Health News
Features
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Making African-American history in Polk
Alice Manley: A lifetime of service (above) Alice Manley stands with four generations of directors for the health department. From left to right: Dr. Ulyee Choe (November 2012-Present); Dr. Daniel Haight (July 1996-November 2012); Dr. William F. Hill (January 1967-June 1985); and Dr. Kevin Sherin (July 1988-October 1993). Photo courtesy of the Florida Department of…
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Painting the town red with heart disease prevention
How Polk is taking steps to increase awareness and lower your risk Bill Mutz thought he was just going to help with a demonstration when he volunteered for an ultrasound at a Lakeland Leadership Cardiology group. But what he learned actually helped him: The ultrasound showed blood was not flowing properly through his heart’s mitral…
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New year, New you!
How Polk County is Tackling Obesity and Residents are Making Healthier Lifestyle Choices Fifty-one year-old Ann Good topped 200 pounds last May. She lacked energy and was short of breath. Concerned about a family history of heart disease and diabetes, she decided to act. Today Good is 50 pounds lighter and breathing easier, in more…
Columns
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Skin Cancer Screening a Necessity for Floridians
It should come as no big surprise that simply living in Florida puts you at an increased risk for skin cancer. The reason for this is simple: The biggest cause of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV light) from the sun. There’s a reason that Florida is called “the Sunshine State,” and while…
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Diagnosis and Treatment Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Last month, I explained what an aortic aneurysm is, how it can be detected, its presentation and risk factors. How Is It Diagnosed? An abdominal aortic aneurysm can be diagnosed with the help of an ultrasound, a safe, painless test that does not involve any radiation. If confirmed and found to be larger than…
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Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
An aneurysm is a “weakening” or “dilatation” in a part of an artery. An estimated 15,000 people die of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) every year in the US. About 200,000 new cases of AAA are diagnosed every year. Most of these are diagnosed by tests that are done for unrelated reasons. The aorta is…
