Medical disclaimer

What Diurna is, and is not

Diurna is a publication. We explain what public-health bodies recommend about eating, sleeping, moving and looking after your mind, in language that is pleasant to read.

We are not a clinic, a pharmacy or a helpline. Nothing on this website is medical advice, a diagnosis, a treatment plan or a prescription, and reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship, or any professional relationship, between you and us.

Who writes it

Our writers and editors are not doctors, dietitians, pharmacists, psychologists or therapists. Unless a named, qualified reviewer appears on a specific article, that article has not been reviewed by a medical professional.

What we do is read guidance from organisations such as the World Health Organization, the NHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, report it accurately, and link to it so you can read the original. Our editorial policy describes the process.

Why it cannot replace your own doctor

General guidance is written for the average healthy adult. It cannot take into account your age, your medical history, a pregnancy, a disability, the medicines you take, or how different conditions and treatments affect one another. Advice that is sensible for most people can be wrong, or unsafe, for you.

So please:

• Talk to a qualified professional before making changes to your diet, exercise, sleep or daily routine if you have a health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, are recovering from illness or surgery, or take regular medication.
• Never stop, start or change a medicine because of something you read here.
• Do not delay seeking care. If you have a symptom that worries you, see a doctor. Do not wait because an article suggested it was probably nothing.

In an emergency

If you think you or someone else may be having a medical emergency, call your local emergency number immediately: 911 in the United States and Canada, 999 in the United Kingdom, 000 in Australia, 111 in New Zealand, or 112 in the European Union and many other countries.

If you are thinking about harming yourself, or feel unable to keep yourself safe, contact your local emergency services or a crisis line in your country straight away. In the United States and Canada you can call or text 988. In the United Kingdom and Ireland you can call Samaritans on 116 123. In Australia you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Accuracy and dates

We work hard to make sure that what we publish is accurate when it is published, and each article shows the date it was last updated. Health guidance changes as evidence develops, and recommendations differ between countries. An article may no longer reflect the latest guidance by the time you read it, and it may not match the guidance where you live.

If you find something that is wrong or out of date, please tell us. Our corrections policy explains how.

Links to other websites

We link to outside sources so that you can check what we say. We choose them with care, but we do not control those websites and are not responsible for what they publish or for how they handle your information.

Products, services and advertising

We do not recommend specific treatments, supplements, devices or commercial programmes. Mentioning a product or method is not an endorsement.

Advertising, where it appears, is supplied by an advertising network and is labelled as advertising. We do not choose individual advertisements, and an advertisement appearing on Diurna does not mean we endorse the product or the claims made for it.

Your responsibility

You use the information on Diurna at your own risk. To the fullest extent the law allows, the publisher is not liable for any loss or harm arising from relying on it. This does not limit any liability that cannot lawfully be limited. Our terms and conditions set this out in more detail.

Questions

Use the contact page.

We read every message, but we cannot answer questions about individual symptoms, test results, conditions or medication.