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Area Doctors Help Us Clear Up Common Summer Skin Care Myths by TERESA SCHIFFER Summer is officially here and it’s time to catch some rays! Here in Central Florida, we don’t really need to do much in order to get our daily dose of vitamin D from the sun, but many folks still enjoy heading…
Why Detection Is Key

Prostate Cancer Very Treatable If Diagnosed Early by TERESA SCHIFFER Prostate cancer is among the most common types of cancer found in men (second only to non-melanoma skin cancer), and the second-leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S., claiming over 34,000 lives each year nationwide. Though this may seem grim, it’s not…
More Than Just a Headache

Do You Know What Migraine Really Is? by TIM CRAIG “It kind of feels like a vice grip on my head, almost similar to feeling like your head’s being stabbed.” Amy Beatty is describing what her typical migraine feels like. Beatty, from Winter Haven, has been getting migraines since she was 16. Now, the…

Editor’s Dose: A thank-you letter to nurses

FROM MID-FEBRUARY to about mid-April, my family was at the doctor’s office a lot. The late-spreading flu season (although none of us in our household ever actually caught the flu — thank goodness) must have carried with it many other viruses, because we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. In fact, a few nurses on staff…
Healthy Skin: May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

“C’MON, DOC. What’s a little sunburn?” is a question I frequently hear from the public. The answer is, if you’re lucky, that’s all it is. But a little sunburn is one of the easiest skin cancer risk factors to avoid. If left untreated, skin cancer, or melanoma, can progress to the point that it’s disfiguring…
Cautions for two of your favorite summer activities

SPRING IS THE TIME OF YEAR in Florida when temperatures begin to warm and the weather is perfect outside. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, this beautiful weather also marks the beginning of swimming season for Polk’s residents. Swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…