Collier Edition

By Juan Teodoro, D.M.D. Autoimmune disorders refer to a varied group of illnesses that involve almost every organ system in the human body to include the tissues in the oral cavity. Most patients suffering from autoimmune disorders are more likely to have gum disease than people without them. Inflammation is the common denominator. In all these autoimmune disorders, the patient’s …

By Robert M. Sherman, MD, FACS Macular degeneration is the damage or breakdown of the macula of the eye. The macula is a small area at the back of the eye that allows us to see fine details clearly. When the macula doesn’t function correctly, we experience blurriness or darkness in the center of our vision. Macular degeneration affects both …

By Debra K. Brinker, RN RUNNER’S KNEE- NOT ONLY IN RUNNERS Also known as Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), runner’s knee is characterized by anterior knee pain. Sufferers of this condition commonly experience pain behind and around the kneecap or patella. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome can affect one or both knees and is a knee complaint among athletes and non-athletes alike. Besides the tenderness behind, around and at …

It seems as though everyone is a self-made expert when it comes to health and wellness.  Walk into any bookstore, look at any super market shelf,or watch any commercial on television and they all seem to correlate back to one’s health. With all the information readily available, how do you know which source to trust? When it comes to your …

By Yollo Wellness Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) by definition is oxygen pressurized above 1 atmospheric pressure. Here in Southwest Florida you are at sea level. You are at 1 ATM. To pressurize the oxygen, it involves breathing oxygen in a pressurized chamber. What many people don’t realize is here on earth you already live in a pressurized chamber. You are …

By Joseph Kandel, M.D. Every year almost 1,000,000 people suffer a stroke, or “brain attack.” This is caused by loss of blood and oxygen to the brain, and there are a number of risk factors. These include high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat), HIGH CHOLESTEROL, diabetes, circulation issues, and carotid artery disease. What is cholesterol, how do we …

By:  Corey Howard, MD, FACP Dementia. The word conjures up the notion of “losing one’s mind” and it is a scary thought for most people. Alzheimer’s disease is a common cause of dementia affecting more than 5 million people in the United States and this number is rising rapidly. The risk increases as we age. Even worse is that it …

By Janet Canderwood, RD Have you ever been told your body mass index is out of range? Perhaps it’s time to make a lifestyle change. Instead of sitting on the couch munching on potato chips, Go outside and do some somersaults and flips. You may want to take a brisk walk or go for a long bike ride, The first …

By Jeff Davis, RRT-NPS, RCIS, Program Director, Cardiovascular Technology & Respiratory Care, FSW Cardiovascular disease has been, and continues to be, the number one cause of death in the United States and worldwide. It is also a leading cause of disability. The human cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels (arteries and veins). The purpose of the cardiovascular …

By Zorayda “Jiji” Torres, MD, ABIHM, IFMCP Board-Certified, Internal Medicine Certified Practitioner, Institute for Functional Medicine Did you know that about half of people who get heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels? And that if you have high cholesterol, merely bringing the numbers down with medication might have limited benefits? Yes, that is what the data is showing. Cholesterol is …