Sarasota Edition

April is a month designated to celebrating Occupational Therapist.  Occupational therapy enables people of all ages live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability. It is a practice deeply rooted in science and is evidence-based, meaning that the plan designed for each individual is supported by data, experience, and “best practices” …

Oftentimes, living alone can prove to be dangerous for seniors. Senior citizens, like all of us, wish to stay in their home as long as possible and maintain their independence. According to an AARP survey conducted in 2011, 90% of seniors agreed. When someone is having difficulty with day to day tasks, it may seem like an easy choice to …

Respiratory Diseases The chemicals in cigarette smoke cause immediate damage to cells and tissue in the human body, including those on the path from the mouth to the lung’s air sacs-the final target of the smoke. Delicate lung tissue damaged by chemicals in cigarette smoke doesn’t have a chance to heal if it is exposed to these chemicals in large …

By Dr. Stan Headley 20-40% of cancer patients actually die from malnutrition (cachexia) and not cancer itself! As a physician I am shocked and alarmed by that factual statistic.  How can that be in this day and age of advanced medicine you might ask?  The answer is simple – pharmaceutical companies have invested billions into advancing cancer medicines but medical …

As we age, it gets harder to do a lot of the activities we were once able to do with ease, and we tend to take those things for granted. Walking, bending, and climbing are movements that we think are simple now, but they only get more difficult when we reach our Golden Years. The bathroom can be a hazardous …

By Virginia ‘Ginya’ Carnahan, APR, CPRC – Dattoli Cancer Center & Brachytherapy Research Institute On what could possibly be the worst day of your life you hear your doctor say, “We have the test results. I’m sorry – you do have cancer.”  Cancer – cancer – cancer … it echoes in your head.  Even if you’ve been fore-warned and have …

More than 16 million Americans have heart disease, almost 8 million already have had a heart attack and 7 million have had a stroke. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the single largest cause of all deaths in the United States, killing more than 800,000 people a year. CVD includes narrow or blocked arteries in and around the heart (coronary heart disease), …

By Alex Anderson, Senior Associate Pastor at Bayside Community Church You know what would really be nice? If you (my friends and readers) would send me more of your stories of pain and failure; then I could use your stories and not have to always use mine. (smile) Many years ago, I went into business with a person who, from …

By Eric M. Folkens, M.D., Family Medicine, Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch/Sarasota Urgent Care Walk-In Clinics What is the thyroid gland? The thyroid gland located in the neck produces thyroid hormones which help the body use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working normally. How important is my thyroid in my overall well-being? The thyroid gland produces …

Courtesy of The Eye Associates Q: Can cataract grow back? No, cataracts cannot grow back, however, even after successful cataract surgery, the natural capsule that is left behind can become cloudy and causes vision to become blurry again. This occurs in approximately 35 percent of patients. It can happen soon after cataract surgery or many years later. Not to worry, …