Health Care

Lizards, your brain and cancer: How Miami is dealing with these health issues

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

This collection of stories explores health-related initiatives and challenges facing Miami.

In Miami Beach, efforts focus on transforming the city into a 'Blue Zone' with changes that promote healthy lifestyles and community engagement. Another article highlights how lizards can affect mosquito behavior, with potential impacts on human health. Additionally, tackling mental health stigma in South Florida minority communities focuses on open dialogue. A newly opened cancer salon in South Florida also aims to support cancer patients during and after treatment, offering specialized services to boost confidence and well-being.

Read the stories below.

(L) Jessica Dorregaray, Estés Lauder Education Manager , does (R) Myra Camino’s make up during the grand opening of Memorial Cancer Institute’s Center for Mind, Body & Spirit that offers a variety of spa services to cancer patients including personalized wig fittings, head coverings, lymphedema services and skincare services in Pembroke Pines, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

NO. 1: HOW A NEW SOUTH FLORIDA CANCER SALON HELPS PEOPLE HEAL AND GET ‘BACK TO THEIR LIVES’

What to know about the salon. | Published June 1, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante

In 2017, mental-health and substance-use disorder emergency department visits in the United States cost more than $5.6 billion, according to federal data.

NO. 2: TACKLING THE MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA IN SOUTH FLORIDA’S BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES | OPINION

Far too many minorities avoid seeking help for fear that admitting to a mental health issue might be seen as a sign of weakness | Opinion | Published July 26, 2024 | Read Full Story by Ruban Roberts

Eliana Lancellotti, 37, right, performs lunges while exercising as Miami Beach Vice Mayor Tanya Bhatt and city officials hosted a tour for Blue Zones experts at South Pointe Park to assess the city’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida. By Carl Juste

NO. 3: CAN MIAMI BEACH BE A HEALTHIER PLACE TO LIVE? HERE’S HOW A ‘BLUE ZONE’ WORKS

What are these lifestyle advocates looking for? | Published February 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante

Peter’s rock agamas have spread across Florida, in some places pushing aside native species like the brown anole. That shift in the reptile population could potentially have ripple effects on mosquitoes and the spread of diseases . By Alex Grimsley

NO. 4: HOW A TURF WAR BETWEEN LIZARDS IN FLORIDA IMPACTS MOSQUITOES AND MAYBE YOUR HEALTH

Researchers are looking at the role a tiny lizard plays in protecting us from mosquito-borne diseases | Published March 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Hruby

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.