Fact-Checking Policy
Last updated: 2026-08-08
How factual claims on this site are sourced and checked.
Sourcing standard
Specific medical claims (for example, how a condition is diagnosed, how a medication class works, or when a symptom needs emergency care) are checked against publicly available guidance from recognized health authorities: the CDC, FDA, NIH/NIAID, MedlinePlus, AAAAI, and ACAAI, and other established medical institutions.
We do not use competitor websites as a primary source for medical facts, and we do not copy another site's wording, structure, or claims.
- Government and public-health agencies: CDC, FDA, NIH and NIAID
- Consumer health services from those bodies, such as MedlinePlus
- Professional allergy and immunology organizations: AAAAI and ACAAI
- Peer-reviewed clinical literature and published clinical guidance
- Official medicine information, including approved product labeling
- Not used as a primary source: competitor websites, content farms and undated summaries
Which claims get checked
Not every sentence needs a citation, but anything a reader could act on does. We prioritize checking claims where being wrong would change what someone does next.
- Numbers: prevalence figures, percentages, timeframes and study results
- Thresholds: age limits, dosing intervals and when a symptom becomes urgent
- Mechanisms: how a drug class or a diagnostic test actually works
- Safety: contraindications, interactions, pregnancy and pediatric cautions
- Emergency criteria: the signs that mean stop reading and get help now
- Anything stated as settled fact rather than as a general possibility
How statistics are checked
A statistic is checked against the original study or the agency page that published it, not against a secondary article repeating it. Figures get distorted as they are passed along, and a number can be repeated across many reputable-looking pages while still misstating what the underlying research found.
Where the original source says something different from the popular version of a figure, we publish what the original says and, where it helps, explain the distinction. Where a figure cannot be traced to the body it is attributed to, we do not publish it on the strength of how often it appears elsewhere.
When a source cannot be read
Sometimes a source page cannot be retrieved or verified at the time of writing. In that situation the claim is not published on the strength of a search-result summary or a snippet: either another authoritative source that can be read is used instead, or the claim is left out and the gap is noted for a later update.
A citation is only added where the cited page was actually consulted and genuinely supports the specific claim it is attached to. A link that merely looks authoritative is not evidence.
When a claim cannot be verified
If a claim cannot be traced to a credible source, it is removed or rewritten with appropriate uncertainty rather than published as settled fact. We do not invent statistics, studies, or outcomes to make an article sound more authoritative.
This applies to claims already on the site as well as new ones. Where existing wording turns out to overstate the evidence, understate it, or attribute it to a body that did not say it, the wording is corrected rather than quietly deleted, and the correction is treated as a substantive update. Older pages are still being brought up to this standard, which is tracked under our Content Update Policy.
What we do not do
Several practices are common in health content and are not used here, because each one makes a page look better sourced than it actually is.
- Invent statistics, studies, expert quotations or outcomes
- Cite a source that does not actually support the claim beside it
- Cite a source that was not consulted
- Treat a claim as verified because many other websites repeat it
- Attribute a figure to an organization that did not publish it
- Copy another site's wording, structure or claims
Corrections
If you believe an article contains an inaccurate medical claim, see our Corrections Policy for how to report it.
Frequently asked questions
Does every sentence on the site have a citation?
No, and a page that appeared to would be misleading. General explanatory writing does not need a source beside every line. We prioritize checking and citing claims a reader could act on: numbers, thresholds, safety cautions, mechanisms and emergency criteria.
How do you check a statistic?
Against the original study or the agency page that published it, never against another article repeating it. Figures get distorted as they are passed along, so a number can appear on many reputable-looking pages while still misstating what the research actually found.
What if a widely repeated figure turns out to be wrong?
We publish what the original source actually says rather than the popular version, and where it helps we explain the difference. If a figure cannot be traced to the organization it is credited to, we do not publish it just because it appears in many places.
What happens if you cannot open a source page?
The claim is not published on the strength of a search summary or snippet. We either find another authoritative source that can actually be read, or leave the claim out and note the gap for a later update.
Are competitor health sites used as sources?
Not as a primary source for medical facts. They may show which questions readers are asking, but the answer itself is checked against public-health agencies, professional bodies, official medicine information or peer-reviewed literature. We also do not copy another site's wording, structure or claims.
What happens to claims that were already published?
They are subject to the same standard. Where existing wording overstates the evidence, understates it, or credits a body that did not say it, the wording is corrected rather than quietly deleted, and it is treated as a substantive update rather than a silent edit.
Does fact-checking mean the information applies to me?
No. Checking confirms that a claim is accurately stated and properly sourced for a general audience. It cannot account for your history, medicines, age, allergies or pregnancy status, so it is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for any individual.
How do I report a claim I think is wrong?
Note the page URL, the exact passage and a reliable source that contradicts it, then see the Corrections Policy for how issues are evaluated. Claims affecting a medical conclusion or an emergency instruction are escalated for medical review.