Hearing Loss

Do people seem to mumble a lot lately? Do you lose the thread of conversation at the dinner table or at family gatherings? Does your family repeatedly ask you to turn down the volume on the TV or radio?

These are signs of gradual, age-related hearing loss called presbycusis. High-pitched sounds are especially difficult to discern. Another way to detect this problem is to hold a watch to your ear. If you can’t hear it ticking, see an otolaryngologist (a physician who treats disorders of the ear, nose and throat) or an otologist (a physician who specializes in ear disorders).

You should also get help if one or both ears ring continuously, or if loud noises cause pain in your ears.

Hearing loss from presbycusis cannot be restored, but hearing aids, along with the following self-help methods, are helpful:

• Ask people to speak clearly, distinctly, and in a normal tone.
• Look at people when they are talking to you. Watch their expressions to help you understand what they are saying. Ask them to face you.
• Try to limit background noise when having a conversation.
• To rely on sight instead of sound, install a buzzer, flasher, or amplifier on your telephone, door chime, and alarm clock.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com 

Preventing Osteoporosis

Everyone’s bones lose density after age 40. In women, menopause accelerates the loss, especially if they’re thin or small-boned, have red or blond hair, or have never had any children. Smoking, a sedentary life, taking corticosteroids, and eating too few-containing foods also increase the risk. And the earlier you reach menopause, the higher the risk. 

Women who have a family history of osteoporosis, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, and certain forms of bone cancer are also at risk.

To prevent or slow osteoporosis, take these steps:

• Be sure your diet includes a minimum of 1,000 milligrams a day of calcium (if you are premenopausal) or 1,500 milligrams a day (if you’re menopausal). High-calcium foods include: low-fat dairy products, beans, bean sprouts, soybean curd, broccoli, kale, and sunflower seeds.
• Cut back on sodium and salt.
• Begin a program of regular, weight-bearing exercise like walking, jogging, biking, or low-impact or non-impact aerobics.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com 

3 Ways to Unwind Using Imagination

Imagination can make a cloudy day sunny and overpower stress. Here are the 3 ways to create mental pictures that offset daily stressors:

Music.  Choose a recording you find soothing. Find a quiet, calming environment to listen to it.  Feel yourself becoming part of this calming environment of sound, a physical extension of every note.  If your thoughts stray, simply release them and refocus on the music.  When the music ends, compare the way you feel to how you felt before listening to it. You should feel more relaxed.

Colors.  Imagine two colors, one (like bright red) representing tension, and other (like pale blue) representing relaxation.  Close your eyes and imagine that your muscels are the “tense” color.  Then imagine each muscle changing to the “relaxation” color.  End the exercise by imagining that your entire body is now vivid hue of the relaxation color (like vivid blue), symbolizing complete relaxation.

Paint a picture. If you have trouble visualizing abstract concepts like tension and relaxation, substitute concrete images that connote these feelings.  Use symbols that can interact, like jagged rocks to symbolize tension and rolling waves to symbolize relaxation.  Then imagine the waves slowly smoothing out the surface of the rocks. An alternative: imagine warm sunlight (relaxation) gradually melting icicles (tension) until they disappear.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com 

Ward Off Worry in Five Easy Steps

What is worry? It is a stream of thoughts focused on the fear of what might happen. 

Here’s a five-step plan to minimize needless worry, developed by psychologist Thomas Borkovec, Ph.D., at the Pennsylvania State University. The idea is to acknowledge that you have something worth worrying about, but limit the time you spend worrying to a reasonable level.

1. Identify your own symptoms of worry, like inability to concentrate, sweaty palms, or feeling as though you’ve got butterflies in your stomach.
2. Set aside a period of ½ hour every day for the sole purpose of worrying.
3. Write down a list of things that you plan to worry about during the assigned period.
4. Use your worry time as a problem-solving session, to work on solutions and remedies.
5. If you find yourself worrying at other times of the day, distract yourself by actively pursuing a chore or deliberately thinking of something else, or use the thought stopping technique.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Say No to Stressful Thoughts

When negative thoughts or worries stand in the way of feeling good, a technique called thought stopping is an effective way to eradicate them. The trick is to recognize negative thoughts, then reduce their impact. Here’s what to do:

1. Isolate the stressful thought.
2. Close your eyes and focus on it briefly.
3. Count to three.
4. Imagine a stop sign, a flashing red light, or the word “stop” in bold letters.
5. If the thought’s still present, repeat steps 3 to 5.

You can use this technique anytime you find yourself obsessed with negative thoughts.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Make Stress Work for You

Lots of people have learned to tame stress by refusing to accept defeat in the face of negative forces. Instead, they meet stress head on, with a positive outcome. In other words, if you can use a negative event (like losing a job) to motivate you to take positive action (like getting a better job), you can beat stress at its own game.

Here are some suggestions:

• Try not to think of setbacks as defeats.
• View stress as an energizer. Consider each new demand as a challenge, no matter how forbidding it may seem.
• Always ask yourself, “What’s the best that can happen?” rather than “What’s the worst possible outcome?”
• Take  charge. Although you can’t control other people’s actions, you can control your response to what comes your way. When it comes to managing your emotions, you’re the boss.
• Don’t try to please everyone – you can’t.
• Get the big picture. Think in terms of long-range goals, not just day-to-day problems.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Burned Out?

Burnout isn’t something that hits out of the blue. Rather, burnout is a long, slow process arising from repeated frustration and unmet expectations. Some symptoms include:

• Loss of energy
• Weariness
• Self-doubt
• Reduced efficiency
• Apathy

Different people respond to burnout in different ways: by feeling guilty or irritable, denying anything’s wrong, blaming others, or working even harder. These responses are futile and only fan the flames. 

Here’s what you can do to prevent burnout or nip it in the bud:

• Pay attention to any signals your body is sending. Insomnia, overeating, and other minor complaints may be signs of burnout.
• Ask yourself what you really expect to accomplish in your career or personal life. Are your expectations realistic? If not, re-evaluate your goals and make sure they’re reachable.
• Mentally distance yourself from work.
• Treat yourself to something special from time to time. A pleasant break, a change of scenery, or a slight indulgence can reduce negative feelings that often lead to burnout.
• Reduce work hours – if possible. Take breaks. Learn to delegate some tasks.
• Learn meditation or practice other relaxation techniques to help you through stressful periods.
• Pursue some kind of physical activity.  

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com