Health News
Features
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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…
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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…
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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
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LASIK and Other Popular Refractive Procedures
Refractive surgery is designed to correct myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism to effectively reduce dependency on eyeglasses and contacts. The most popular refractive procedure is LASIK, which stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. It involves shaping the cornea using a laser. Other refractive procedures include photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and refractive lens exchange (RLE). Those…
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Bridging the Gap Between a Healthy and Unhealthy Smile
Bridges and crowns are both great tools to help improve your smile if you have cracked, chipped, missing, or damaged teeth. While new techniques like dental veneers and bonding are available, traditional methods such as bridges and crowns offer stronger, more efficient results. Bridges and crowns are fixed prosthetic devices that are fixed onto existing…
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Diabetes Mellitus: Not Just About Controlling Your Blood Sugar
Ever too often, I encounter patient who are diabetic and practice blood sugar monitoring only. Diabetes mellitus is a condition that affects all organ systems. It is important that patients also monitor their eyes, kidney, nerves and heart. Some conditions directly associated with poor diabetic control are: Diabetic retinopathy: an eye condition that affects your…
