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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…

Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy

With the increase in longevity and improvement in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a sizable proportion of Americans are on either an antiplatelet agent or full anticoagulation. These are commonly known as blood thinners. In the next two columns, I’ll talk about the most commonly used blood thinners. Common indications for requiring antiplatelet agents are…
Celebrating Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease where the optic nerve in the eye becomes damaged over time. Each eye has an optic nerve. This nerve acts like a cable sending information about what you see to the brain. This is just like a cable to your television. Without treatment,…
Smoking Hurts More Than Your Lungs

I cannot really believe that the holidays are upon us already. This year has been like no other with its usual mix of pain and pleasure. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the role of lifestyle in the management of vascular disease that can lend a sense of control in its otherwise…