Health News

Features

  • 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!…

Columns

  • The Link Between Obesity, Vascular Disease

    The Link Between Obesity, Vascular Disease

    Loving ourselves and taking care of our health to prevent or delay the onset of chronic conditions is an important aspect of our health.   This is the fourth part of a series focusing on lifestyle management for the prevention of vascular disease. In previous columns, we’ve addressed smoking cessation, blood pressure regulation, and the…

  • Hypertension and Vascular Disease

    Hypertension and Vascular Disease

    In the previous two issues, we addressed smoking cessation and the importance of sugar control. In this edition, we will look at the role of hypertension in the prevention of vascular disease and how we can make lifestyle choices that can prevent or delay the onset of hypertension.     Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects…

  • Common Vision Problems

    Common Vision Problems

    There are many types of vision problems that can affect your eyesight. The focus of this topic will be on the four most common causes of blurred vision.   Astigmatism   Astigmatism is an uneven or irregular curvature of the cornea and/or lens of the eye. This results in blurred or distorted vision. Other symptoms…

Accessibility Toolbar