Sarasota Edition

By David Ebner – Staff Writer    Each year, the American Lung Association releases the State of the Air Report, accounting for the air quality of major counties in the United States. It’s probably not news that metropolitan areas throughout the state received varying results in air quality. It may be surprising that not a single Florida city made the …

You probably know about the relationship between smoking and lung cancer, but did you know smoking is also linked to heart disease, stroke and other chronic lung diseases?  Smoking can also increase your risk for cancer of the bladder, throat and mouth, kidneys, cervix and pancreas.  Thinking about quitting? Look at the facts! Why should you quit? • Smoking is …

By Dr. Alexander Gaukhman If you are what you eat, then it’s particularly true for your teeth and gums. When you drink sugary beverages and eat starchy foods, you’re not only feeding yourself—you’re feeding the plaque that can cause problems in your mouth. Plaque is a naturally occurring, thin, invisible film of sticky bacteria and other materials that covers the …

Celebrate your own father and the father of your children this Father’s Day. Make Dad the center of attention for a change. Here are some ways that you and your kids can make Dad’s day! 1. Before Father’s Day, sit down and write a note to your husband, telling him what a great dad he is and how important he …

Tobacco Free Florida AHEC Cessation Program – Tools to Quit and Quit Smoking Now Both programs offer education on the health effects related to tobacco use, but more importantly, they teach the benefits of quitting and what to expect when quitting.  A Tobacco Cessation Specialist or trained facilitator guides participants as they identify triggers and withdrawal symptoms, and brainstorm ways …

By CardioVascular Solutions Institute – TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) is a procedure performed in Europe for years which was recently approved by the FDA in the United States.  It is a minimally invasive procedure which allows for aortic valve replacement in patients who were previously considered too high risk for conventional open heart surgery. The procedure allows for the …

June is National Aphasia Awareness Month, according to  the National Aphasia Association, aphasia is a language disorder usually initiated by a stroke causing one to begin begin having difficulty remembering words, losing the ability to speak, read and write. Aphasia is most common among elderly individuals but can also affect people of all ages and gender. Aphasia is often mistaken …

By Virginia ‘Ginya’ Carnahan, APR, CPRC – Dattoli Cancer Center & Brachytherapy Research Institute If you have read my articles before, you might remember that I am a bit amused at all the “awareness” month designations and wonder who has the awesome authority to make these decisions.  It is getting a little ridiculous.  There are at least 13 different awareness …

Medicare approves ForseeHome, a Home-based Monitoring Program Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) affects more than 1.75 million individuals in the US, and owing to the rapidly aging of the US population, it is expected that it will reach 3 million by 2020. A diagnosis of AMD causes anxiety because it’s well known that significant vision loss can be a possibility, particularly …

How Many People Have Food Allergies? • Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies. • This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the U.S. That’s roughly two in every classroom. • The economic cost of children’s food allergies is nearly $25 billion per year. Food Allergies on …