Loud Music & Hearing Loss

Mar 30th, 2006

Source: Robert Garcia, 785-532-2044, rgarcia@k-state.edu News release prepared by: Jennifer Newberry, 785-532-6415

K-STATE AUDIOLOGIST SAYS CONTINUOUS LOUD MUSIC CAN AFFECT HEARING MANHATTAN — A Kansas State University audiologist said hearing loss in younger people could become more common because of the growing popularity of IPODs and MP3 players.

The No. 1 cause of hearing loss is the aging process, which doesn’t usually occur until the age of 60. The No. 2 cause is noise exposure, said Robert Garcia, audiologist for the K-State speech and hearing center. In the past, most noise exposure was due to hunting or working around noisy equipment, he said.

“What concerns me is that someone young tells me, ‘I can listen to my music at loud levels and don’t have hearing loss,’” Garcia said. “It doesn’t happen overnight but is a long gradual process. It chips away at the ability to hear and once it’s gone, it’s gone. There’s no way to get it back.

“Anything that changes gradually doesn’t catch our attention,” he said. “The reason this is a significant issue is we listen to music we enjoy — and loudly. We’re talking about a population of young people who don’t think about their health at this point in their life. When they’re older, they’ll say, ‘I wish I would have done that differently.’ They think they’re invincible when young.”

Hair cells in the inner ear are especially sensitive to sound. When a sound is loud, the hair cells become permanently damaged, Garcia said. Listening to loud music can cause permanent hearing loss for those who listen for long periods of time.

He said a good rule of thumb is if you’re listening to music with headphones on and cannot hear the person talking next to you or if your neighbor can hear your music, you could be damaging your hearing.

Garcia said most people don’t think about how loud their music is because they listen to it for enjoyment and relaxation.

“The majority of people probably listen at an excessive level because they enjoy music and want to turn the song up and listen to it loud,” he said. “Since we enjoy it, it’s our tendency to play it loud and listen to it for extended periods of time. That combination puts listeners at risk for hearing loss.”

Help Your Child Grow Up Healthy and Strong (booklet)

Mar 15th, 2006

Get this booklet to help you raise healthy, happy kids:
http://smallstep.gov/pdf/helpyourchildgrowuphealthyandstrong.pdf

Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Mar 15th, 2006

Every day more people are switching to organic produce because of recent studies citing toxic residues of pesticides and other chemicals in common fruits and vegetables. Many people are also buying more locally grown produce–the new organic. We’re headed into the growing season and soon many of us will have access to foods grown in our local communities – and that’s a very good thing.

When you visit the farmers’ market, ask how their produce is grown. Get to know local farmers and their farming practices. Food you buy locally is more likely to be fresher, more nutritious because it is picked in its prime, and it is less likely to be grown using excessive chemicals.

And when you shop for produce at the grocery store, take this little walletguide with you. It lists produce with the highest and lowest amounts of pesticides:

http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php (web version)
http://www.foodnews.org/pdf/walletguide.pdf (PDF version)
Pesticide report card: http://www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php
Find out why reducing pesticide exposure is smart http://www.foodnews.org/reduce.php

Will you live to be 100 or older?

Mar 15th, 2006

Test your knowledge on topics of healthy aging:

http://www.agingresearch.org/interactive.cfm

Most of the tests are free. I paid the $5 to take the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator. Interesting and motivating. You get a detailed report telling you where you are losing months or years….so you can change your ways.

If your dog is fat…You're not getting enough exercise.

Mar 3rd, 2006

If your dog is fat, you’re not getting enough exercise People and their pets would do well to move more. I’ve heard it said that if your dog’s fat, you’re not getting enough exercise. Here are some interesting ideas to help both you AND your dog stay fit: Dog Jogger http://www.jogadog.com Walking While Working

James Levine, M.D. and his colleagues in the NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) lab at Mayo Clinic have pioneered an "Office of the Future"–a fully functioning office that bears a marked resemblance to a gym. Complete with treadmills that serve as both desks and computer platforms and a two-lane walking track that serves as a meeting room, Dr. Levine and his entire staff have a unique active work environment. You can expend calories in one two ways. One is to go to the gym and the other is to be active throughout the day–NEAT. It appears that NEAT is far more important for calorie-burning than exercise in nearly everyone. Check out Dr. Levine’s “fitness” office and other cool things here: http://www.squidoo.com/walkingwhileworking

Celebrate Earth Day – Saturday, April 22

Mar 1st, 2006

I love Earth Day. It’s one day a year that we think about the Earth and all its many wonders. I wish we thought about the Earth every day. But we live our busy lives mostly indoors, protected from the elements and separated from the day-to-day changes in seasons. It’s good to celebrate Earth things and learn how to protect our health and environment. Here are highlights of some events and resources:

If you work in Topeka, join the Department of Health & Environment in celebration of Earth Day:

Friday, April 21 11am – 2pm rain or shine South lawn of our state capitol

• Free Pizza Hut pizza while it lasts
• Free Pepsi products
• Many Displays
• Recycling drop off for cans, plastic, newspaper, old cell phones, computers, e-waste collection

Links to Several Earth Day Resources

• http://earthday.com/do/Home
• http://kansas.earth911.org/usa/master.asp
• http://www.earthday.net/
• http://www.worldwildlife.org/earthday/
• http://www.earthsite.org/
• http://earthday.envirolink.org/

Do something to enjoy the earth today . . . and every day.

Were you aware that:

• More than 315 million computers are expected to become obsolete by the year 2004, containing an estimated 1.2 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, 400,000 pounds of mercury and 1.2 million pounds of hexavalent chromium. This makes small business computer recycling a paramount necessity.
• Household Hazardous Waste, is the EPA’s term for that old monitor or computer that you have sitting in your closet or garage.
• More than 20 million PCs became obsolete in 1998 — but just 14% of those were recycled or donated. Through the end of 2002 that number estimate to be over 80 million. In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency banned cathode ray tubes from landfills because of their high amounts of lead. An average computer monitor contains about 8 pounds of lead. Lead can also be found on computer circuit boards. The mercury, lithium, and cadmium found in many PC batteries are toxic at high levels. Other toxins, such as PCBs, are used in computer capacitors and are also hazardous.

The resource sites listed above will tell you how and where to recycle these kinds of things. Check it out. There are many local options.

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month – March

Mar 1st, 2006

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

I’m getting a screening this month. Is it time for you to get a check up too? Here’s some info to get you thinking about it…

An important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is obtaining age appropriate health screenings. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal “colon” cancer is one of the types of cancer that when detected early can often be stopped because it starts with a growth called a polyp that can be removed before it becomes cancerous. Colon cancer is most commonly diagnosed in men and women over age 50.

Colorectal cancer is a major health problem, according to Dr. Curtis Baum, Director, Cotton O’Neil Digestive Health Center. It is the third most common cancer among both men and women in the United States. Asking for information about colon cancer testing isn’t easy for everyone, but the American Cancer Society can help. You can call anytime, 1-800-ACS-2345 and receive confidential educational information about colorectal cancer and the options available for testing.

If you are 50 years of age or older and interested in colorectal cancer screening, you are encouraged to discuss this with your primary care physician. Some people with a
family history of colon cancer may require screening starting at an earlier age.

Don’t be fooled by how you feel physically because many patients diagnosed with both polyps and colorectal cancer have no symptoms.