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Beat the Heat

School Guidelines, Practices Keep Student-Athletes Safe by TERESA SCHIFFER The temperatures in Central Florida can soar uncomfortably high, as any native can attest. For kids who have grown up here, it may be tempting to take that heat in stride. Unfortunately, high heat can have potentially life-threatening effects. As school athletics ramp up and the…
Training the Future

South Florida State College’s New Center for Nursing Excellence Takes aim at Nurse Shortage by PAUL CATALA The combination of a new learning environment, updated labs and equipment, and a partnership with area hospitals is what’s anticipated to be the perfect prescription for producing highly skilled nurses. Avon Park’s South Florida State College recently welcomed…
Pop Quiz!

Eyesight Is an Important Part of Your Child’s Back-to-School Kit As children gear up for back-to-school, it’s important to make sure we send them with one of the most important supplies: healthy eyes. Children’s eyes change quickly, so it’s important to watch for small problems to catch them before they become bigger problems. Take our…

Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy

With the increase in longevity and improvement in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a sizable proportion of Americans are on either an antiplatelet agent or full anticoagulation. These are commonly known as blood thinners. In the next two columns, I’ll talk about the most commonly used blood thinners. Common indications for requiring antiplatelet agents are…
Celebrating Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease where the optic nerve in the eye becomes damaged over time. Each eye has an optic nerve. This nerve acts like a cable sending information about what you see to the brain. This is just like a cable to your television. Without treatment,…
Smoking Hurts More Than Your Lungs

I cannot really believe that the holidays are upon us already. This year has been like no other with its usual mix of pain and pleasure. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the role of lifestyle in the management of vascular disease that can lend a sense of control in its otherwise…