<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/cfs-file/__key/system/syndication/atom.xsl" media="screen"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en-US"><title type="html">Blogs</title><subtitle type="html">Check out our forum to get the latest information on health and wellness in Illinois. Discuss various health-related topics and learn something new.</subtitle><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/atom</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/atom" /><generator uri="http://telligent.com" version="12.1.6.28905">Telligent Community (Build: 12.1.6.28905)</generator><updated>2026-05-04T10:45:00Z</updated><entry><title>Skin Cancer Facts: 3 Things Everyone Should Know</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/3-things-skin-cancer" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/3-things-skin-cancer</id><published>2026-06-08T21:37:00Z</published><updated>2026-06-08T21:37:00Z</updated><content type="html">Even though skin cancer is the most common cancer, many people don&amp;rsquo;t think they&amp;rsquo;re at risk. But everyone needs to protect their skin and pay attention to any changes.
Protect Your Skin
To protect your skin, you need to know the risks. Man...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/3-things-skin-cancer"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1281&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Skin Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Skin%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Cancer" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Cancer" /><category term="Cancer Screenings" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Cancer%2bScreenings" /></entry><entry><title>Back Pain Relief: Causes, Treatment and Prevention Tips</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/back-pain-not-alone" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/back-pain-not-alone</id><published>2026-06-08T14:00:00Z</published><updated>2026-06-08T14:00:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="https://connect.bcbsil.com/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/dolor-de-espalda" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/dolor-de-espalda"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;You may have a dull ache in your back that just won&amp;rsquo;t go away. Or you may feel a sharp, sudden pain that stops you in your tracks. Either way, you want the pain to stop.
Back pain can come from accidents, overuse and injuries like lifting somet...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/back-pain-not-alone"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=660&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Health Conditions and Prevention" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2bConditions%2band%2bPrevention" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Back Pain" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Back%2bPain" /><category term="Muscles and Bones" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Muscles%2band%2bBones" /><category term="Joint and Bone Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Joint%2band%2bBone%2bHealth" /></entry><entry><title>Diabetes and Vision Loss: Know the Connection, Protect Your Vision</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/diabetes-vision-know-connection-steps-prevent-problems" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/diabetes-vision-know-connection-steps-prevent-problems</id><published>2026-06-08T11:42:00Z</published><updated>2026-06-08T11:42:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/diabetes-y-la-perdida-de-la-vista-"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;People living with diabetes can have eye problems that lead to vision loss or blindness. And diabetic eye disease often has no early symptoms. That&amp;rsquo;s why an annual eye exam is critical for people with diabetes.
The longer you have diabetes, the...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/diabetes-vision-know-connection-steps-prevent-problems"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=501&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Vision" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Vision" /><category term="Health Conditions and Prevention" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2bConditions%2band%2bPrevention" /><category term="Managing Your Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Managing%2bYour%2bDiabetes" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Diabetes" /></entry><entry><title>Gestational Diabetes</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/gestational-diabetes" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/gestational-diabetes</id><published>2026-06-03T09:05:00Z</published><updated>2026-06-03T09:05:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/diabetes-gestacional"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
When you&amp;rsquo;re an expecting mom-to-be, you&amp;rsquo;re likely focused on doing all you can to deliver a healthy baby. You probably watch the foods you eat, take your prenatal vitamins and try to get some exercise. So, if you&amp;rsquo;re healthy, why wo...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/gestational-diabetes"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=362&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Gestational Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Gestational%2bDiabetes" /><category term="Understanding Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bDiabetes" /><category term="Pregnancy" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Pregnancy" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Diabetes" /><category term="Pregnancy Diet and Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Pregnancy%2bDiet%2band%2bHealth" /></entry><entry><title>How Social Media Affects Mental Health + Tips to Manage It</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/social-media-mental-health" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/social-media-mental-health</id><published>2026-05-21T19:37:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-21T19:37:00Z</updated><content type="html">Social media and digital tools have become constant companions in most people&amp;rsquo;s lives. There are some positive benefits. But research also shows the harm social media can have on mental health if not managed well.
Most people use social media d...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/social-media-mental-health"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1431&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Mental Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Mental%2bHealth" /><category term="Behavioral Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Behavioral%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Healthy Mind" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bMind" /><category term="Teen Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Teen%2bHealth" /></entry><entry><title>How You Can Help Your Child Maintain a Healthy Weight</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/childhood-obesity" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/childhood-obesity</id><published>2026-05-21T19:25:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-21T19:25:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/ayuda-a-tus-hijos-a-evitar-los-riesgos-de-la-obesidad" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/ayuda-a-tus-hijos-a-evitar-los-riesgos-de-la-obesidad"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Helping kids stay active and eat healthy foods isn&amp;rsquo;t easy. But it&amp;rsquo;s important: Early extra pounds often start children on the path to future health problems.
Overweight children can also have health issues while they&amp;rsquo;re still young...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/childhood-obesity"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1139&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Exercise" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Exercise" /><category term="Healthy Eating" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bEating" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Diabetes" /><category term="Childhood Obesity" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Childhood%2bObesity" /></entry><entry><title>Follow 4 Simple Steps to Put Your Family on a Healthy Path</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/4-goals-family-fitness" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/4-goals-family-fitness</id><published>2026-05-21T15:39:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-21T15:39:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="Lee esto en Espa&amp;ntilde;ol" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/4-metas-familia-fitness"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s never too early to teach kids about healthy habits. Setting good habits when they&amp;rsquo;re young puts them on the path toward a healthier life.
Many children are not off to a good start. About 1 in 5 American children are obese, says the C...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/4-goals-family-fitness"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1242&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Exercise" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Exercise" /><category term="Sleep" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Sleep" /><category term="Children’s Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Children_1920_s%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Childhood Obesity" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Childhood%2bObesity" /></entry><entry><title>What is Anxiety Disorder?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/anxiety-disorder" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/anxiety-disorder</id><published>2026-05-18T16:32:52Z</published><updated>2026-05-18T16:32:52Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/trastorno-de-ansiedad" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/trastorno-de-ansiedad"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Life can feel stressful. In a recent poll by the &lt;a title="American Psychiatric Association" href="https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/annual-poll-adults-express-increasing-anxiousness" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;American Psychiatric Association&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;adults across the U.S. have reported increased feelings of anxiety. We all deal with many life stressors at once. Worries about &amp;nbsp;health, work, money, ca...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/anxiety-disorder"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1429&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Mental Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Mental%2bHealth" /><category term="Behavioral Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Behavioral%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Healthy Mind" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Healthy%2bMind" /><category term="Understanding Depression and Anxiety" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bDepression%2band%2bAnxiety" /></entry><entry><title>When the Heart’s Aflutter, AFib May Be the Reason</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/when-the-hearts-aflutter-make-healthy-choices-to-help-prevent-stroke" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/when-the-hearts-aflutter-make-healthy-choices-to-help-prevent-stroke</id><published>2026-05-13T10:57:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-13T10:57:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/ante-un-corazon-afligido-decisiones-saludables-para-prevenir-derrames-cerebrales"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Singers may croon that their love-struck hearts are all aflutter, but in real life, a fluttering heart can be a scary problem &amp;mdash; atrial fibrillation, better known as AFib.
In a healthy heart, electrical signals travel through the muscle and mak...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/when-the-hearts-aflutter-make-healthy-choices-to-help-prevent-stroke"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=478&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Nutrition" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Nutrition" /><category term="Heart Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heart%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Understanding Heart Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bHeart%2bHealth" /><category term="Understanding Heart Disease" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bHeart%2bDisease" /><category term="Women’s Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Women_1920_s%2bHealth" /><category term="Stroke" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Stroke" /></entry><entry><title>Do You Think Your Child Has Asthma?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/do-you-think-your-child-has-asthma" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/do-you-think-your-child-has-asthma</id><published>2026-05-08T11:37:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-08T11:37:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/crees-que-tu-hijo-padece-asma"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
It can be upsetting when your child is struggling with a health issue. It&amp;#39;s especially unnerving if your child seems to be struggling to breathe. Could your child have asthma, a known&amp;nbsp;common chronic disease?
Here&amp;rsquo;s what parents need to kn...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/do-you-think-your-child-has-asthma"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=444&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Understanding Asthma" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Understanding%2bAsthma" /><category term="Health Conditions and Prevention" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2bConditions%2band%2bPrevention" /><category term="Asthma" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Asthma" /><category term="Children’s Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Children_1920_s%2bHealth" /><category term="Lung Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Lung%2bHealth" /><category term="Teen Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Teen%2bHealth" /></entry><entry><title>Summer Heat Safety Reminders</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/summer-heat-safety-reminders" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/summer-heat-safety-reminders</id><published>2026-05-05T15:22:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-05T15:22:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/medidas-de-seguridad-para-el-verano"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Staying safe during hot summer months is important. Drinking lots of water and wearing sunscreen isn&amp;rsquo;t enough. Here are three things to know to help keep summer fun.
UV Rays Can Hurt You
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can damage your skin....(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/summer-heat-safety-reminders"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=480&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Summer Safety" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Summer%2bSafety" /><category term="Heat Stroke Symptoms" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heat%2bStroke%2bSymptoms" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Heat Safety" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heat%2bSafety" /><category term="Heat Exhaustion" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heat%2bExhaustion" /></entry><entry><title>Quit Smoking for Good</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/stop-smoking" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/stop-smoking</id><published>2026-05-04T23:41:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-04T23:41:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="Lee esto en Espa&amp;ntilde;ol" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/dejar-de-fumar"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;One of the best things you can do for your health is to quit smoking or using any kind of tobacco. Quitting isn&amp;rsquo;t easy, but the rewards make it worth the effort.
Quitting earlier in life is best, but it&amp;rsquo;s a big boost to your health at any...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/stop-smoking"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1162&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Heart Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Heart%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Quitting is Good for Your Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Quitting%2bis%2bGood%2bfor%2bYour%2bHealth" /><category term="Lung Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Lung%2bHealth" /><category term="Stop Smoking" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Stop%2bSmoking" /><category term="COPD" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/COPD" /></entry><entry><title>Is Vaping as Bad for Your Health as Smoking?</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/vaping-vs-smoking" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/vaping-vs-smoking</id><published>2026-05-04T20:19:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-04T20:19:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/vapear-o-fumar" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/vapear-o-fumar"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;One of the worst things you can do for your lungs and your overall health is to smoke. But many still don&amp;rsquo;t know that vaping is also dangerous. While experts expressed concern from the start, not everyone got the message.
What Is Vaping?
Vaping...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/vaping-vs-smoking"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1300&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Quitting is Good for Your Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Quitting%2bis%2bGood%2bfor%2bYour%2bHealth" /><category term="Lung Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Lung%2bHealth" /><category term="Stop Smoking" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Stop%2bSmoking" /><category term="Addiction" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Addiction" /></entry><entry><title>Taking Care of Your Kidneys Helps Keep You Healthy</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-kidneys" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-kidneys</id><published>2026-05-04T16:30:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-04T16:30:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="Lee esto en Espa&amp;ntilde;ol" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/rinones-sanos"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
Kidneys play a big part in your total health. They filter extra water and toxins from your body. They help control blood pressure. And they play a role in making red blood cells and in keeping bones healthy.
When your kidneys aren&amp;rsquo;t working as...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/healthy-kidneys"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=1075&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Kidney Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Kidney%2bHealth" /><category term="Kidney Disease" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Kidney%2bDisease" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Diabetes" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Diabetes" /></entry><entry><title>Stop on Red: Reducing Exposure on High Pollution Days</title><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/reducing-exposure-on-high-pollution-days" /><id>https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/reducing-exposure-on-high-pollution-days</id><published>2026-05-04T15:45:00Z</published><updated>2026-05-04T15:45:00Z</updated><content type="html">&lt;a title="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/reduce-la-exposicion-en-dias-con-alta-contaminacion" href="/espanol/b/tusalud/posts/reduce-la-exposicion-en-dias-con-alta-contaminacion"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;When air pollution levels are high, a red alert warns the public of health dangers. Poor air quality is bad for us all. And it&amp;#39;s an even greater risk for those with breathing issues. Poor air quality can trigger allergies and asthma attacks for milli...(&lt;a href="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/posts/reducing-exposure-on-high-pollution-days"&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;img src="https://connect.bcbsil.com/aggbug?PostID=451&amp;AppID=2&amp;AppType=Weblog&amp;ContentType=0" width="1" height="1"&gt;</content><author><name>BCBSIL Connect Team</name><uri>https://connect.bcbsil.com/members/bcbsilconnect</uri></author><category term="Asthma" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Asthma" /><category term="Children’s Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Children_1920_s%2bHealth" /><category term="Health and Wellness" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Health%2band%2bWellness" /><category term="Lung Health" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Lung%2bHealth" /><category term="Living with Asthma" scheme="https://connect.bcbsil.com/health-and-wellness/b/weblog/archive/tags/Living%2bwith%2bAsthma" /></entry></feed>