Author: Tina Nguyen

Breaking free from the habit of hitting the snooze button is a common challenge for many seeking to optimize their mornings. The key lies in crafting a morning routine that not only motivates but also sustains engagement throughout the day. With the right strategies and supporting tools, transforming your wake-up experience can lead to enhanced productivity, better health, and a more fulfilled lifestyle. Mastering Wake-Up Strategies to Avoid the Snooze Button Resisting the temptation to snooze requires deliberate methods to make waking up less of a struggle. Devices like the Wake Up Light simulate natural dawn, gently coaxing your body…

When “measuring” our health, we often think of numbers – such as our weight, body mass index and blood pressure. While these numbers offer important information about our physical state, you can also learn a lot about your health by paying attention to what your hair and nails are telling you. 1. The direction of nail ridges matter. Vertical ridges in a fingernail are most likely the result of aging; horizontal ridges mean you probably need to schedule a visit with your physician. “As people age, they often note small, vertical ridges on their fingernails. This is normal as long…

How a patient feels is more than just a physical question. It’s very common for patients – and their family members – to feel anxiety, confusion and fear while in a hospital or a physician’s office. Therefore, it is critical that caregivers provide excellent medical/physical care while at the same time reducing stress and anxiety by making patients feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible. “We know meeting a patient’s emotional and psychological needs helps us deliver better overall care,” said a doctor. “By looking at the experience through patients’ eyes, we are better able to connect with patients as…

Jeanny considers the events in April this year “divine intervention.” On a Tuesday, she rolled her ankle and fractured her foot. She scheduled an orthopedic evaluation for two days later and found a lump in her breast that morning during a self-exam in her shower. Jeanny, 63, has worked in radiology at Decatur Memorial Hospital for 42 years. For the past 30 years, she has worked as a registered CT tech (computerized tomography). She is also a caregiver for her 87-year-old mother. At the time she rolled her ankle, life was busy. But the foot slowed her down just long…

During National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, take a moment to learn if you are at risk. Nearly 30.3 million Americans have diabetes, a serious disease where blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are above normal. Prevention, early diagnosis and treatment are key to avoiding serious problems caused by high blood glucose such as heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney disease and nerve damage. Before people develop diabetes, they usually have prediabetes, which means their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be called diabetes. One in three people may have prediabetes and nine out…

It doesn’t have to be a rock concert or a jet engine to hurt your ears and potentially (and irreversibly) damage your hearing. Though you likely don’t realize it, the following everyday activities can hinder your ability to hear well. 1. Cleaning your ears with cotton swabs. The shape and design cotton swabs, such as a Q-tips, suggest their whole reason for being is to clean the human ear. But did you know that cotton swabs can cause permanent damage to the ear that may result in hearing loss and balance problems? When cleaning with cotton swabs, it’s quite easy…