Health News
Features
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Routine Mammograms Save Lives, Including that of CEO Ann Claussen
by TERESA SCHIFFER Sponsored by Central Florida Health Care Every October, we don pink ribbons to show our support for those affected by breast cancer, a disease that claims the lives of over 42,000 women each year in the U.S. Ann Claussen, breast cancer survivor and CEO of Central Florida Health Care, knows firsthand how…
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It Takes a Village
Breast Cancer Survivor Nikita Lyons Smith Shares Her Story of Hope and Support by RYAN MILEJCZAK photo by JESSICA McDONALD Nikita Lyons Smith has a story that would inspire anyone. She boasts many accomplishments over her 20-year pharmacy career, including opening Winter Haven’s Mercy Pharmacy and becoming Winter Haven’s first African-American female independent pharmacy owner.…
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Pop Quiz! Make Sense of the Mammogram Myths
Mammograms are a fact of life for the majority of women as The American College of Radiology recommends annual screening mammograms for all women older than 40 as a necessary breast cancer screening. Despite the necessity of mammograms, there is a lot of incorrect information circulating about them. Get the facts by taking our quiz…
Columns
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Brain Attack (Stroke or Mini-stroke): Are You at Risk?
Approximately 700,000 strokes occur in the United States annually. Stroke or brain attack is a disease that involves the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen to the brain gets blocked by a blood clot most commonly. With the oxygen supply to the brain…
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Punctal Plugs
Many patients suffer from dry eye, and eye care professionals have many tools at their disposal to help with symptoms. For many patients, over-the-counter lubricating drops such as Blink or Systane can be helpful. It is important to avoid redness relieving drops, as these tend to cause more problems over time. When over-the-counter drops are…
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Understanding Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Last year, I wrote about heart failure. At that time, I had said that about half the patients admitted with congestive heart failure have normal systolic function. This is true. The most common way to express heart function is by measuring ejection fraction (EF). This is the proportion of the amount of blood in the…