Health News

Features

Health Hero

Waiting on a Miracle Young Mother Remains Hopeful Through Battle WIth Chondrosarcoma by MARY TOOTHMAN Cliche or no, the truth is that the lovely Jessica Burton had it all — a loving husband who’s a partner in every sense of the word, work she loved as a registered nurse, and two little girls who fill…
Education Empowers

Prevention Program Helps Those at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by TERESA SCHIFFER Diabetes is a public health problem that many Americans struggle with. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 30 million Americans have diabetes, or 9.4 percent of the population. About 7.2 million of those individuals have not even been diagnosed. It…
Pop Quiz: Test Your Knowledge About the Flu Shot

It’s that time of the year when the flu starts to rear its ugly head, and it’s time to get a flu shot to keep the virus at bay. The typical flu season starts around October and can last into May. You may have a lot of questions concerning the flu vaccination, especially if you’ve…

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…