Ahem, clearing his throat all the time

Q. I constantly have to clear my throat, sometimes a few times in a row. What can I do about it?

A. Our first, not-so-wild guess is that you have post-nasal drip, most likely triggered by allergies. An antihistamine may prevent the lava flow of mucus from your sinuses that's making you sound like you constantly want someone's attention (ahem!). To be sure, let your doc shine a light on your problem, accompanied by a tongue depressor and the instructions, "Say ahhhh.''

We're suggesting this because frequent throat clearing can signal many conditions, ranging from swollen tonsils and/or adenoids to asthma, acid reflux disease and even Tourette Syndrome.

But it also can be all in your head: Stress makes your throat muscles spasm, creating a lump-in-the-throat feeling that you try to clear. Using stress-reduction techniques when you're under pressure helps keep that lump away. (We love deep breathing and meditation for easing tension down a notch.)

Q. Does hawthorn lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular functioning?

A. Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha), a flowering shrub, has been used to help heart problems since the first century. It works.

While the ancient remedy isn't a slam-dunk for congestive heart failure and high blood pressure, there's evidence that it helps.

In lab research, using hawthorn extract after a heart attack helps prevent the kind of damage that leads to congestive heart failure. After many small human studies suggested that hawthorn lowers high blood pressure, a double-blind trial in 2006, found that when diabetics taking prescription meds for high blood pressure also took hawthorn extract daily, their pressure was even lower.

Hawthorn's lovely pink and white flowers, leaves and berries all contain a host of plant nutrients called flavonoids. These substances increase blood flow, protect blood vessels and, in animal studies, make bad blood fats skedaddle like bad guys in a Western when the new sheriff hits town.

Despite all of this encouraging info, talk to your doc before taking it. Even though hawthorn extract is available without a prescription, it interacts with some prescription drugs.

Q. Last summer, for the first time ever, I had to buy a one-piece bathing suit because my belly has gotten so fat. Is it age? I'll turn 62 this summer. I've never gone to a gym and always managed to stay slim. How do I get rid of this paunch?

A. Here's how to swap the jelly-belly for lean muscle:

Buy a pedometer. Getting off the couch and walking is one of the easiest ways to burn calories. This little gadget measures how many steps you take. Ten thousand steps a day qualifies you as an "active'' person.

Stick to good carbs. Meaning the complex carbohydrates in fruits, veggies and 100 percent whole grains, which fill you up on surprisingly few calories. Whole-grain lovers have smaller waistlines than people who eat highly processed foods, which are often made from white flour (think pasta, white bread, white rice).

Lift your own weight. Push-ups, crunches and taking the stairs instead of the elevator build more calorie-burning muscle.

Chill. Meditate, do yoga, practice deep breathing — all help prevent your body from releasing cortisol, the stress hormone that directs fat to your waist.

King Features Syndicate