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March 11, 2021
focus on
Hearing and Vision
March 11, 2021 — HERALD
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HERALD — March 11, 2021
Listen up!
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Lifelong hearing health starts with you
earing is the gatekeeper to human communication — it is one of the primary ways in which we connect with other people. Those of us who hear clearly probably cannot appreciate how difficult hearing loss can be. It can even lead to isolation and withdrawal from many pleasurable activities. While not all types of hearing loss are preventable, there are steps you can take to lower your risk of developing age-related hearing loss and/or noise-induced hearing loss. It’s never too early — or too late — to begin wearing hearing protection around loud noises. And adopting a healthy lifestyle and following your doctor’s advice can go a long way to protecting your hearing health. Your inner ear contains delicate hair-like cells that are quite sensitive to changes in blood flow. If these cells are damaged, you experience hearing loss. The healthier you are overall, the better you can prevent hearing loss — or preserve the hearing you do have, if you already have hearing loss. Manage your blood pressure and cardiac health High blood pressure and heart disease can damage the fragile mechanisms that help you hear. If you have high cholesterol or blood pressure, follow your doctor’s treatment orders to get it under control. Stop smoking and vaping, and limit drinking Studies definitively show that cigarette smoke — whether directly, secondhand, or even in utero — can have a big impact on a person’s hearing health. Likewise with heavy alcohol use, which can create a toxic environment in the ear. Vaping and hearing loss isn’t as well-studied, but there are anecdotal reports linking it to sudden hearing loss. Keep diabetes under control Research has shown that people with diabetes are twice as likely to have hearing loss. Just as with high blood pressure, diabetes can damage the cells in your inner ears. Keep your blood sugar under control and follow your doctor’s orders for managing diabetes. Exercise and practice stress reduction What isn’t exercise helpful for? Exercise improves blood flow and helps your body — and your ear health — in countless ways. Just be careful about loud music while working out and incorrect
weightlifting; both are linked to hearing damage. And because chronic high levels of stress aren’t good for your hearing (or the rest of you), do what you can to keep stress levels under control. Eat foods high in certain vitamins and minerals Did you know that certain vitamins, especially B12, are vital to good hearing? The same is true of minerals including potassium and magnesium. Iron-deficiency anemia is also linked to losing your hearing. Know your family history While knowing your family history won’t directly prevent hearing loss, it will help you know if you’re at elevated risk. Catching it early can reduce your risk of the negative impacts of hearing loss, such as cognitive decline, depression and social isolation. Be aware of drugs that cause hearing loss Hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription drugs are linked to hearing loss. These ototoxic drugs range from ordinary, over-the-counter medications like aspirin to chemotherapy drugs and IV antibiotics. In some cases, you may be able to take an alternative drug to reduce your risk of drugrelated hearing loss. Lower your risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) Even if you’re as healthy as an Olympian, you still risk hearing damage if you don’t protect your hearing in noisy environments. Regardless of your age or your hearing status, it’s always a good idea to protect your hearing when you’re going to be exposed to loud sounds. Noise-induced hearing loss can have many sources. Blasts, like gunfire or fireworks, can cause immediate hearing loss. Less explosive sounds, such as airplane engines, rock concerts, or even high-pitched dentist drills, still cause damage, just more slowly. Either way, the damage is almost always irreversible and cumulative. One common source of hearing damage you might not even realize? Your earbuds and headphones, especially if you don’t take the right precautions when you listen to music. Above photo: Hearing loss prevention begins with healthy habits like regular exercise.
Living with hearing loss No need to fear communications breakdowns Hearing loss can seem daunting, with its ability to affect relationships, selfconfidence, physical health, and more. Taking charge of it, however, can go a long way toward keeping you feeling empowered and engaged. There are many different cues that we receive that help us to understand speech and language. People with normal hearing don’t always receive all the cues, but the English language has enough redundancies that they often get enough cues to correctly identify the message. However some cues are unheard due to the hearing loss. Increased reliance is then placed on the remaining cues to understand conversation. This becomes more difficult when hearing is compromised and frustration often occurs between family members as everyone struggles to understand the rules of communication. Instead of getting frustrated, use the following tips to help you communicate more effectively and take your hearing loss in your own hands. Be an advocate for yourself Others cannot guess what you need. By hiding a hearing loss you will miss conversation and may respond inappropriately and cause further miscommunication. Ways to be an advocate: √ Tell others if you are having difficulty understanding. √ If you don’t understand what someone has said ask him or her to rephrase the message, not just repeat it. √ Educate others regarding hearing loss. Many do not understand why you can hear that they are talking but cannot understand what they are saying. They also don’t know what they can do to help. Ask others to talk more slowly and clearly and not to obstruct their mouths. Manipulate your environment to your advantage. Hearing clearly when there is background noise is probably the biggest challenge for people with hearing loss. When
you can, choose quiet listening environments. In a restaurant, request to be seated in a quiet area away from the door and the kitchen. Partitions and low ceilings may be helpful to reduce noise. Also carpet and upholstery may help to reduce echo, which may help you to understand speech more clearly. Good lighting may also be helpful so that you can see the speaker’s face and gestures. √ If you have a good ear, place yourself so that it is facing the speaker. √ Different environments pose unique challenges. Get creative and make each environment work to your strengths. √ When attending a meeting, get an agenda so that you know the topics that will be discussed. This will give you a few key words to work from when listening. √ In a lecture, record the speaker so that you can review the details later if you missed something. Investigate assistive listening devices. These devices often allow the listener to receive the sound directly from the source, thereby eliminating background noise. They are often available at many theaters, churches and other public venues and are free to use. You may also purchase personal assistive listening devices for use at home or elsewhere. These may include amplified telephones, smoke detectors and alarm clocks, as well as personal devices to listen to the TV. Your audiologist may be able to help you investigate these devices. You may need plenty of hands-on experience with these devices to become comfortable using them outside of home, but once you are comfortable with them, they offer dramatic results in terms of improved communication, increased selfesteem, and reduced negative feelings surrounding communication. Above photo: Better hearing requires more than just hearing aids. Hearing your best means having the right technology — fit specifically to your unique hearing needs — for the environments you find yourself in most often, and maximizing that technology with better communication strategies.
HEALTH HEALTHMEMOS MEMO
March 11, 2021 — HERALD
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Five reasons to make better hearing a priority
id you know? An estimated 466 million children and adults live with a disabling hearing impairment, according to the World Health Organization. As one of the top chronic public health challenges facing families and communities on a global scale, it’s much more common than people realize. Many also may not realize how far-reaching hearing loss can be, with its links to physical, mental, social, and even financial issues that could affect quality of life. Consider these five examples of problems associated with hearing loss, showing the importance of staying atop your hearing health. Cognitive Decline: A growing body of research connects hearing loss to reduced brain function. Older adults with hearing loss, for example, are up to five times more likely than their normal-hearing peers to develop dementia, per a study by Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging. Another study finds that seniors with a hearing condition may experience faster-than-usual brain shrinkage. The good news? Proper use of hearing aids may slow down cognitive decline as much as 75 percent, per a study published in 2018. Social Isolation: Hearing plays a big role in everyday interactions with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues, so it’s no wonder
that hearing loss can impact your sense of engagement. Those with untreated hearing loss are less likely to participate in social activities, per a study commissioned by the National Council on Aging. This can help lead to social isolation and other problems. Conversely, seniors treated for hearing loss report significant improvements in their social life, relationships, sense of independence, and more. Depression: Multiple studies support a connection between hearing loss and depression. Seniors with hearing loss, for example, may have a 57 percent greater risk of experiencing deep depression, according to a
Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Researchers have also found, however, that the odds of depression may be lower with hearing aid use. Falls: Ears not only help with hearing but also contribute to your balancing ability. Research points to the increased likelihood of falls among middle-aged and older adults with hearing loss. Even mild hearing impairment can triple the risk of falling, and every 10-decibel increase in hearing impairment might mean a 1.4-fold increase in the odds of sustaining a fall. Mortality: Hearing loss goes hand in hand with higher mortality. One study published in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences found a 20 percent greater risk of mortality among adults 70 years and older with hearing impairment. Other research has estimated the increased risk at an adjusted 21 percent or even an adjusted 39 percent, depending on the severity of hearing loss. As you can see, hearing loss isn’t an isolated concern. It affects your communication and, potentially, your overall health and well being. So don’t wait. Just as you would for your eyes and teeth, schedule regular checkups to help keep your ears and hearing health in optimal shape.
Appointments can be scheduled by calling 516-387-4000 or at comprehensiveaudiology. com/make-appointment/. Follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Google, or Instagram @comprehensive_audiology, or visit us at www.comprehensiveaudiology.com.
Dr. Esther Fogel Owner/Director
261 Broadway, Lynbrook 516-387-4000 www.comprehensiveaudiology.com
Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.
HEALTH MEMO
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Protect eyes from sports-related injury
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lose to 40,000 sports-related eye injuries occur each year, with approximately half requiring emergency room care. School-age competitors are particularly prone to eye injuries since their developmental skills of coordination, balance, reaction time; speed and strength are still being fine-tuned by your coaching efforts. As you know, when a student participates in aggressive sports, an opponent’s fingers, hands, and elbows suddenly become a threat to a student’s visual safety. Baseballs, racquets, hockey pucks, and especially soccer balls and the feet kicking them are a potential danger to the unprotected eye. The good news is that you can help prevent a young person from being sidelined because of a serious eye injury. You can make the decision to help protect their eyes by adding protective sport goggles to their equipment bag. Remember, while protective sports eyewear can provide significant protection; they cannot guarantee to be unbreakable or guard against all foreseeable impacts. However, a quality pair of RecSpecs equipped with 3mm thick polycarbonate lenses and transition lenses, which change from sunglasses to clear in minutes, can be sight savers since they help keep the eyes and surrounding ocular region protected. Accent on Eyes is your sports vision specialist, with a full line of RecSpecs Rx sports goggles to meet the needs of your up and coming superstars! Call for more information for all of your sportsrelated eyewear products. Accent on Eyes also carries a full line of prescription and non-prescription sunglasses, including Oakley, Ray Ban, Maui Jim, Nike, and more.
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W 28 S. Park Ave. Rockville Centre 516-766-2800
Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.
e’re now entering tax season. As you prepare your tax returns, you might be wondering how you could improve your taxrelated financial outcomes, now and in the future. One key opportunity is to connect your tax professional with your financial advisor. This collaboration can benefit you in several ways. For example, your tax advisor, working with your financial advisor, could help you determine if a Roth or traditional IRA makes more sense for you. Your financial advisor can then help you choose the right investments within the IRA. Also, your tax professional can identify how much you need to contribute to an IRA to possibly lower your taxable income. Your financial advisor can then plug this figure in to your projected retirement savings as part of your total financial picture. Your tax and financial advi-
sors can also work together to address issues such as capital gains taxes from sales of mutual fund shares. Your investment and tax pictures have many overlaps. And by ensuring your team of advisors is working together, you can boost your chances of getting the results you desire.
Marie L. Taylor, CRPC, AAMS Edward Jones Financial Advisor 365 Hempstead Ave., West Hempstead 516-538-4338 • 866-400-4338 www.edwardjones.com marie.taylor@edwardjones.com
Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.
Eat right, help your sight
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Eating healthy is good for your whole body — especially your eyes! There’s so much more to eye nutrition than just the carrots that mom always told you to eat. Everybody knows that eating right is the way to keep your heart healthy. The good news is that the same diet that helps your heart is probably also good for your eyes. A diet low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can pay benefits not only to your heart but to your eyes. The connection isn’t surprising: your eyes rely on tiny arteries for oxygen and nutrients, just as the heart relies on much larger arteries. Include an abundance of these foods in your diet and help protect against sight-threatening diseases.
Fish Cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help protect against dry eyes, macular degeneration and even cataracts. If you don’t eat seafood, you can get a good supply of omega-3s by using fish oil supplements or taking vegetarian supplements that contain black currant seed oil or flaxseed oil.
Leafy Greens Spinach, kale and collard greens, to name just a few, are packed full of lutein and zeaxanthin, important plant pigments that can help stem the development of macular degeneration and cataracts. Broccoli, peas and avocados are also good sources of this powerful antioxidant duo.
index (GI) can help reduce your risk for agerelated macular degeneration. Swap refined carbohydrates for quinoa, brown rice, whole oats and whole-wheat breads and pasta. The vitamin E, zinc and niacin found in whole grains also help promote overall eye health.
strawberries, pumpkin, corn and cantaloupe are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. And carotenoids — the compounds that give these fruits and vegetables their yellow, orange and red pigments — are thought to help decrease the risk of many eye diseases.
Citrus Fruits and Berries Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and berries are high in vitamin C, which may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
Legumes Kidney beans, black-eyed peas and lentils are good sources of bioflavonoids and zinc — and can help protect the retina and lower the risk for developing macular degeneration and cataracts.
Eggs The vitamins and nutrients in eggs, including lutein and vitamin A (which may protect against night blindness and dry eyes), promote eye health and function.
Nuts Pistachios, walnuts, almonds — whichever type tickles your fancy — are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E that boost your eye health.
Whole Grains A diet containing foods with a low glycemic
Colorful Fruits and Vegetables Foods such as carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers,
Sunflower Seeds Help keep your eyes healthy and disease-free by snacking on sunflowers seeds, which are excellent sources of vitamin E and zinc.
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Good nutrition will keep those peepers in top-notch shape
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HEALTH MEMO
March 11, 2021 — HERALD
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Twelve NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery physicians named to 2021 Castle Connolly list
welve of the 28 physicians associated with NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery have been named to the latest edition of Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, an annual reference guide published by Castle Connolly, a New York City research and information company. They are: Jeffrey A. Brown, M.D. (Neuropathic Facial Pain Surgery), Jonathan L. Brisman, M.D. (Neurovascular and Brain Surgery), Benjamin R. Cohen, M.D (Spine Surgery), Vladimir Y. Dadashev, M.D. (Spine Surgery), Zachariah M. George, M.D (Spine Surgery), John A. Grant, M.D. (Pediatric Neurosurgery), Sundeep Mangla, M.D. (Endovascular Neuroradiology), Stephen T. Onesti, M.D. (Spine Surgery), Sachin N. Shah, M.D. (Spine Surgery), John Pile-Spellman, M.D. (Endovascular Neuroradiology), Brian J. Snyder, M.D. (Pain and Parkinson’s Surgery), and Alexandros D. Zouzias, M.D (Spine Surgery). “It’s a pleasure to congratulate our colleagues and partners for receiving this honor,” said Michael H. Brisman, M.D., the chief executive officer of Rockville Centre-based NSPC. “Our practice has provided patients from Long Island, and elsewhere, with the most compassionate and comprehensive brain, back, and neck care available for over 60 years. The selection of these twelve physicians to the 2021 Top Doctors: New York Metro Area listing confirms a tradition of clinical, and patient-centered excellence, at NSPC.” For decades, Castle Connolly has been conducting a peerreview survey to select the region’s top doctors based on the
Connolly was acquired by the Everyday Health Group, a division of J2 Global Inc. The Top Doctors: New York Metro Area guide lists those whom Castle Connolly has determined to be in the top ten percent of the region’s physicians — approximately 6,000 in all.
theory that medical professionals are best qualified to assess the qualifications of other practitioners. Licensed physicians vote online for those doctors they consider outstanding. A Castle Connolly doctor-led research team then counts the nominations and vets the nominee pool with the aid of a number of screens, including confirming board certifications and investigating disciplinary histories. Last year, Castle
About NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery Founded in Freeport in 1958, NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery has grown to become one of the largest, private neurosurgical groups in the U.S. with seven conveniently located offices on Long Island, including offices in Lake Success, Rockville Centre, West Islip, Commack, Port Jefferson Station, and Riverhead. The practice’s experienced neurosurgeons and interventional neuroradiologists are experts in “Bloodless” brain and spine surgery, including laser spine surgery, endoscopic spine surgery, ultrasonic spine surgery, radiosurgery, and other advanced minimally invasive techniques which are used to treat brain tumors, brain aneurysms, trigeminal neuralgia, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, chronic back pain, and other conditions. Please visit www.nspc.com to learn more.
100 Merrick Road, Suite 128W, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 • 844-NSPC-DOC Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.
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Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness
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HERALD — March 11, 2021
Don’t skip eyecare checkups
Blindness caused by glaucoma is insidious. In most cases, there is no pain, and the loss of vision occurs slowly from peripheral to central. Many people do not even realize it’s happening until they have lost a substantial amount of peripheral vision. But there is a way to prevent the devastating effects of glaucoma: Don’t skip your eyecare visits. Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components: 1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping 2. Loss of visual field 3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG) People at risk for glaucoma include the elderly, Blacks, people with elevated eye pressure, primary relatives with glaucoma, persons with high myopia, high hyperopia, history of eye trauma and diabetes. The elevated intraocular pressure from glaucoma damages the optic nerve mechanically and creates decreased blood flow to the eye. The most identifiable cause of glaucoma is the enlarged lens or cataract in the eye. Early cataract surgery and trabecular bypass has become the best option to stop vision loss in patients with glaucoma. The current use of eye drops and laser help to lower intraocular pressure but do not address the causative mechanism of the glaucoma being the enlarged lens. Incisional cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery is often needed to truly stabilize glaucoma.
Screenings are essential All people should be screened regularly for glaucoma as part of a medical eye exam. Screening should consist of an eye examination consisting of gonioscopy (examination of the drainage angle), intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry and a dilated optic nerve examination. If there appears to be any damage to the optic nerve or abnormal pressure, then a visual field test should be performed, and optic nerve photos taken. Persons with thin corneas should be more aggressively monitored and treated for glaucoma as the disease tends to be worse in these patients. If you have eye pressure or glaucoma and feel that you may be losing vision, seek the care of a glaucoma specialist for a second opinion. People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with their checkups. The pandemic shouldn’t keep you from visiting your doctor, but for patients over 60, you might want to begin with a telehealth visit, if you’re high-risk and remained concerned about venturing into medical offices. “Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts. “A healthy brain function requires a healthy
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Above photo: According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, three million Americans have the potentially blinding eye disease glaucoma, but only half are aware of it.
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WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED NSPC is proud to announce that all of our world-class physicians are now in-network, participating providers with the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). We’re available for expert treatment of all brain and spine conditions.
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