Hearing Loss in Adults: Should You Ignore It?

Loss of hearing is an extremely common disability, but it is also a challenging one to diagnose. Unlike many other issues, hearing loss is an invisible disability-there is no easy tell-tale sign like a wheelchair.

There is also the widely accepted idea that older people must necessarily be less physically able and responsive than younger people, which only further incapacitate people with, for example, hearing loss. So, the older the individual, the more shame and self-censorship is likely, causing isolation on a daily basis. The more they also reject any medical attention more so the idea of wearing hearing aids.

 

Hearing Loss in Late Life

Hearing loss that occurs in later life presents its own set of problems for the mental well-being of the individual. We know that community is crucial to the happiness of people with many kinds of disabilities, but older adults with hearing loss can be uncomfortably stranded both from the more able-bodied population and from, say, groups that represent deaf individuals.

The casual insensitivity of able bodied strangers often leads adults with hearing loss to cope entirely alone in inadequate ways. One might be surprised to hear of how many do not actually wear aids – Siemens hearing aids, Phonak and Panasonic among the most famous ones - simply because it has not occurred to them that it is one of the available solutions.

Full accessibility for the disabled, no matter what the disability, is a worthy goal. Obviously an enormous amount of nuanced thought and planning must go into this-as the case of adults with later life hearing loss, as opposed to adults who have grown up with some understanding of their disability shows, there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

Nevertheless, that adults with hearing loss are often left to curb their own social lives to avoid embarrassment is extremely sad. This is precisely where Siemens hearing aids hope to step in and begin a longer process of engagement with the issue.

 

What to Do if You Experience Hearing Loss

If you are an adult with hearing loss and you need a discreet, effective beginning solution to the problem of how to engage with 'normal' people without going into your entire back-story-because let us face it, you do not always have the energy for it, and you're not obligated either-or you know someone like this, consider reaching out to us.

• Siemens hearing aids cover a broad gamut, including in-the-ear devices that are customized for the individual based on their precise needs.
• Do remember that adults with hearing loss are much more common than you would imagine-you may have sat on the train next to a total stranger who shares your frustration with the same kinds of social situations.
• Asking someone to repeat what they have just said seems trivial to most, but can be highly stressful when you have loss of hearing. The attitude many hearing-privileged people slip into-such as shouting at the hearing-impaired person or even thinking of them as 'stupid'-can be downright hurtful and exclusionary.

The psychological impact of these encounters can build up over time, and this is unacceptable. Assistive devices such as Siemens hearing aids can open up new possibilities for participation in a richer social life, but at the client's own pace. Behavioral techniques worked out with professionals can additionally boost the confidence and self-assertiveness that the use of hearing aids promotes.

Ernest Poh founded The Hearing Centre Pte Ltd. The Hearing Centre is your one-stop centre for complete hearing aids and hearing conservation services. Ernest has been fitting hearing devices since 2004. Visit his website at http://thehearingcentre.sg to learn more about the different types of hearing aids and the possible causes of hearing loss.

Back In Business!

I apologize for being on a sabbatical for way too long. I’ve been busy as an intern in the past few months and it’s only been recently that I’ve been hired!

Needless to say, I’m ecstatic. Ecstatic! I will no longer get in line at the coffee shop in the morning to get five different types of coffee for the office. The new intern has to do this now and seriously, I’m just too relieved to sympathize with him!

Excuse my selfishness. I’m just in a celebratory mood because now, Natural Pain Remedies will get updates once again!

Thank you, everyone, for continuing to visit the blog despite the considerable time we’ve been gone. I’ll be publishing new posts soon!

And if you have any requests, questions, or guest posts in mind, just go over to our contact page and we will try to get back to you very quickly.

Once again, thank you! Here’s to a great mid-year!

Green Coffee Causes Weight Loss

A recent study has shown interesting findings about how a specific type of coffee can cause weight loss. Green coffee causes weight loss at an average of about 17 pounds in 5 months. But what is green coffee, and why does it cause weight loss?

What is green coffee?

I bet that after finding out what coffee causes weight loss, you now want to know what green coffee is and where you can get it. If I’m right, then you should read on to satisfy your curiosity. This is, after all, about weight loss – and everyone is interested!

Green coffee beans are, simply put, coffee beans that have not been roasted. Roasting renders the coffee beans a dark brown, the color of a cup of coffee that does not have cream or milk in it.

 

Does green coffee always cause weight loss?

The study involved 16 participants and it went on for about 22 weeks. Although the findings were statistically significant, more participants would have made for a stronger study.

In other words, it looks like green coffee beans can cause weight loss, but more studies – with more participants – are needed to establish that fact once and for all.

The study was also funded by a company selling green coffee bean extract. This kind of information is always important as it can show if bias exists. Perhaps it doesn’t, but it counts that you know who spent for the study, right? Read on to find out if the substance in green coffee that causes weight loss. And no, it isn’t caffeine.

Is it the caffeine in green coffee that causes weight loss?

Dr. Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor from the University of Scranton, believed that caffeine was not the cause of weight loss in the participants who drank green coffee.

Green coffee beans cause weight loss because they contain chlorogenic acids. Chlorogenic acids (CGA) were given to participants in the study.

Chlorogenic acid was thought to suppress the absorption of sugar from the diet. Aside from keeping you from taking in too many calories from sugar, it also helped regulate sugar metabolism inside your body. It may then keep your sugar levels from spiking up, a phenomenon linked to dessert cravings.

Green coffee beans, once roasted, will lose their chlorogenic acid content. But the study did not compare the effect of roasted coffee beans with that of green coffee beans. There should be a study comparing their effects, yes?

Where are green coffee beans available as a weight loss supplement?

According to WebMD, Applied Food Sciences is the company that makes green coffee supplements. Green coffee extract is being marketed not only for its potential for weight loss regimens, but also for its antioxidant properties.

If you want to find out how much green coffee you need to drink to lose weight, read this article on green coffee beans and weight loss.

Sources:
Kathleen Doheny, “Green Coffee Beans May Aid Weight Loss”, WebMD Health News
Vinson, J. Burnham, B., and Nagendran, M., “Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a green coffee bean extract in overweight subjects”, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity

Stef dela Cruz wrote this article on how green coffee causes weight loss. She is a physician, writer, and blogger. She contributes health articles to print magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, and Big C (a cancer magazine). Visit Stef dela Cruz on her blog for more health updates and anecdotes on blogging. And here’s how to contribute health articles on natural pain remedies to this blog.

Vitamin E Fights Alzheimer’s Disease?

Will Vitamin E help fight Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer’s disease is known to steal your life from you, slowly but surely. All your memories, starting from the most recent ones your brain has registered, such as your recent trip to the beach or that kiss you shared with your partner, will be erased permanently. Is it true that Vitamin E helps stop this from happening?

Let’s look behind the curtain and discover what Alzheimer’s disease really is, and what the role of Vitamin E is in the management of Alzheimer’s.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

A lot of people think that they know what Alzheimer’s disease is. They think it is forgetfulness, and that old people are bound to have it. But most of these assumptions are wrong and you’re better off knowing what Alzheimer’s disease really is.

• Alzheimer’s disease is, put simply, a degenerative disease of forgetfulness. Your memories are wiped from your mind, starting from the most recent ones, going back to the memories you’ve had when you were a child as it progresses.
• Not all cases of forgetfulness are due to Alzheimer’s disease. Just because you keep forgetting where you put your keys does not mean you have Alzheimer’s. The characteristic memory loss of Alzheimer’s is usually described as odd, such as forgetting that you placed your keys inside the freezer. In other words, if you simply forgot that your keys are still in yesterday’s pants, then you probably don’t have Alzheimer’s.
• Alzheimer’s disease is not normal in the elderly. No, Alzheimer’s is not a normal phenomenon. Senile forgetfulness, one that normally occurs with aging, is different from Alzheimer’s. In Alzheimer’s disease, there are certain pathologic changes in the brain that do not occur in the kind of forgetfulness associated with senility.
• Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. It continues until it reaches its completion. It starts gradually, but once it starts, it cannot be stopped. However, you can delay its progression.

Does Vitamin E delay Alzheimer’s disease progression?

A 2009 study revealed the potential role of Vitamin E in delaying the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Here are the published research findings.

• High dose Vitamin E slows down memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease. This is true when Vitamin E is combined with drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors.
• Vitamin E has a proven benefit in Alzheimer’s disease, but only when taken long term. Vitamin E’s role is seen to increase over time, as the participants experienced less memory loss with time over a span of five years. However, taking it in a year or less may have no benefit.
• Vitamin E is effective in delaying Alzheimer’s disease, but its long-term safety is uncertain. After all, the study did not take into consideration the side effects and adverse effects after long term, high dose use. One study showed that high dose Vitamin E, especially when above 400 IU per day, may lead to increased risk for death.

Before taking Vitamin E for Alzheimer’s disease, make sure to ask your physician as it comes with both risks and benefits. And if you don’t have Alzheimer’s disease, protect yourself by reading more and finishing school as a study showed that a higher degree of education is associated with a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Speaking of vitamins, you might want to read about how Vitamin C can help prevent eyestrain.

Sources:
Kathleen Louden, “AGS 2009: High-Dose Vitamin E Slows Functional Decline in Alzheimer's Disease”, Medscape Medical News
Caroline Cassels, “High Education Level May Reduce Memory Impairment, Delay Onset of Alzheimer's Symptoms”, Medscape Medical News
Schürks, M, et al, “Effects of Vitamin E on Stroke Subtypes: Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials”, Medscape Medical News

Sean Gutierrez wrote this article on the effects of Vitamin E on Alzheimer’s disease. He is the founder of Natural Pain Remedies and is a non-practicing doctor who owns a private business and has a lot of spare time. He loves scouring the internet for relevant health articles that highlight recent trends on alternative and complementary medicine. He welcomes newbie health bloggers and medical writers to his health blog. Feel free to contribute health articles to this blog.