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Sweets and sour news for kids

Certain Candies Are as Acidic as Battery Acid on Kids’ Teeth Peering into kids’ mouths every day, pediatric dentists have noticed an alarmingly widespread problem of late. Something is eating away at the chewing surfaces of children’s back teeth. Turns out, its worms – gummy worms, that is – along with assorted other sweet-and-sour candies,…
Kristi Yamaguchi speaks out on influenza

Should you get a flu vaccine? Less than half of the U.S. population actually gets the annual flu vaccine. While vaccinations are recommended in late summer or early fall, it’s still beneficial even in the middle of winter. During many flu seasons, influenza activity doesn’t peak until winter or early spring. In fact, virus activity…
Making choices that lower your risk

How African-Americans Can Avoid High Blood Pressure Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is a heavy weight that the African-American community has been destined to cope with. While no one is immune from high blood pressure, it is a proven fact that the African-American population has a 40 percent higher rate over any other ethnic group…

What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD?

by NADER MOINFAR, M.D., M.P.H. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In general, AMD is a disease that progresses in stages. Patients with advanced AMD experience vision loss from either excess ﬂuid and blood (wet AMD) or the death of cells (GA). It is estimated that 1.5 million…
Understanding 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…
The Future Is Clear: The Shift to Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

by DANIEL SMITH, O.D. Contact lenses offer a wonderful alternative to traditional eyeglasses, providing wearers with a range of unique benefits that suit various lifestyles. They offer a natural, unobstructed field of vision, and the absence of frames on the face may be highly beneficial, especially during physical activities where glasses may pose a risk…