Health News

Features

Revamp Your Resolutions

Frame Your Goals for the New Year in Positive Language by MATT COBBLE As the last days of 2019 tick away, the blank canvas of 2020 stands dauntingly ahead. Many of us will aim for self-improvement by way of New Year’s Resolutions. However, statistically speaking, the majority of resolutions are disregarded or forgotten by the…
Expanding Care

Lakeland Regional’s Behavioral Health Center to Address Acute Need in Area by TERESA SCHIFFER Mental and behavioral health issues continue to be a major concern in the United States, and Central Florida is not immune to these problems. The unfortunate reality is that in Polk County, there is just one mental health provider for every…
Pop Quiz: Yoga Is More Powerful Than You Think

Yoga has been practiced for at least 5,000 years, and with good reason. It’s good for you in a number of different ways. The health benefits—physical, mental, and emotional—of yoga are numerous, and it’s a practice that can be taken up at any age. Take our quiz and test your knowledge of the health benefits…

Understanding Hernias

June is Hernia Awareness Month and to help educate you on what a hernia is, how they can be avoided and how they’re treated, we spoke with board-certified general surgeon Shiva Seetahal, MD. Dr. Seetahal specializes in procedures that treat gastrointestinal conditions, hernias, and endocrine disorders, and provides care for the body, mind, and spirit to support his…
“Doc, I Was Told I Have Granulated Eyelids”

Once in a while, a patient will tell me that a previous doctor told them they had “granulated eyelids.” What does that mean? What they are describing is a medical condition called blepharitis. Most of the time, blepharitis is caused by the staphylococcus bacteria that normally live on our skin. The bacteria are there continually,…
Understanding Valvular Heart Disease

The heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. These valves are the mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve. Each valve has flaps (cusps or leaflets) that open and close once during each heartbeat. Sometimes, the valves do not open or close properly. If a valve doesn’t fully…