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Pop Quiz: If You Don’t Snooze, You Lose! How Much Do You Really Know About Sleep Apnea?

A full night’s sleep is supposed to be restful and recharging, but for millions of Americans, that’s not the case. Many wake up in the morning tired and unrested, and most don’t know that sleep apnea is to blame. Sleep apnea is a condition that disrupts sleep, keeping sufferers from getting that restful, restorative sleep…
Young Warriors

Twins Don’t Let Type 1 Diabetes Stifle Their Dreams by TIM CRAIG photos by CELESTE JO WALLS When 8-year-old Amelia Walls was hospitalized in 2016, Cecilia, her older sister by a whole 10 minutes, was worried. When Cecilia found out that her identical twin sister was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, she went from worried…
The 12 Days of Temptation

Simple Advice to Help You Control Your Blood Sugar Through the Holidays The holidays are right around the corner! That means you’re probably starting to think about all the delicious food that comes with Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and probably a few family get-togethers in between. Usually, after fantasizing about all the tasty meals on…

Signs & symptoms: When your skin needs medical attention

As a surgeon who often treats and cares for patients whose ailments of the skin have gone too long without medical attention, I’d like to talk about the importance of seeing a doctor right away if you find abnormalities on the skin. I hope people can be aware that it is not only important…
Body, mind & spirit: Integrating primary and behavioral care

When you go to the doctor complaining of stomach pain, you probably don’t expect your problem to be depression. But it just may be. When you complain of headache, clumsiness, dizziness, shakiness, blurred vision, tingling around the mouth and seizures, you might expect an anxiety or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. You may be surprised if…
Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health

Dr. Sean P. O’Rourke is a board-certified cardiologist at Watson Clinic. With a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. O’Rourke often sees patients suffering from heart disease. He took the time to answer some questions about heart disease, which has a higher death rate in Polk County than in the rest of Florida. Health…