Can lack of sleep be harmful?

Staying Healthy

By Dr Nina Byrnes

In association with Hidden Hearing

Can A lack of sleep be harmful?

Ever since my husband died last year, I just don’t sleep well.  Every little sound wakes me up.  Sometimes I think that trouble sleeping is just part of being 78 years old and it won’t cause me any harm.  Is that true?
Suzanne

Issues such as health and medication can cause seniors to have more problems sleeping.  And lack of sleep can begin to take its toll on older adults.  Sleeping less than seven and a half hours per day may be associated with potential risk of heart disease for older people, according to a report in Archives of Internal Medicine in the US.

In addition, a combination of little sleep and overnight elevated blood pressure appears to be associated with an increased risk of the disease.

Getting adequate sleep is essential to preventing health conditions such as obesity and diabetes as well as several risk factors for cardiovascular disease including sleep-disordered breathing and night-time hypertension (high blood pressure).  But, the evidence has been growing that changes in modern lifestyle are causing people to get less sleep.

This study monitored the sleep of 1,255 individuals with hypertension (94 percent) and followed them for an average of 50 months.  Their average age was 70.4 years with a range of 33 to 97 years; there were 476 men and 779 women.

Researchers noted patients’ sleep duration, daytime and night time blood pressure and cardiovascular disease events such as stroke, heart attack and sudden cardiac death.

During follow-up, 99 cardiovascular disease events occurred.  Sleep duration of less than 7.5 hours was associated with incident cardiovascular disease.

Studies such as this point out the need to see a doctor who can determine if there are medications or issues that are making it difficult for you to get a good night’s rest.  If so, your physician should be able to help.

If there is no underlying medical cause you may like to consider getting a relative, friend or caregiver to sleep over for a couple of nights each week. Having someone else in the house overnight could put your mind at rest and help you get a good night’s sleep.

Dr. Nina Byrnes is Medical Consultant with Hidden Hearing. You can book a hearing test free of charge at any of Hidden Hearing clinic. visit www.hiddenhearing.org.

Am I depressed?

Staying Healthy

By Dr Nina Byrnes

In association with Hidden Hearing

Am I depressed?

I’ve been feeling really low for a couple of months now. I lost my job recently and also suffered a family bereavement. I’m not sure how to shake myself out of this low period. Any recommendations?

Margaret

Firstly, Margaret, I’ve very sorry for your loss and your job situation. It is understandable that you would feel down under these circumstances. However, you also need to look out for your health and when low moods persist on a daily basis for more than two weeks, depression is often diagnosed.

Doctors look for several symptoms of depression; sadness, guilt, low energy levels, poor concentration, physical aches or upset, social withdrawal, disturbed sleep and a feeling that life isn’t worth living.

The existence of five of these symptoms is enough to bring about a diagnosis of depression. Of course, depression ranges from mild to severe. All forms are treatable.

For mild depression, lifestyle changes can be effective. Daily walks or exercise and a varied diet can help, as can avoiding caffeine and alcohol and other depressants.

I often recommend to patients that they set small, achievable goals which lead to a sense of achievement building. It often helps to keep a diary of feelings and thoughts – this can help identify the triggers that lead to low moods.

Of course counselling and psychotherapy are invaluable in low mood and the most important factor in recovery from depression is social contact – people who talk to friends, family and health professionals fare much better than those who suffer in silence.

In cases of more severe depression, medication is usually required but the older ‘‘relaxants’’, such as valium, are highly addictive and ineffective for long term management. Newer antidepressants can really help and do not make people slower or unable to function.

Talk to your doctor, Margaret and talk to your family and friends too. Small steps can quickly take you along the road to full recovery.

Medical advice provided is not always suitable for specific cases. Always see your GP if you concerned about a medical problem.

Dr. Nina Byrnes is Medical Consultant with Hidden Hearing. You can book a hearing test free of charge at any of Hidden Hearing’s 60 clinics nationwide. Freephone 1800 882884 or visit www.hiddenhearing.org

What are you getting Dad or Grandad for Father’s Day?

He turns up the volume on the television so high that the rest of us cannot bear to stay in the same room.

Dad, can you pass the corn?”

“What?”

“DAD CAN YOU PLEASE CALL MY AUDIOLOGIST AND GET YOUR HEARING TESTED?”

“I hear fine…I don’t have any problems!”

“Mom, can you please pass the earplugs, I need to protect my hearing from the TV!”

Kids say the darndest things, don’t they? About a year ago, a daughter and her 89-year-old father relayed this conversation to me. Being 89, this particular father was rather fixed in his ways. It turns out that he finally allowed me to test his hearing and explain to him–bluntly — what amplification could do for him and how easy it would be to hear his family again, even though he was 89 years old. No one likes to be told they cannot hear, but there is so much that can be done to remedy hearing loss that it is even more obvious when dads are “faking it” or “covering up” their rather obvious hearing handicap.

50+ fathers have seen it all and know it all. The problem is that they don’t always anticipate that better hearing can be so easy. When you are a father, conventional wisdom indicates that everything is difficult, costs twice as much and takes twice as long to achieve. The good news is hearing aids are easier than that. Payment plans exist. Hearing aids are fast to set up. Technology makes volume, background noise and overall comfort automatically better.

My patient purchased appropriate hearing aids for his loss. The gentleman has reluctantly agreed (in private) that the hearing aids have been easy and tremendously helpful, He comes in every six months for cleaning and adjustments as needed. The family thanks me every time they bring him because they can save their voices and he can participate in conversations with minimal repeating. Hearing aids provide measurable benefit for the hearing impaired and for the family.

There are a lot of new products to help your dad remain safe and improve communication. Cap Tel Phones: allows fathers to read what your family is saying in real time. There are no buttons to push or special phone numbers to memorize. This is a special phone but very easy to use. Fire Alarms: Many fathers cannot hear the high frequency (high pitched) sounds of standard fire alarm systems. These fire alarms keep your dad safe by playing a lower pitched sound. Smaller, more powerful hearing aids with better control in background noise. You will be impressed how well you do.

Fathers…I challenge you to view your family’s “nagging” for what it is…the love and concern your family has for your well-being so they can enjoy you as long as possible and as healthy as possible.

Happy Father’s Day!

 Source 50+ Lifestyle: By Dr. Molly Parker
Audiologist

Fathers Day – Treat Yourself to a Hearing Test !

Staying Healthy

By Dr Nina Byrnes

In association with Hidden Hearing

Is hearing loss more prevalent in men than women?

Awareness and lifestyle changes can help men maintain the ability to hear clearly

With Fathers day upon us and Men’s Health Month it  may spur some men to get more exercise, watch their diet more closely or take a multivitamin with breakfast every morning. Others may attempt to quit smoking or vow to use sunscreen as a pre-emptive strike against skin cancer. But most men may not realize that they can also take preventive measures to ward off a serious health problem that can reduce quality of life, limit earning power and damage relationships. That serious health risk is hearing loss.

all types of hearing loss, but especially sensorineural hearing loss, is more prevalent in men than women, and the reasons are many. Noise-induced hearing loss frequently starts in the workplace, and men are more likely to work in factories or manufacturing facilities where they are exposed to loud noise for hours at a time – often throughout the entire work day. It is estimated that most shop tools expose the user to dangerous noise levels of 90 decibels or more. Studies have also found that exposure to chemicals in manufacturing plants, especially where welding is done, may have a detrimental effect on hearing.

 

In addition to noise-induced hearing loss, men are also at greater risk for drug-induced or ototoxic hearing loss. Drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen are readily available and widely used by regular exercisers and weekend warriors alike for muscle aches and minor strains. Men may try to “tough out” pain before seeing a doctor, but regular self-medication with seemingly innocuous drugs like aspirin can have serious consequences for hearing health. In fact, young men who are regular users of acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin are far more likely to experience hearing loss at a younger age than are girls and women.

Hearing loss has serious consequences, often leading to relationship problems, a decrease in earning power, depression and a diminished quality of life. Men who suspect they have hearing loss are encouraged to make an appointment with an audiologist or other hearing professional for a hearing test to determine the type and level of hearing loss, and to begin hearing loss treatment immediately.

Dr. Nina Byrnes is Medical Consultant with Hidden Hearing. You can book a hearing test free of charge at any of Hidden Hearing clinic. visit www.hiddenhearing.org

FREE T-Shirts Competition: we are giving our unique T-Shirt to 50 lucky winners in our giveaway

Go to our facebook page and add your favorite saying and you could win one of our unique T-Shirts

Yes We Can….. Inspired by Barack Obama’s rousing speech in Dublin we have 50 unique ‘Is Féidir Linn’ t-shirts to give away. Click on our t-shirt picture the left which brings you to our facebook page. “Like” our page and post your favourite phrase or saying.
We will select the 50 best entries. If you already “Like” us simply write your phrase on the Hidden Hearing Ireland facebook page. Go n’éirí an t-ádh leat!

Action on Hearing Loss 100 & Prince Philip 90 !

Prince Philip celebrates his birthday with a handmade card presented by Action On Hearing Loss.

In 1911, Leo Bonn, inspired by his own deafness began our organisation that has now become Action on Hearing Loss.

As we turn 100, we will strive even harder to:

• find a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus
• reach the four million people with a hearing loss who don’t wear hearing aids but whose quality of life would be enhanced by doing so.

RNID celebrates centenary by striking out for a bold future as Action on Hearing Loss. RNID celebrates centenary by striking out for a bold future as Action on Hearing Loss.

Action on Hearing Loss is the new name for RNID

We’re working for a world where hearing loss doesn’t limit or label people, where tinnitus is silenced and where people value and look after their hearing.

We want:

• people to acknowledge their hearing loss and take action
• more support for people with hearing loss
• no one to be isolated through their hearing loss
• people to protect themselves against hearing loss and tinnitus
• to cure hearing loss and tinnitus.

Happy 90th! Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh receives a birthday present (ear defenders) from Jackie Ballard, Chief Executive of Action on Hearing Loss charity, during a reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

If you have any questions about Hearing Loss contact Hidden Hearing

Does my smoking put me at risk?

Staying Healthy

By Dr Nina Byrnes

In association with Hidden Hearing

Does my smoking put me at risk?

My father died a couple of years ago from a heart attack. Before that he suffered from peripheral vascular disease and I’m worried it will run in the family. I am a smoker and heard recently that this could make me susceptible to the condition. Is this the case?

Noel

It is thought that Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects at least one in 20 people over the age of 55. It involves a narrowing of the arteries outside the heart and can manifest itself in pains in your legs and other areas.

A family history of the disease does increase your chances of developing the condition and yes, smoking certainly does multiply the dangers.

Unfortunately, smokers actually substantially increase their chances of suffering PVD – symptoms can occur up to ten years earlier than for non-smokers.

A person with PVD finds arteries around their body become progressively narrowed by the build-up of plaques called atheroma.

 

Dr. Nina Byrnes is Medical Consultant with Hidden Hearing. You can book a hearing test free of charge at any of Hidden Hearing clinic. visit www.hiddenhearing.org.

Is my new baby feeding too much?

Staying Healthy

By Dr Nina Byrnes

 

In association with Hidden Hearing

 

Is my new baby feeding too much?

My new three-month old baby seems to have an enormous appetite. She cries for a feed very regularly and seems to be gaining weight very quickly. I am really worried I am feeding her too much. Do you have any advice?

Maura

 

Firstly, it’s important to remember that a baby that’s eating well and gaining weight is generally a healthy baby. Feeding patterns can also take some months to settle down. Your baby may go through a spell of feeding regularly and gaining weight and then a period where they don’t have such a great appetite.

During its first six months, a baby gains, on average, between half and 1kg per month. Because a baby is growing rapidly, it does need a lot of calories relative to its size. Your baby may look to have a lot of excess tissue but it will normally shed this when it reaches toddler stage and becomes more active.

So I would not worry too much about your baby, although it’s also helpful to realise that a feed isn’t always the answer when your baby cries out. Sometimes, a soother can relax your infant until it is nearer time for the next feed.

Even if your baby seems hungry all the time, it’s best to avoid giving it solid foods – this is not recommended until your baby is at least six months old.

 

 

Medical advice provided is not always suitable for specific cases. Always see your GP if you concerned about a medical problem.

 

Dr. Nina Byrnes is Medical Consultant with Hidden Hearing. You can book a hearing test free of charge at any of Hidden Hearing clinic. visit www.hiddenhearing.org.

Providing the best hearing healthcare services in north

Ken Viney is commercial director of Hidden Hearing, a healthcare company providing hearing care solutions for adults in Northern Ireland.

What was your first job ?My first job was a hearing aid audiologist.

What qualifications do you have ? My professional qualification is Hearing Aid Audiologist Registered with the Health Professionals Council.

What do you attribute your success to? I have good empathy with people and am always 100% honest in my dealings with both employees and customers. I believe consistency in approach is valuable and also I have a very strong work ethic.

How would you describe yourself to someone who had never met you? From a business perspective, I lead by example always giving 100%. I am goal-motivated and my current goal is to maintain Hidden Hearing as the best provider in Northern Ireland and to continue to expand that vision.

If you could change one thing about doing business in Northern Ireland, what would that be? More joined up thinking. For example the NHS in Northern Ireland could offer a voucher system to patients whereby if the patient wants the hospital to supply a hearing system it would be free but they could also use a voucher, set at a pre-determined value, to obtain a hearing system from the private sector. This would give the patient more choice and a reduced cost if they wished to purchase privately but also ensure that those who couldn’t afford it were still provided with a solution. A similar system works very well in other European countries.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in there career? Demonstrate a willingness to work hard, develop your skills and effective time planning and management is more important than you think.

Extracts from The Irish News Special Supplement  May 24th 2011.

 

If you have any questions about hearing loss contact Hidden Hearing

 

Saliva Tests for Infants May Identify Risk of Hearing Loss, Study Shows

A simple saliva swab may help doctors better identify newborn babies born with an infection that is responsible for as much as 25 percent of hearing loss early in life, a study found.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, identified all babies infected with cytomegalovirus, or CMV, when using a wet saliva sample and about 97 percent when using a dried saliva sample. The research was published today in theNew England Journal of Medicine.

One in 150 children born in the U.S., or about 30,000, are infected with CMV, the most common infection passed from mother to unborn child, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 10 percent to 15 percent of those will develop a disability such as hearing loss, said pediatrician and lead study author Suresh Boppana. While babies aren’t currently screened for CMV, the study’s findings could help make testing for the infection routine, he said.

“Most babies with CMV infection won’t be identified at birth, unless you screen them for CMV infection, because they look like every other healthy baby,” said Boppana, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in a May 31 telephone interview.

Studies estimate that about 20 percent of hearing loss at birth and 25 percent of hearing loss seen in 4-year-olds is due to CMV, Boppana said. A screening test for CMV would cost about $2.50 to $3, he said.

Understanding CMV

In a separate trial currently under way, researchers are following children with congenital CMV and monitoring their hearing every six months until they are 4 years old. Results from the study, designed to give doctors a better understanding of how CMV causes hearing loss, won’t be available for several years, Boppana said.

“If our results confirm that congenital CMV is a major cause of hearing loss, then there’s an impetus on the national agencies to think about considering making a recommendation that every baby needs to be tested for CMV,” he said.

Researchers took saliva samples from almost 35,000 babies in seven U.S. hospitals from June 2008 to November 2009. Some of the saliva samples were stored in solution and some were air dried. The researchers then compared their results with another highly accurate test, called the rapid culture method, that isn’t conducive for widespread use because it involves lengthy incubation and testing procedures.

Of 17,662 newborns screened with the saliva samples stored in solution, 85 were positive for CMV, a 100 percent match to the rapid culture method. Of 17,327 newborns screened by having their dried saliva tested, 74 were positive for CMV. The rapid culture method found 76.

“It’s important for us to develop diagnostic tools to screen babies for congenital CMV infection so that those who test positive can be monitored for possible hearing loss and, if it occurs, provided with appropriate intervention as soon as possible,” said James Battey Jr., director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health, which funded today’s study, in a statement.

If you have any questions about hearing contact Hidden Hearing

To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Ostrow in New York at nostrow1@bloomberg.net.