Our mission is very simple: Provide clear, trusted, actionable information that helps you and your family confidently live your healthiest lives. Our readers include anyone searching for health information from pregnancy advice to diet tips to understanding diabetes treatment. We know what a responsibility that is, and we take it very much to heart.
Our content contributors are doctors, therapists, nurses, nutritionists, and other professionals. These experts put their knowledge to work for you with every article they write so you can benefit from their years of experience.
Contributors to Verywell are independent contractors who create and publish content on Verywellhealth.com and affiliated sites (the "Site"). Contributors are compensated in part based on the amount of content that they create and/or the page views of the Sites containing the content they create. Verywell contractually requires that its contributors maintain high ethical standards and all legal requirements, including Federal Trade Commission (FTC) disclosure requirements. Contributors writing for Verywell are contractually obligated to comply with ethical standards embodied in the HONcode. The contributors, and not Verywell, are responsible for their own compliance with these standards. These contributors and other writers provide advice and information that they intend to be not only practical but trustworthy. These contributors and other writers write and are responsible for their content, and this content is made available on Verywell "AS IS". Your use of the Sites is subject to the Terms of Use (including any disclaimers).
Ecommerce and Affiliate Links Disclosure. Contributors may receive compensation for participation in third-party affiliate programs, including purchases made through links to Verywell's ecommerce partners, if any.
Funding Statement. Verywell is owned and operated by About, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of IAC/Interactive Corp, which is a public company (NASDAQ: IACI). Other than loans or transfers from affiliated companies, the only external sources of funding are from advertisements and sponsored content on the website.
To help us maintain the resources needed to create the quality content you deserve, we accept advertisements on our website. We greatly value transparency and hope that this policy leaves you feeling even more confident about the content and service we provide.
Verywell maintains a distinct separation between advertising and editorial content.
At Verywell, we take online privacy seriously and we respect the concerns of our community of users. In this policy (the “Privacy Policy”) we describe our privacy practices with regard to information we collect through Verywell.com and affiliated sites, Verywellhealth.com, Verywellmind.com, Verywellfit.com and Verywellfamily.com (collectively, the “Site”), to help you make informed decisions about how you share information when you visit or use the site.
We may collect information, including personal data, directly from you if you choose to provide that information. For example, you may provide us with your name and contact information (such as an email address), date of birth, or other details of that nature, when you sign up for our newsletters or participate in promotions or surveys on the Site.
You also may choose to provide personal data about yourself when you participate in forums or discussions on the Site. Please be aware that information you post in these forums may be viewed or captured by anyone who visits the Site, therefore you should avoid posting sensitive personal data that you would not want to be available to the public.
When you access the Site, we and our third-party partners may automatically collect certain information about your visit using tools such as cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies. The information collected automatically when you visit the Site may include your IP address, characteristics of your operating system, information about your browser and system settings, data about the computer or mobile device you use to access the Site, unique device identifiers, clickstream data (which shows the page-by-page path you take as you browse the Site). We or our third-party partners may combine information that each of us collects automatically with other information about you, including information you choose to provide.
Cookies are small files that websites and other online services use to store information about users on the users’ own computers. This Site may use cookies (such as HTTP and HTML5 cookies and Flash cookies), as well as other types of local storage. For more information about cookies, you may visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org. See the section below regarding Your choices to learn more about how you may limit or disable cookies on your computer. If you choose to disable cookies, that could affect certain features of the Site that use cookies to enhance their functionality.
To manage our automatic data collection, we may place tags (often referred to as “web beacons”) on pages on the Site or in emails we send to you. Web beacons are small files that link web pages to particular web servers and their cookies, and they may be used for a variety of purposes, such as counting the number of visitors to the Site, analyzing how users navigate around the Site, assessing how many emails that we send are actually opened and which articles or links are viewed by visitors.
We also use third-party web analytics services, such as Google Analytics, on the Site, to provide us with statistics and other information about visitors to the Site.
“Do Not Track” Signals. Your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “do not track” signal to websites and online services you visit. At this time there is no consensus among industry participants as to the meaning of “do not track” in this context. Like many other websites, Verywellhealth.com is not configured to respond to “do not track” signals from browsers. Click here to learn more about "do not track" signals.
Finally, companies that provide certain third-party apps, tools, widgets, and plug-ins that may appear on the Site (for example, Facebook “Like” buttons), also may use automated means to collect information regarding your interactions with these features. This information collection is subject to the privacy policies or notices of those providers.
Further information regarding our use of cookies and other tracking technologies is described in our Cookies Disclosure.
We may use the information gathered on Verywell for various purposes, including the purposes listed below. For example, if you were to contact us with a question and provide your email address, we would use the email address you provided to respond to your inquiry. In addition, we use information we collect from you and through the Site to:
Our agents, vendors, consultants, and other service providers may have access to information we collect through the Site to carry out work on our behalf. Those parties are subject to confidentiality obligations and are restricted from using personal data collected through the Site for purposes other than to provide the requested assistance. In addition, we may share information:
Unsubscribe from emails. To unsubscribe from a particular newsletter, click the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of that email newsletter. If you would like to globally opt-out from ALL Verywell email campaigns please send an email to optout@verywell.com with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line. When we send newsletters to subscribers we may allow advertisers or partners to include messages in those newsletters, or we may send dedicated newsletters on behalf of those advertisers or partners. We may disclose your opt-out choices to third parties so that they can honor your preferences in accordance with applicable laws.
Blocking cookies. Certain browsers may be configured to notify you when you receive cookies, or allow you to restrict or disable certain cookies. If you choose to disable cookies, however, that could affect certain features of the Site that use cookies to enhance their functionality.
Disabling local shared objects (“Flash cookies”). We may use other kinds of local storage that function similarly, but are stored in different parts of your computer from ordinary browser cookies. Your browser may allow you to disable its HTML5 local storage or delete information contained in its HTML5 local storage. Click here for details about deleting information contained in "local shared objects" or adjusting related preferences.
Options concerning third-party ad networks. For more information about third-party ad networks and services that use these technologies, you can visit www.aboutads.info and click here to opt out or to learn more about your options. You also may visit the NAI's site for additional options on how to opt out of interest-based advertising.
We maintain appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the personal data you provide against accidental, unlawful, or unauthorized destruction, loss, alteration, access, disclosure, or use. That said, it is not possible to guarantee the security of information transmitted online, and you assume some risk with regard to the security of information you provide through any website, including this Site. If you have a data security inquiry, you may contact us by emailing security@verywell.com. To request an invite to our bug bounty program to submit reports on vulnerabilities found on Verywellhealth.com, you may contact us by emailing bugbounty@verywell.com.
On this Site we may provide links to other websites that are controlled by third parties. Linked websites may have their own privacy notices or policies, which we strongly suggest you review. We are not responsible for the content, usage terms, or privacy policies of websites that we do not own or control.
While you are visiting Verywell, you may have the opportunity to participate in surveys, quizzes, or other interactive features that request information about you and your opinions and preferences. Your participation in these features is entirely voluntary. If you do choose to participate, please be aware that these features may be operated by a third party that is not controlled by Verywell, and therefore the information you provide may be collected by the third party and subject to its privacy policy.
This Site is not designed or intended for use by children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under the age of 16, we will delete any such information.
Your personal data may be stored, transferred and process in and to the United States and in other countries by our affiliates and/or service providers. The data protection laws in these countries may provide a lower standard of protection for your personal data than your country of residence. We take great care in protecting your personal data and have put in place adequate mechanisms to protect it when it is transferred internationally. We will transfer your personal data in compliance with applicable data protection laws and will implement suitable safeguards to ensure that your personal data is adequately secured by any third party that will access your information (for instance, by using the Model Clauses as approved by the European Commission).
By using our Site and providing personal data to us, you consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy and the collection, use, maintenance, transfer to and processing of your personal data in the United States or other countries or territories, and, unless otherwise stated in this Privacy Policy, we use this consent as the legal basis for that data transfer.
If you have questions or wish to obtain more information about the international transfer of your personal data or the implemented safeguards, please send us an email to privacy@verywell.com
We may update this online privacy policy periodically to reflect changes to our privacy practices, such as how we collect or use personal data. We will post a prominent notice on the Verywellhealth.com home page to notify you of significant changes to this policy, and we indicate at the top of the policy the date when it was most recently updated.
If you have questions about this policy or about our privacy practices, you may contact us by emailing privacy@verywell.com.
If you are a California resident inquiring about your California privacy rights, please include “California privacy rights request” in the subject line of your email.
If you are a resident of the European Economic Area inquiring about your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), please include “GDPR privacy rights request” in the subject line of your email.
You may also write to:
1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY 10036
Our Notice to California Residents
Subject to certain limits, under California law California residents may ask us to provide them with a list of the categories of personal data that we have disclosed to third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year, as well as the identity of those third parties. California residents may contact us as specified in the How to Contact Us section above to make a request for this information.
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA):
The controller of your personal data under this Privacy Policy is About, Inc., with an address of 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Our local representative with respect to the GDPR can be contacted at Privacy@ask.co.uk.
We process your personal data only if we have a legal basis to do so, including:
The purpose for which we use and process your information and the legal basis on which we carry out each type of processing is further explained below.
Some of our processing of your data will involve transferring your data outside the European Economic Area ("EEA"). Some of our external third-party service providers are also based outside of the EEA, and their processing of your personal data will involve a transfer of data outside the EEA. This includes the United States. Where personal data is transferred to and stored in a country not determined by the European Commission as providing adequate levels of protection for personal data, we take steps to provide appropriate safeguards to protect your personal data, including when appropriate entering into standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission, obliging recipients to protect your personal data.
We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes it was retained, such as to enable you to use the Website and your products or to provide services to you. In some instances, we may retain data for longer periods in order to comply with applicable laws (including those regarding document retention), resolve disputes with any parties, and otherwise as necessary to allow us to conduct our business. All personal data we retain will be subject to this Privacy Policy and our internal retention guidelines.
You have the following rights:
In order to exercise any of these rights, please contact us according to the “How to Contact Us” section herein. Please note that the above rights are not absolute and we may be entitled to refuse requests, wholly or partly, where exceptions under the applicable law apply.
Verywellhealth.com and its affiliated sites (collectively, the “Site”) are Dotdash brands, owned and operated by About, Inc. and its affiliates ("Verywell", the "Company", "we", or "us"). Access to and use of the Site is subject to these terms and conditions of use (“Terms of Use”).
The content of this Site is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. Verywell does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physician, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by Verywell, Verywell employees, other contributors appearing on the Site at the invitation of Verywell, or other visitors to the Site is solely at your own risk.
We reserve the right to change these Terms of Use at any time. You should check this page regularly. The changes will appear on the Site and will be effective when we post the changes. Your continued use of the Site means you agree to and accept the changes.
Our Privacy Policy contains further information about how data is collected, used and made available on or by our Site. We encourage you to read it, here.
The materials used and displayed on the Site, including but not limited to text, software, photographs, graphics, illustrations and artwork, video, music and sound, and names, logos, trademarks and service marks, are the property of Verywell, About, Inc. or its affiliates or licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws. Any such content may be used solely for your personal, non-commercial use. You agree not to modify, reproduce, retransmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish, broadcast or circulate any such material without the written permission of Verywell. Verywell grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Site and any materials on the site for non-commercial purposes subject to these Terms of Use.
The terms Verywell, Verywellhealth.com and other Verywell trademarks and services marks, and associated logos and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans are trademarks of Verywell or its affiliates or licensors. You may not use such marks without the prior written permission of Verywell. All other names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans on the Site are the trademarks of their respective owners.
We have no obligation to, and you should not expect us to, review content on our Site, including User Contributions (defined below) or contributions by our independent contributors.
Verywell seeks out content providers in particular subject matters as independent contractor contributors to the Site. Verywell does not represent or guarantee that any contributor has achieved any particular level of expertise or knowledge or has any specific qualifications or credentials, without limitation, as to the subject matter to which their contributions relate. To the extent we refer to each of these contributors as an expert, you must understand we rely on the information they provide us and we are not obligated to independently verify or attempt to confirm any information they provide, nor their qualifications or credentials. Verywell also is not obligated to monitor or independently research or verify any content they contribute. Contributors, even if characterized as expert, are not employees of Verywell or its affiliates and Verywell cannot and does not represent or warrant the accuracy, completeness or truthfulness of the qualifications or credentials of any contributor, nor of any other users of the Site.
Please do not rely on Site content, including User Contributions and content from our independent contractor contributors. Content is provided for general information purposes only and can never take into account your unique, personal circumstances and needs. You acknowledge and agree that any reliance or actions you take in violation of your agreement with us shall be at your sole and exclusive risk and Verywell shall have no responsibility or liability to you whatsoever. You also acknowledge and agree that communications on or through the Site, whether with content providers or other users, are at your own risk and are not covered by any privilege or confidentiality obligation that might apply if you were to obtain your own professional advice (e.g., doctor-patient).
You may use the Site only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms of Use. You agree not to use the Site:
Additionally, you agree not to:
The Site may contain message boards, chat rooms, personal web pages or profiles, forums, bulletin boards and other interactive features (collectively, "Interactive Services") that allow users to post, submit, publish, display or transmit to other users or other persons (hereinafter, "post") content or materials (collectively, "User Contributions") on or through the Site.
If you voluntarily disclose personal information (e.g., user name, email address) on the Site, such as on a forum, chat room or on any other user or member-generated pages, that information can be viewed in search engines, collected and used by others and may result in unsolicited contact from other parties. We advise that you not post any personal or other sensitive information on our Site.
Any User Contribution you post to the Site will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. By providing any User Contribution on the Site, you grant us and our affiliates and service providers, and each of their and our respective licensees, successors and assigns the right to use, reproduce, modify, perform, display, distribute and otherwise disclose to third parties any such material for any purpose.
You represent and warrant that:
You understand and acknowledge that you are responsible for any User Contributions you submit or contribute, and you, not the Company, have full responsibility for such content, including its legality, reliability, accuracy and appropriateness. We are not responsible, or liable to any third party, for the content or accuracy of any User Contributions posted by you or any other user of the Site.
We have the right to:
Without limiting the foregoing, we have the right to fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing us to disclose the identity or other information related to anyone posting any materials on or through the Site. YOU WAIVE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSEES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM ANY CLAIMS RESULTING FROM ANY ACTION TAKEN BY ANY OF THE FOREGOING PARTIES DURING OR AS A RESULT OF ITS INVESTIGATIONS AND FROM ANY ACTIONS TAKEN AS A CONSEQUENCE OF INVESTIGATIONS BY EITHER THE COMPANY/SUCH PARTIES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES.
However, we cannot and do not undertake to review all material before it is posted on the Site, and cannot ensure prompt removal of objectionable material after it has been posted. Accordingly, we assume no liability for any action or inaction regarding transmissions, communications or content provided by any user or third party. We have no liability or responsibility to anyone for performance or nonperformance of the activities described in this section.
These content standards apply to any and all User Contributions and use of Interactive Services. User Contributions must in their entirety comply with all applicable federal, state, local and international laws and regulations. Without limiting the foregoing, User Contributions must not:
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Verywell, and its officers, directors, owners, employees, agents, information providers, affiliates, licensors and licensees (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") from and against any and all liability and costs, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Indemnified Parties in connection with any claim arising out of (a) any User Contributions, or (b) breach by you or any user of your account of these Terms of Use or any representations, warranties and covenants contained in these Terms of Use. You shall cooperate fully and reasonably in the defense of any such claim. Verywell reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you.
THE SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OTHER THAN THOSE WARRANTIES WHICH ARE IMPOSED BY AND INCAPABLE OF EXCLUSION, RESTRICTION OR MODIFICATION UNDER THE LAWS APPLICABLE TO THESE TERMS OF USE. WE DO NOT ENDORSE AND ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY OPINION, ADVICE OR STATEMENT ON THE SITE. THE INFORMATION, FACTS, AND OPINIONS PROVIDED ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.
YOUR USE OF THE SITE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER, VERYWELL OR ABOUT, INC. NOR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES OR LICENSORS (INCLUDING OUR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR CONTRIBUTORS) SHALL BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE FOR ANY LOSS OR INJURY OR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR SIMILAR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS OR USE OF, OR YOUR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SITE AND THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE SITE OR ARISING OUT OF ANY ACTION TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO OR AS A RESULT OF ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE SITE. YOU HEREBY WAIVE ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AGAINST VERYWELL, ABOUT, INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES AND LICENSORS (INCLUDING OUR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR CONTRIBUTORS) ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE THEREON.
We do not review or monitor any websites, advertisements, or other media linked to or available through the Site and are not responsible for the content of any such third party advertisements or linked websites. Prior to purchasing any third party products or services described on the Site, you are advised to verify pricing, product quality and other information necessary to make an informed purchase. Neither Verywell nor its parent or any of its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, agents, representatives or licensors shall have any liability arising from your purchases of third party products or services based upon the information provided on the Site, and we shall not receive or review complaints regarding such purchases.
These Terms of Use and any disputes arising out of or related to the Site shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York (without regard to conflict of law principles). In the event of any such dispute, you irrevocably consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the courts located in the State of New York, County of New York.
ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OF USE OR THE SITE MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES, OTHERWISE, SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED AND YOU HEREBY AGREE TO WAIVE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM AFTER SUCH DATE.
No waiver by Verywell of any term or condition set forth in these Terms of Use shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or a waiver of any other term or condition, and any failure of Verywell to assert a right or provision under these Terms of Use shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
If any provision of these Terms of Use is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms of Use will continue in full force and effect.
The Terms of Use constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and Verywell with respect to the Site and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations and warranties, both written and oral, with respect to the Site.
Verywell deals with copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You may not post, upload, or otherwise place any content or information on the Site that belongs to a third party, unless you have the legal right to do so. If you believe in good faith that your copyrighted work has been reproduced on our Site without authorization in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, you may notify our designated copyright agent either by mail to Copyright Agent (Legal), About, Inc., 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 or in an email to SafeHarborAgent@About.Com. This contact information is only for suspected copyright infringement. Please include the following:
It is the policy of Verywell to disable the accounts of users who repeatedly post infringing material on the Site.
Dotdash brands, including Verywell, are covered by one or more of the following patents:
This Site is a Dotdash brand, owned and operated by About, Inc., located at 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
All other feedback, comments, requests for technical support and other communications relating to the Site should be directed to: contact@verywell.com.
Thank you for visiting Verywell.
These advertising guidelines (“Guidelines”) set forth standards that govern the placement of advertisements and sponsored content (collectively “Ads”) by any advertiser, agency or technology provider that About, Inc. partners with (collectively, “Advertisers”). Advertisers must adhere to these Guidelines when placing Ads, including Ads purchased under the AAAA/IAB Standard Terms and Conditions, on websites or mobile properties owned or controlled by About, Inc. (“About”), including Verywellhealth.com (collectively “Verywell”).
These Guidelines are intended to provide general parameters for Advertisers in connection with Ad creative and content served on Verywell. They are not exhaustive and do not address every situation or issue that may arise in the course of business, particularly given the rate of change within the media and advertising industry. Accordingly, these Guidelines are subject to change from time to time in About’s sole discretion.
Advertisers are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations, including FTC guidelines regarding advertising, native advertising disclosure, privacy, and data security. All Ad’s must be fair, truthful, and clearly distinguishable from editorial content. Advertisers are responsible for ensuring all Ads and related claims are adequately substantiated. Further, Advertisers must adhere to About’s Prohibited Content Guidelines and Additional Standards for Advertisers, which are incorporated into these Guidelines and set forth below.
Ads served through networks or exchanges are reviewed on a regular basis and, in addition to any other remedies About may have, About reserves the right to remove, without notice, any Ads that do not meet these Guidelines, regardless of whether the Ad was previously accepted by About.
Ads may not contain or promote the following:
Advertisers and Ads must adhere to the following standards: