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Prevention and treatment for stretch marks

Are you spinning your wheels over striae? Ahhh, stretch marks. Those dreaded angry red, purple or pink squiggles that typically show up over hip bones, on thighs and underarms, or across bellies, breasts and bottoms. When you’re pregnant, you’re more susceptible because of inevitable weight gain. So what’s a gal to do? Unfortunately, there’s no…
One U.S. veteran and his life of service

Navy hero William D. Brinson honored by cornerstone SALUTES! Little did William D. Brinson know upon graduating St. Bernard High School in Alabama that he would live through war and into his senior years only to fight cancer. After his departure from his ordained seminary education, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1953, and…
Q & A on fertility problems for him

Dr. Sijo J. Parekattil talks diagnosis and treatment For a couple trying to conceive, the realization that there may be a physical problem preventing conception can be devastating. Infertility affects approximately 6.1 million individuals throughout the United States. However, the diagnosis doesn’t mean impossible and for couples in Polk County, help is, literally, right around…

Medical Advice: Your flu prevention to-do list

AS YOU GATHER your “to-do” lists and prepare for the holiday season ahead, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County recommends you add one more important step — get a flu shot! The flu shot is the best way to protect our families and communities against the spread of influenza. When you make it…
Family Health: Flu shots for seniors

HE FLU is nothing to sneeze at. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 200,000 people will be hospitalized this year with the influenza virus, and it has been estimated that 50 to 70 percent of those hospitalized are people age 65 and older.
Word of Mouth: Your dentist is key to early cancer detection

IT SEEMS LIKE you hear about many different kinds of cancers these days, but one that isn’t being talked about enough is oral cancer. Cancer in the mouth and throat are diagnosed in nearly 50,000 Americans a year, and statistics show that only 57 percent of those diagnosed still will be living in five years.