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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…
Talking to your teen can make a difference

New Data Reveals Teen Pregnancy Rates Have Fallen in Polk County For the past decade, the teen pregnancy rate in Polk County has been among the top in Florida, but the latest figures show the rate has dropped. “Community partnerships and civil dialogue has worked to lower teen pregnancy,” says Dr. Daniel Haight, director of…
Kicking the smoking habit for good

A resolution easier said than done, but not impossible With the holidays behind us, we stand at the threshold of another New Year. In an effort to improve our lives over the next 12 months, we’ll make resolutions that if achieved would make a difference for the better. If yours is to get healthy, fantastic!…

Enterovirus D68: Symptoms, Severity, and Treatment

We are currently experiencing a nationwide outbreak of the Enterovirus D68. Enterovirus D68 can cause respiratory illness ranging from mild to severe. Infants, children, and teenagers are most likely to get infected and become ill. Adults may also become infected but are more likely to have no symptoms or mild symptoms. Children with asthma may…
Editor’s Dose: One trip to the ER that made me think

The last time I was at the Emergency Room was for my four-year-old daughter. Since April of this year, she has been suffering from chronic hives. At first glance, these hives could be mistaken for an allergic reaction— or worse, some kind of viral infection. During the course of her treatment, I’ve had multiple parents…
Healthy Cook: An ounce of canning is worth a pound of preparedness

In the olden days, when our parents’ parents were new parents, “Putting food by” was a big job.