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A Strong Health Team Can Help Detect, Mitigate Birth Defects

by TERESA SCHIFFER Sponsored by Central Florida Health Care January is National Birth Defects Awareness Month, a time for discussions about how different birth defects can affect individuals over the course of their lifespan, and what can be done to minimize the risk of these occurrences. It’s important to understand that the term “birth defect”…
Pop Quiz: Trust Your Gut

How Much Do You Know About Microbiomes and Your Digestive Health? Did you know that some kinds of bacteria are actually beneficial to have in your digestive tract? While it may sound counterintuitive, certain strains of bacteria — like lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, which make up your gut microbiome — offer a host of benefits for…
Funding the Future of Nursing

AdventHealth to Provide $1.7 Million for Polk State Program story and photos by PAUL CATALA Since 1965, Polk State College has instructed, encouraged, and placed about 21,500 students into successful nursing careers. On average, 430 nurses graduate from the school’s nursing college each year. Now that program will have even more to offer thanks to…

Aortic Dissection: Rare and Potentially Deadly

Aortic dissection is a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the main blood vessel branching off from the heart. An acute aortic dissection is a medical emergency and presents with excruciating chest or upper back pain that radiates to the neck or back. Other symptoms include sudden loss of consciousness and shortness of…
Vision Myths, Debunked!

by ANISA PATAIL, O.D. Whether it’s an old wives’ tale or something a friend mentioned in conversation, you may have heard some things about your eyes that made you wonder if they are true. I’m here to put your questions to rest! Here are the myths I hear the most: 1) Eating carrots will improve…
Suffering From Lymphedema? Learn More About This Common Condition

Lymphedema is swelling caused by obstruction or reflux in the lymphatic vessels and is one of the most common conditions afflicting humans. The lymph vessels are long, thin-walled tubes that form a very intricate network in the arms and the legs. In some cases, these lymph vessels are absent or are damaged or destroyed, and…