Charlotte Edition

By James W. Mallonee Clients often come to the office and ask about having a trust drawn up for them. My reply is generally why do you think you need a trust? The prominent answer is to avoid probate, but in reality, the responsive explanation is you won’t. There is another thought that should be taken into consideration about avoiding …

Chronic wounds affect 8.2 million patients annually. With an aging population and the increase incidents of diabetes and obesity, this number is expected to rise. If left untreated, chronic wounds become more severe, which not only affects quality of life but can also lead to limb loss. We had a chance to sit down with Family Foot & Leg Center’s …

If you skipped your mammogram or DEXA or any other diagnostic screening due to the pandemic, or just being too busy, now is the time to make thos appointments. Physicians agree that you shouldn’t wait any longer because certain cancers and disorders can proliferate and spread rapidly, and early diagnosis is critical for treatment. In 2021, an estimated 281,550 new …

By Ramon A. Gil, M.D., Medical Director, Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Center of SWFL Dear Friends: The Chinese called 2020: “Year of the Rat”. In their culture, this animal represents “fertility, reproduction and wealth”. For mankind 2020 will be a year “which will live in infamy”. Others have called it: “The Year of the Zoom”. Well, I do not know about …

Do your eyes ever feel dry, itchy or gritty? Do you find it difficult to naturally produce tears? Are you overly dependent on moisturizing eye drops to help you get through the workday? Perhaps, like thousands of people, you wake up in the middle of the night and cannot produce natural tears when you blink? This could be attributable to …

Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disturbance problems in America. It ruins the sleep of 25 million Americans with likely millions more un-diagnosed sufferers. The condition prevents the sleeper from entering REM and Delta sleep causing them to become anxious, cantankerous and tired during the day. There are very serious health consequences of prolonged sleep disturbance and …

By Dr. Noël Crosby, Au.D. Hearing loss is a fact of life for more than 48 million Americans.  According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, this fact may increase the risk of cognitive problems and even dementia.  “The general perception is that hearing loss is a relatively inconsequential part of aging,” says Frank Lin, an otologist and epidemiologist at …

Every Year, nearly 200,000 people are diagnosed with spinal compression, which causes significant pain in the spine and surrounding back muscular structure.  Osteoporosis usually causes spinal compression and mostly affects the aging population, but can also be attributed to other diseases of the bone, cancers, tumors, long-term steroid use, herniated discs, and arthritis. While there are treatment options for spinal compression, …

Patients successfully undergo off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery, which can significantly reduce potential for side effects. Edward Higgins is “feeling great” merely weeks after having coronary artery bypass surgery—a procedure that may have saved his life—at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte. Bayfront Health Port Charlotte is home to the longest running heart care program in Charlotte County. “About three years ago, …