare.
MyHealth Alberta
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Impetigo: Care Instructions
Caring for the sores, stopping it spreading to others, and when your child is no longer contagious.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Asthma in Children
How asthma looks in children, using an inhaler with a spacer, and recognising a flare early.
MyHealth Alberta
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Pink Eye From a Virus in Children: Care Instructions
Why antibiotic drops usually will not help, how to ease it, and when your child can go back to school.
MyHealth Alberta
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Teething in Children: Care Instructions
What teething actually causes, what it does not, and safe ways to comfort your baby.
MyHealth Alberta
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🍼 Newborn & Feeding
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Alberta Asthma Action Plan
A fill-in plan you complete with your physician, showing exactly what to do as symptoms change.
MyHealth Alberta
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Breastfeeding: Care Instructions
Getting started, positioning and latch, and what normal feeding looks like in the early weeks.
MyHealth Alberta
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Feeding Toddlers and Young Children
What and how much young children need, and handling fussy eating without mealtime battles.
Alberta Health Services
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Feeding Your Newborn: Care Instructions
How often and how much to feed, and the signs your baby is getting enough.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Breastfeeding: Tips for Common Problems
Sore nipples, blocked ducts and low supply — what usually helps and when to ask for support.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Head Shapes in Newborns
Why a baby's head can look uneven, which shapes settle on their own, and simple positioning tips.
MyHealth Alberta
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Newborn Jaundice: Care Instructions
Why newborns turn yellow, how it is watched, and the signs that need same-day attention.
MyHealth Alberta
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Nutrition for Breastfeeding: Care Instructions
What to eat and drink while nursing, and which supplements matter.
MyHealth Alberta
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Your Newborn at Home: Care Instructions
The first weeks — feeding, sleeping, cord care, and the signs worth calling about.
MyHealth Alberta
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🤰 Pregnancy
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Food Safety in Pregnancy
Which foods to avoid while pregnant and why, plus safe handling at home.
Alberta Health Services
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Iron Foods for Pregnancy
Why iron needs rise in pregnancy, which foods are richest in it, and how to absorb more of it.
Alberta Health Services
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Learning About Pregnancy
What happens in each trimester, the appointments to expect, and the changes that are normal.
MyHealth Alberta
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Managing Morning Sickness: Care Instructions
Eating and drinking when nothing appeals, what helps the nausea, and when it needs treatment.
MyHealth Alberta
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🌸 Women’s Health
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Hot Flashes During Menopause: Care Instructions
Practical ways to reduce hot flashes and night sweats, and when it is worth discussing treatment.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Birth Control
The main methods side by side — how well each works, and what suits different stages of life.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Menopause
What changes to expect and when, which symptoms are common, and what can be done about them.
MyHealth Alberta
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🩸 Diabetes & Prediabetes
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Counting Carbohydrates in Recipes
Working out the carbohydrate in food you cook yourself, with worked examples.
Alberta Health Services
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Diabetes: Healthy Meal Planning
Building everyday meals that keep blood sugar steadier, with portion guidance and examples.
Alberta Health Services
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Healthy Eating for Diabetes
Building meals that keep blood sugar steadier, without giving up the foods you enjoy.
Alberta Health Services
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Learning About Type 2 Diabetes
What type 2 diabetes is, what the numbers mean, and the changes that make the biggest difference.
MyHealth Alberta
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Prediabetes: Care Instructions
What a prediabetes result means, and the steps that can stop it becoming diabetes.
MyHealth Alberta
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Sample Meal Plan for Healthy Eating With Diabetes
A full week of example meals showing what balanced portions look like.
Alberta Health Services
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🫀 Heart & Blood Pressure
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Approved Home Blood Pressure Monitors — Validated List
The home monitors independently tested for accuracy — check yours against this list before you trust its readings.
Hypertension Canada
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Clearing up Myths about Statin Medicine
Straight answers to the common worries about statins, including muscle aches and long-term use.
Alberta Health Services
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Healthy Eating with Prediabetes
What to change after a prediabetes result, and the eating patterns that can stop it progressing.
Alberta Health Services
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Heart Healthy Eating
The eating pattern that supports your heart, with practical swaps rather than strict rules.
Alberta Health Services
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Heart Healthy Foods
The foods that support your heart, and simple swaps for everyday meals.
Alberta Health Services
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Home Blood Pressure Log
A printable chart for recording readings at home, so your physician sees the pattern rather than one number.
Hypertension Canada
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Improve Your Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Which foods raise and lower each number, and the changes that make the most difference.
Alberta Health Services
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Learning About High Blood Pressure
What the two numbers mean, why high pressure has no symptoms, and what brings it down.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About High Cholesterol
What your cholesterol results mean and the changes that improve them.
MyHealth Alberta
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Nutrition & Lifestyle Choices to Manage Blood Pressure
How food, salt, activity and alcohol each affect blood pressure, and where to start.
Alberta Health Services
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Sodium Foods
A reference list of high and low sodium foods for everyday shopping.
Alberta Health Services
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Sodium and Your Diet
Where most salt actually comes from, and how to cut back without bland food.
Alberta Health Services
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🫁 Lungs & Asthma
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Asthma in Adults — Care Instructions
Day-to-day asthma control, using your inhalers correctly, and recognising a flare early.
MyHealth Alberta
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Fibre and the Gluten-Free Diet
Getting enough fibre when you cannot eat wheat, with specific food suggestions.
Alberta Health Services
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Learning About Asthma
What asthma is, what sets it off, and how the two kinds of inhaler do different jobs.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Inhalers
Getting the medicine into your lungs instead of your mouth — correct technique, spacers, and common mistakes.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Sleep Apnea
Why breathing stops during sleep, the signs your partner may notice first, and how it is tested.
MyHealth Alberta
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🍽️ Digestive Health
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Eating High FODMAP Foods Again
How to reintroduce foods after a low-FODMAP period so you find your own triggers instead of avoiding everything.
Alberta Health Services
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Gluten-Free Diet
Where gluten hides, how to read labels for it, and how to eat well without it.
Alberta Health Services
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
What IBS is and is not, the common triggers, and the changes that settle symptoms for most people.
Alberta Health Services
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Low FODMAP Eating
The eating approach used to settle IBS symptoms, and how it works in stages.
Alberta Health Services
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Managing Acid Reflux
Foods, habits and timing that reduce heartburn, and what to try before medication.
Alberta Health Services
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Potassium in Your Diet
Why potassium matters for blood pressure, which foods are highest in it, and when to be careful.
Alberta Health Services
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🦵 Aches, Injuries & Back Pain
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Acute Low Back Pain: Exercises
Gentle movements to start soon after back pain begins, with pictures showing how.
MyHealth Alberta
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Back Pain, Emergency or Urgent Symptoms: Care Instructions
The back pain symptoms that are not ordinary — what needs same-day care, and what needs emergency care.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Low Back Pain
Why most back pain improves without scans, what helps early, and how to lower the chance of it returning.
MyHealth Alberta
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Plantar Fasciitis: Care Instructions
Why the first steps of the morning hurt most, and the stretches and footwear that settle it.
MyHealth Alberta
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Shoulder Pain: Care Instructions
Common causes of shoulder pain, what to do in the first weeks, and movements to avoid.
MyHealth Alberta
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Tennis Elbow: Care Instructions
What causes the pain on the outside of the elbow, and how to rest and rebuild it.
MyHealth Alberta
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🦴 Bones & Osteoporosis
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Am I Eating Well for My Bones?
A short self-check on whether your diet is supporting bone strength.
Alberta Health Services
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Constipation in Babies and Children
Getting things moving again in babies and children, and when to bring them in.
Alberta Health Services
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Deciding About Bisphosphonate Medicine for Osteoporosis
What these bone medicines do, the benefits and the side effects, so you can decide with your physician.
MyHealth Alberta
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Healthy Bones
The foods, nutrients and activity that build and protect bone at every age.
Alberta Health Services
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Iron and Your Health
Why iron matters, the foods highest in it, and how to absorb more of what you eat.
Alberta Health Services
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Learning About Low Bone Density
What a bone density result means, what raises your risk, and what can slow bone loss.
MyHealth Alberta
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Preventing Falls: Care Instructions
The changes at home and in daily habits that prevent the fall before it happens.
MyHealth Alberta
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Preventing Osteoporosis: Care Instructions
Building and keeping bone strength through activity, diet and everyday choices.
MyHealth Alberta
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Preventing Osteoporosis: Meeting Your Calcium Needs
How much calcium you need at your age, and how to get it from food first.
MyHealth Alberta
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🧠 Mind & Wellbeing
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Explore Your Relationship with Food
A gentler way to think about eating, for anyone caught in cycles of dieting and guilt.
Alberta Health Services
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Insomnia: Care Instructions
Practical steps that improve sleep without medication, and what to change first.
MyHealth Alberta
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Know Your Options — Mental Health Support
The mental health and addiction services available in Alberta, and how to reach each one.
Alberta Health Services
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🎗️ Cancer Screening
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Breast Cancer Screening — Do I Really Need a Mammogram?
The benefits and limits of mammograms, to help you decide with your physician.
Screening for Life
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Do I Really Need a Pap Test?
Who needs cervical screening, how often, and what happens during the test.
Screening for Life
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FIT Colon Cancer Test — Patient Education
What the at-home colon screening test involves, how to do it properly, and what the result means.
Screening for Life
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✅ Prevention & Healthy Living
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Deciding About Using Medicines To Quit Smoking
The medicines that can help you stop smoking, how each one works, and what to weigh up before choosing.
MyHealth Alberta
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Healthy Changes for Managing Gout
Which foods and drinks tend to trigger gout attacks, and the everyday changes that help keep them away.
Alberta Health Services
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Label Reading the Healthy Way
How to read a nutrition label without getting lost in the numbers — what to look at first and what to ignore.
Alberta Health Services
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Learning About Healthy Weight
What a healthy weight means for you, and realistic steps that work better than dieting.
MyHealth Alberta
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Learning About Physical Activity for Teens
How much activity teenagers need, and simple ways to fit it into a school week.
MyHealth Alberta
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Osteoporosis Information
What osteoporosis is, who is at risk, and how it is diagnosed and managed.
MyHealth Alberta
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Teens: Learning About Vaping
What vaping does to a young body, what is in the vapour, and how to talk about quitting.
MyHealth Alberta
Disclaimer
These handouts are provided for general information only and not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional — for advice about your own health, speak with your doctor or call Health Link at 811. These handouts are produced by Alberta Health Services, Screening for Life, and MyHealth Alberta, and others. They are shared here for our patients’ convenience. They remain the property of their publishers. This material is provided on an “as is” basis. The publishers, including Alberta Health Services, and Grace Medical Clinic make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose of this information, and expressly disclaim all liability for its use.