Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 3-11-16 Edition

Health
Can You Hear Me Now? The Long-Term Effects Of Loud Noise
“Once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back. Taking sim- ple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, the director of the Department of Manage- ment of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention.
Early warning signs of hear- ing loss can be subtle and grad- ual. These include:
• Require frequent repeti- tion.
• Have difficulty following conversations involving more than 2 people.
• Think that other people sound muffled or like they’re mumbling.
• Have difficulty hearing in noisy situations, like confer- ences, restaurants, malls, or crowded meeting rooms.
• Have your TV or radio turned up to a high volume.
• Answer or respond inap- propriately in conversations.
• Have ringing in your ears.
Some preventative actions include wearing ear plugs in noisy settings to dilute the sound. Other preventative methods include scheduling a hearing screening or evaluation with an audiologist, using noise-canceling headphones or phone apps to gauge safe vol- ume levels. Some Android de- vices give a warning when you attempt to increase the volume:
You can also take short lis- tening breaks when visiting a noisy venue. Listening to audio no louder than 85 decibels (comparable to the volume of city traffic) for eight hours or 100 decibels (comparable to the sound of a power saw) for 15 minutes.
It’s been long assumed that the daily stresses of dealing with a terrible boss at work, sit- ting in rush-hour traffic or run- ning late to an important lunch meeting can weigh heavy on your heart.
But it’s not the actual num- ber of stressful events that puts a person at higher risk for heart disease and premature death – as many believe.
In fact, according to re- searchers from Penn State Uni- versity and Columbia University, it’s actually people who perceive an event to be stressful and exhibit more neg- ative emotions that are more at risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Here are some tips to man- age stress throughout the day:
• Find a work-life balance by analyzing how you spend your time each day.
• Make sure to get enough sleep so your body can recover
from the day’s stress while you’re sleeping. It’s also helpful to write down what you’re wor- ried about before bed so you can let it go while you’re sleep- ing.
• Try kickboxing, Zumba or other workouts known to help reduce stress levels.
• Reevaluate your purpose in life by connecting with family or friends, spirituality or commu- nity service.
• Switch up your diet to in- clude more health foods and limiting the amount of alcohol you consume.
Be Easy... Because How You React To Stress Could Put Your Heart At Risk
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016