Health News

Features

Local Chat and Chew now offered after hours

Community volunteer organization creates new event to help put willpower back in your diet With our fast paced, 21st century lives, it is sometimes challenging to prepare good, nutritious meals for ourselves and our families. There are meals sold in restaurants found on every corner that are high in fat, salt, cholesterol, and sugar, and…
Beyond Breast Cancer Awareness

A look at prevention 365 days a year It’s time to lavish your pink frocks, flaunt that cotton candy boa, showoff those fuchsia stilettos and sport your cherry blossom bustier! Call all your BFFs as it’s October and that means Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Affordable Care Act Update

Many Polk County residents are continuing to rely on free healthcare clinics, despite health insurance subsidies available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As the nation nears its second open enrollment period for health insurance in November, it is business as usual at some area clinics.

Wine: Good or Bad for Your Teeth?

Wine is a favorite beverage of many people, and the various studies indicating wine’s heart healthfulness have been greeted with cheers. However, while the antioxidants in certain wines may be good for your heart, it doesn’t speak as to whether wine is good for your teeth or not. WINE’S NEGATIVES Wine is a highly acidic…
The Four Killer ‘Bs’ of Health

Do you know your health numbers? There are four numbers that can help paint a better picture of your health, and this is something you should be discussing with your primary care physician. We like to call them the “Four Killer Bs”— but don’t be scared! When kept in check with proper preventive steps, these…
Pilonidal Cysts— A Pain in the . . .

Pilonidal cysts and sinuses are conditions that occur from hairs growing downward into the skin and deeper tissues, usually in the region of the lower back and tailbone. Pilonidal cysts occur in 26 out of every 100,000 patients. They are three times more common in males and tend to show up in the late teens…