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Helping make the healthier choice, the easier choice

About the Building a Healthier Polk initiative Building a Healthier Polk is a group of community partners brought together by Polk Vision who are working towards the goal of reducing the obesity rate in Polk County. Polk Vision is a broad, community-led partnership of organizations, businesses, government, and individuals. In 2012, Polk Vision’s Quality of…
The trouble with trigger finger

Local surgeon develops alternate solution for a tricky procedure There’s no getting around this fact: you need your hands. When one or more of your fingers or thumbs doesn’t function properly, it interferes with work and play. Correcting a condition such as trigger finger once meant a trip to a hospital or surgery center for…
Healthy Cook: The disease-fighting properties of red foods

Roses are red Berries are blue Red foods tastes good And are heart-healthy, too. There are only a few days of the year when a writer can get that corny, and who am I to pass up the chance? But it’s true. Lots of red foods are good for the heart because of what they…

What is Bell’s Palsy?

By: Edward Attaway, O.D. Bell’s Palsy is a condition in which one side of the face typically experiences temporary paralysis, often lasting from 3-6 months. It results from a dysfunction of the 7th cranial nerve, also referred to as the facial nerve, which controls the muscles on the side of your face. Affected muscles include…
When Do You Visit the Doctor for Hives?

Hives are itchy patches of skin that turn into swollen, itchy welts. They can vary in size. Chronic hives are defined as hives that last for more than six weeks and return over the course of months or years. The cause of chronic hives is often unknown. These welts are caused by some reaction that…
A Closer Look at the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lymphedema

Lymphedema is largely a clinical diagnosis. When you see a vascular surgeon for the first time with this condition, they will order tests to make sure no underlying coexisting diseases are present. For example, they will order tests to rule out peripheral arterial disease (blockages in the arterial circulation), chronic venous insufficiency (vein blockages or…