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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 even existed until…
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…

Healthy Cook: The truth about ‘negative calorie’ foods

Some things just sound too good to be true. You lose more calories eating a food than the food has in it. That’s called “negative calories” and it sounds like digestive snake oil to me. It would be died-and-gone-to-heaven for dieters. But there is a modicum of truth in it. Some cold foods that are…
Ask a Nurse: Popping pain pills?

Americans make up ~4.6 percent of the world’s population, yet have been consuming 80 percent of the global opioid supply and 99 percent of the global hydrocodone supply1! According to the CDC in 2008, 14,800 died of an opioid overdose… more than heroin and cocaine COMBINED2. Opioids like morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and fentanyl…
PCMA Letter: Don’t let an active lifestyle be a chore this summer

It’s fairly common amongst the general population to want to live a long, healthy, and happy life. Remaining physically fit is imperative to this way of life. Staying in shape helps you live longer and prevents illnesses. This is why the doctors of the Polk County Medical Association (PCMA) bring you the fitness edition this…