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Pop Quiz! Photosensitivity Can Spell Trouble for Skin in the Sun

Many medications have side effects, and unfortunately for those residing here in the Sunshine State, one of those side effects can be an increased sensitivity to the sun. Called drug-induced photosensitivity, it accounts for 8 percent of side effects, though it’s believed to be underdiagnosed and underreported. Take our quiz to learn more about drug-induced…
Care for All

United Way of Central Florida’s Community Wellness Initiative Helps Polk’s Uninsured and Underserved by RYAN MILEJCZAK One of the biggest struggles Americans face is the cost of healthcare, particularly for underserved populations. Here in Polk County, many of our residents face this very challenge, due to factors like low income, lack of access to health…
A Survivor’s Tale

Hap Hazelwood on Early Detection and Unwavering Faith in the Face of Prostate Cancer by REBEKAH PIERCEphotos by JESS McDONALD In a world where health often comes into focus only after it starts to fade, stories like that of Hap Hazelwood are worth paying attention to. Hazelwood, along with his wife, Chris, have both navigated…

Healthy Cook: Food safety for the outdoor cookouts

Food Safety for the Outdoor Cookouts The sun is shining and the kids are playing and the picnic lunch is waiting to be eaten. It’s a perfect day in Florida. But tomorrow could be a bummer if the cook and helpers don’t know how to keep the food from spoiling. Food safety is a…
Editor’s Dose: My tips if you plan to do a ‘staycation’

In my opinion, there’s nothing better than summer in Florida. You have the beaches, the theme parks, and of course, the sunshine to beckon you outdoors. For residents planning their vacations this season, there are just as many reasons to stay close to home as there are to get away. So how do you…
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…