Health News

Features

Pop Quiz: Osteoporosis Can Sneak Up on You. Are You at Risk?

Breaking a bone is scary enough for anyone, regardless of age. So imagine how frightening it can be to know that your bones aren’t nearly as strong as when you were younger! Unfortunately, that’s a reality for people who suffer from osteoporosis. The condition is often an underlying factor when seniors suffer broken bones. Take…
More Than Man’s Best Friend

Maguire Schmid Finds Perfect Partner in Diabetic Alert Dog by TIM CRAIG photos by MICHAEL WILSON Maguire Schmid remembers his first encounter with a Diabetic Alert Dog. It was about seven years ago at a festival. One of his friends who has type I diabetes had one. “I had no idea they…
Pop Quiz: Do You Know the Signs and Symptoms of Endometriosis?

Pain and discomfort during menstruation are common symptoms women experience, but severe pain and other symptoms during your period may be a sign of endometriosis. This condition may be dismissed as severe symptoms during menstruation, so it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of endometriosis so you can see your doctor and treatment…

Medical Advice: Back-to-school tips and the 5-2-1-0 program

AS STUDENTS and families prepare to return to school, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (FDOH-Polk) would like to take this opportunity to remind them to take the proper steps to stay healthy this school year. Good health is important for students in order to maintain regular school attendance and be ready to…
Hospice Help: Hospice myth busting

WHEN MOST PEOPLE hear the word “hospice,” they immediately associate the provided care as being intimately tied to hours, or if lucky, days before death. Then there is also the supposition that hospice is only for cancer patients. These are just two myths that need to be busted when it comes to understanding hospice.
First impressions of our daughter’s new specialist

WE HEARD IT growing up from our mothers all the time, but we didn’t quite understand the true significance of it. As adults, we begin to see the value in making a good first impression. Whether it’s for a job interview, that first parent-teacher meeting, or sitting down with a new doctor, first impressions play…