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The tobacco talk

Two-Way Discussion Street to Steering Kids Away from Smoking The Bureau of Tobacco Prevention Program’s Tobacco Free Florida campaign is designed to boost the ranks of Floridians whose health and lives can be enhanced by living without tobacco – including teens and young adults. Health Department Director and USF faculty Dr. Daniel Haight encourages parents…
Fast-track to fit or dead end?

The Truth About Minute Fitness Plans Got a minute? That’s about the only amount of time left in today’s fitness world that is not attached to any workout. From coast to coast in advertisements on television to the Internet, fitness centers and home DVD companies are offering a myriad of exercise programs that are getting…
Bone-up to avoid osteoporosis

Helping women (and men) maintain healthy bones Many people have heard about osteoporosis. However, experts say most people are undereducated about this common affliction. “The most negatively impactful myth is that osteoporosis is a disease that afflicts very elderly women and that it is an inevitable effect of aging,” says Thomas W. Oates, MD, a…

The “Ripe” Time for Cataract Surgery

Whenever I tell a patient that he or she has cataracts they immediately ask if they need to have surgery. We start thinking about cataract surgery whenever the patient’s quality of life is affected. Common complaints include, “I can’t read road signs,” or “I can’t read the writing on TV,” or “I can’t read small…
A Cautionary Tale for Frequent Biting, Grinding, or Clenching

Biting and chewing your food. It’s something we do every day and without thinking. That’s why when most people have biting issues— where they bite the inside tissue of their mouth— they usually don’t think beyond the few minutes of pain and discomfort it causes. However, frequent biting (as well as grinding and clenching) can…
Oral Cancer Awareness Month

The month of April is considered National Oral Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers in the United States for 2019 show that about 53,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer and an estimated 10,860 will die of these cancers. Lip and…