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Defeat the Dander

Understanding and Treating Pet Allergies by SEAN JARVIS For thousands of people who love animals and their pet companions, there also comes a distracting side effect — pet allergies. Fortunately, there are several ways to manage your allergies and reduce your symptoms. Why Do I have Allergies, and What Causes Them? While…
Common Misconceptions About Service Animals

Rights, Best Practices, and Etiquette by CELÉSTE JO WALLS You have heard of them: guide dogs for the blind, PTSD support dogs for veterans, seizure response dogs, alert dogs for the hearing impaired, diabetic alert dogs, wheelchair assistant dogs, and more. You may have seen them in department stores, at theme parks, in restaurants, and…
Where Sleep and Mental Health Intersect

by TERESA SCHIFFER Sponsored by Central Florida Health Care Sleep is often an underrated aspect of our self-care routine, but lack of sleep can have a negative impact on our health, especially our mental and behavioral health. There are two broad categories of sleep: REM and non-REM. REM stands for “rapid eye movement.…

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…