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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.…

Get healthy STAT!

Weighing in on National Statistics Take a Shot 13 percentage of parents not vaccinating children on the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended schedule. Source: U.S. CDC The rates in Polk County of parents not completing immunizations on time is 1.6 percent for kindergarten and 1.3 percent for seventh grade, but they…
My ‘double trouble’ story

Being a mom of twins, I can relate to the percentage increase in twin births on a personal level. It was my first pregnancy, and I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I discovered I was carrying more than one fetus. At 8 weeks gestation, I went into my doctor’s office for complications.…
Planning your plate for Memorial Day

Memorial Day, May 28, is a time to remember those who have given their lives for our freedom. It dates back to just after the civil war. Like Thanksgiving, it’s a time for reflection and a time to look ahead . . . and after the somber part, to look ahead to ribs, chicken wings,…