Smart Snacking

Go ahead and eat between meals, just think healthy.

Dinner is hours away. Can you kill the hunger pains without filling up on empty calories?

A healthy snack is actually a good idea, said Yvonne Thigpen, a Registered Dietitian and manager of Integrated Health at McLaren Macomb.

“It can give you the energy you need, plus it can keep you from eating too much at dinner because you’re starved.”

In honor of National Nutrition Month®, McLaren Macomb wants to offer a few helpful ideas.

Constant headache and congestion?

It could be sinusitis.

Other symptoms of this condition include:

• Severe sinus pressure that causes your face, head and even your teeth to hurt
• Thick mucus that irritates the back of the throat
• Losing your sense of smell and taste
• Irritability and fatigue

In the past, this was a tough condition to treat, with up to 60 percent of chronic sinusitis patients showing no relief from medications.

Do you sleep with a snorer?

It could be a sign that something’s wrong.

Heavy snoring is one of the most common symptoms of a sleep disorder, including a condition called sleep apnea.

People with sleep apnea actually stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. Often, the sleeper will wake up abruptly and draw breath, perhaps with a gasp.

Is acetaminophen safe for your family?

Most likely you’ve heard the health reports: taking too much acetaminophen can cause liver damage. The message isn’t new, but federal officials are stepping up the reminders to go easy on the painkillers.

The Trouble with Tanning

We know. It’s been a long, gray winter and you’d love to “perk up” your color a little. It may be tempting to head to an indoor tanning salon, or maybe you’re lucky enough to be flying off somewhere on spring break.

Just keep in mind what cancer experts see first-hand. People who get too much sun – either naturally or from tanning beds – have more wrinkles and skin damage and are more likely to be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer.