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Pop Quiz: Identifying Stress and Anxiety in Your Life

There’s no denying that we live in a stressful world, but stress and anxiety can develop into something much more serious. As the importance of mental health becomes more evident, the toll stress and anxiety can take becomes clearer. Stress, anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder are prevalent mental health concerns that can easily affect your…
Pop Quiz! Beware of Interactions Between Medications and Herbal Supplements

July is Herbal/Prescription Interaction Awareness Month, and it’s time to talk about some common interactions between herbal supplements and prescriptions or over-the-counter medications. Most people will take at least one prescription medication in their lives, and some estimates maintain that about 70 percent of those age 60 and older take at least one herbal medication…
Vitiligo Vigilance

Protection Is Key During Florida’s Intense Summers by PAUL CATALA Not long after Tonja Johnson was diagnosed, she knew her days out in the direct summer sun were, for the most part, over. In 2013, Johnson was living in Lakeland and working as a program manager for the Hillsborough County Department of Health. It was…

Medical Advice: Your flu prevention to-do list

AS YOU GATHER your “to-do” lists and prepare for the holiday season ahead, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County recommends you add one more important step — get a flu shot! The flu shot is the best way to protect our families and communities against the spread of influenza. When you make it…
Family Health: Flu shots for seniors

HE FLU is nothing to sneeze at. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 200,000 people will be hospitalized this year with the influenza virus, and it has been estimated that 50 to 70 percent of those hospitalized are people age 65 and older.
Word of Mouth: Your dentist is key to early cancer detection

IT SEEMS LIKE you hear about many different kinds of cancers these days, but one that isn’t being talked about enough is oral cancer. Cancer in the mouth and throat are diagnosed in nearly 50,000 Americans a year, and statistics show that only 57 percent of those diagnosed still will be living in five years.