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Pop Quiz! Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Test Your Knowledge to Get to the Root of Your Hair Loss They say your hair is the crown you never take off, but what if that crown has been tarnished by hair loss? There are many reasons why your hair may be thinning, and you need to figure out those reasons before turning to…
Getting You On the Right Path

Behavioral Health Navigators Steer Polk Residents to the Right Resources by TERESA SCHIFFER The first step toward overcoming a mental health or behavioral problem is acknowledging the problem and seeking treatment. Unfortunately, finding the right resources that can provide that help can be challenging. Peace River Center has introduced a new program providing guidance for…
Paving the Way for the Future

BayCare Polk Teaming Up With Local Colleges to Provide Immersive Experience by TERESA SCHIFFER Aspiring nurses must be dedicated to their education before they enter the field professionally, but classroom instruction alone will not prepare them for the daily duties of nursing. That’s why BayCare Health System’s Polk Region is now partnering with several local…

Signs & symptoms: When your skin needs medical attention

As a surgeon who often treats and cares for patients whose ailments of the skin have gone too long without medical attention, I’d like to talk about the importance of seeing a doctor right away if you find abnormalities on the skin. I hope people can be aware that it is not only important…
Body, mind & spirit: Integrating primary and behavioral care

When you go to the doctor complaining of stomach pain, you probably don’t expect your problem to be depression. But it just may be. When you complain of headache, clumsiness, dizziness, shakiness, blurred vision, tingling around the mouth and seizures, you might expect an anxiety or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. You may be surprised if…
Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health

Dr. Sean P. O’Rourke is a board-certified cardiologist at Watson Clinic. With a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. O’Rourke often sees patients suffering from heart disease. He took the time to answer some questions about heart disease, which has a higher death rate in Polk County than in the rest of Florida. Health…