Polk/Brandon

To keep up with the health care needs of this growing community, two BayCare hospitals have worked to expand cardiac services. Recently, St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, in Riverview, opened its fourth cardiac catheterization laboratory. And in Winter Haven, Winter Haven Hospital’s Bostick Heart Center held a ribbon cutting to christen its …

by Alan J. Bauman, MD, ABHRS Have you ever fallen for an April Fool’s joke? Last year on April 1, 7-Eleven introduced its Tiny Gulp (7-ounce) drink for just 7 cents. It was touted as being better for your health, and the cup could be used as a water dish …

One thing is certain in life: as we age, our bodies undergo a lot of changes. Like the skin starting to wrinkle, hairs turning grey, bones shrinking in size, and the joints getting weaker and weaker. Weak joints are certainly uncomfortable, as they are often accompanied by swellings, numbness, clicking …

In the 1960s DC Comics introduced a comic called Bizarro World, featuring a square planet, where everything was opposite. What would be up on Planet Earth was down. A compliment was an insult. Marilyn Monroe was ugly, and people bought investments guaranteed to lose money. Well, your favorite hair restoration …

Acholecystectomy (koh-luh-sis-TEK-tuh-me) is a surgical procedure to remove your gallbladder — a pear-shaped organ that sits just below your liver on the upper right side of your abdomen. Your gallbladder collects and stores bile — a digestive fluid produced in your liver. A cholecystectomy is a common surgery, approximately 1.2 …

Skin changes – discoloration (pinkish or brownish), thickening, dryness and itching in the lower leg are usually signs of venous (vein) disease. If you have any of these in your lower legs and ankles, the specialists at Vascular Vein Centers can help with a careful evaluation and explanation of what …

According to the CDC’s website, someone in the US has a heart attack every 40 seconds. That translates to about 805,000 people having a heart attack each year! A heart attack can be a frightening experience. Still, many people who’ve had a heart attack go on to enjoy full lives. …

Eleuterio Cancel knows the physicians who deliver babies at Winter Haven Women’s Hospital (WHWH) pretty well. He’s been a security guard at the hospital for three years. On Dec. 5, though, he was particularly interested as Dr. Naxdaris Gonzalez and Dr. Akhila Reddy checked in. That’s because they were there …

by Alan J. Bauman, MD, ABHRS February is the month of love, so it got me reflecting on some romantic comedies I’ve seen that I particularly enjoyed. Do you remember the 2005 film, “Hitch,” starring Will Smith? It’s about a “date doctor” who helped men, who didn’t know how, get …

I know being physically active and eating healthy is good for my heart, but how does stress affect my heart? We’ve all heard eating healthy and getting enough exercise is good for our heart, but did you know mental health can impact your heart, too? Research shows that conditions like …