Health News

Features

Local Experts Weigh-In On the Fight Against Heart Disease

By Matt Norman It is a common misconception that heart disease is a men’s problem. While this is a major problem for men, it doesn’t mean women are safe. In fact, 1 in 3 female deaths each year is a result of heart disease or stroke. This means one death every 80 seconds. As an…
Wake Up to Sleeping Disorders

Sleep Apnea Puts Your Heart Health At Risk by Catherine Cervone If you snore so loudly you’re constantly waking your partner up, you’re falling asleep at the wheel, or you’re having extreme fatigue throughout the day, you may have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is most noticeable when you’re sleeping, though it usually is not recognizable…
Pop Quiz: Physical Activity Recommendations for a Healthy Heart

By Erika Aldrich Heart health is on a lot of people’s minds during the beginning of the year, but it should be a major focus year-round as heart disease is this nation’s leading killer of both men and women. Heart disease accounts for nearly one in four deaths in this county. Although many cases of…

Medical Advice: Back-to-school tips and the 5-2-1-0 program

AS STUDENTS and families prepare to return to school, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (FDOH-Polk) would like to take this opportunity to remind them to take the proper steps to stay healthy this school year. Good health is important for students in order to maintain regular school attendance and be ready to…
Hospice Help: Hospice myth busting

WHEN MOST PEOPLE hear the word “hospice,” they immediately associate the provided care as being intimately tied to hours, or if lucky, days before death. Then there is also the supposition that hospice is only for cancer patients. These are just two myths that need to be busted when it comes to understanding hospice.
First impressions of our daughter’s new specialist

WE HEARD IT growing up from our mothers all the time, but we didn’t quite understand the true significance of it. As adults, we begin to see the value in making a good first impression. Whether it’s for a job interview, that first parent-teacher meeting, or sitting down with a new doctor, first impressions play…