Hearing Reimagined AARPHearingCare.com
VOL 3 / ISSUE 1
Hearing Aids Help Keep Your Brain Fit Binaural Hearing Loss You Hear What You Eat Exclusive for AARP members
� aving trouble hearing but reluctant to try
hearing aids? Social isolation, diminished quality of life and an increase in your risk for age-related cognitive decline and dementia are just a few of the potential downsides to your lack of action. New research findings about hearing loss and healthy brain aging may provide just the incentive you need. The study found that adults with hearing loss who actively use hearing aids can reduce the risk of cognitive decline associated with hearing loss. “When you actively use hearing aids, you are more likely to stay socially engaged, one of the primary ways to stimulate your brain,” says Sheena Oliver, Audiologist and Vice President of Oticon Marketing. “And like any exercise, the mental give-and-take of social interaction helps to keep your brain fit and slow down the accelerated cognitive decline linked to hearing loss.”
HEARING AIDS HELP KEEP YOUR BRAIN FIT
Cognition refers to a variety of mental processes used in gaining knowledge and comprehension including attention, memory, understanding language, learning, reasoning, problem solving and decision making. When people experience cognitive decline, they may have problems with remembering, language, thinking and judgment. Many studies have shown correlations between hearing loss in older adults and a greater risk of cognitive decline and possibly also the onset of dementia. “When you have hearing loss, your brain doesn’t receive the sound information it needs to understand what is being said and expends more energy trying to fill in the blanks,” explains Sheena. “Conversations become difficult and
Save
$500
exhausting and you may start to withdraw and avoid the social connections that are so important to brain health.” Sheena points out that the newest hearing solutions with Oticon BrainHearing™ technology take a proactive “brain first ” approach, providing the clearest, most accurate speech signal possible so that your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to understand what is being said. The mental effort you need to understand speech in noise is minimized so you can conserve the cognitive resources you need to engage in socializing and other brain-stimulating activities. By restoring the ability to communicate, hearing aids with BrainHearing technology allow you to participate more easily in conversation, even in noisy settings like restaurants or social gatherings. “Don’t wait to give your brain the stimulation it needs,” says Sheena. “It ’s never too late to take care of your hearing health!” i Amieva et al. 2015. Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25-YearStudy. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Volume 63, Issue 10; 2099–2104. ii Lin et al. 2011, Hearing Loss Prevalence and Risk Factors Among Older Adults in the United States. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. May ;66A(5):582–590 Lin et al. 2013, Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults. JAMA Intern Medicine, 173, 4;293-299
on a pair of Oticon digital hearing aids! Valid only on levels 3,4 and 5. excludes previous purchacs. Call for deatails.
2
Call HearUSA today 1-844-704-5457
Call HearUSA today 1-844-704-5457
3
Binaural Hearing
Chicken Pepper Stir Fry
Ingredients 1 large red bell pepper 1 medium onion, slivered 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables 2 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cubed 3/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon honey mustard 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (Hot cooked rice, optional)
Directions In a large skillet, stir-fry peppers and onion in 2 tablespoons oil until crisptender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken and Cajun seasoning in remaining oil until no longer pink.
I
magine two people sitting in a theater. The person on the left says something to the one on his right. The left sound waves deliver sound quickly and directly to the receiving person’s left ear, as in monaural hearing. At the same time, those sound waves delivered to the listener’s right ear lose intensity and are delayed by scattering around the head, as if echoing off walls and other objects. That is what it is like to be a person who is hearing impaired in one ear; when the scattering of sound causes confusion and frustration as it hits one eardrum but not the other. When one ear hears but not the other, it can be especially difficult to determine the original location of a sound. Even using a hearing aid in that ear may not produce the best hearing results, since it is still difficult to balance both ears. Binaural hearing is the perception of sound by stimulation in two ears. A pair of sound signals is sent to the brain where they are interpreted. That interpretation creates a central perception. The brain data identifies sound location, loudness, separates a voice or individual sound from background noise, enhances clarity, and allows the listener to concentrate on speech. Thus, regardless of whether a person suffers from hearing impairment in one ear or both, many hearing care providers and audiologists highly recommend wearing hearing aids in both ears to simulate the experience of normal binaural hearing.
4
Call HearUSA today 1-844-704-5457
Spatial awareness. Since our heads are round and ears are
placed on opposite sides, sound from any place will hit our ears at different times, and at varying levels and intensities. Binaural hearing allows our brain to precisely pinpoint a sound source, whether it is from the side, way off in the distance behind us, or farther up front. Two hearing aids amplify the world, helping the brain locate the source of a sound more accurately.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon juice, mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce; pour over chicken. Return pepper mixture to the pan; cook and stir for 1 minute. Serve with rice if desired. Yield: 3-4 servings.
Signal-to-noise ratio. Two ears help the brain distinguish signal-to-noise ratio, singling out the one voice who is addressing the listener, from other voices and noises around. When the brain suppresses outside stimulus, this “squelch effect” allows the person to hear speech in noisy situations and gives it more prominence for better speech understanding. Two hearing aids help zero in on the conversation. Understanding speech. Binaural hearing allows us to
distinguish human speech better, and as a consequence, improves quality of dialogue between one person or a group of people. Two hearing aids lessen the need to read lips; they catch the nuances and natural flow of conversation.
Binaural hearing helps us navigate through life in a hearing world. Double hearing aids enhance binaural hearing, and give those with hearing loss confidence.
Call HearUSA today 1-844-704-5457
5
But for non-seafood lovers, there are many other options including all types of beans from kidney to pinto, vegetables from broccoli and cauliflower to spinach and winter squash, and nuts and seeds including flaxseed and walnuts. Oils such as soybean and canola also provide this necessary nutrient that may dramatically reduce the risk of hearing loss.
Get Your Vitamins C and E
Keep that immune system strong and corral free-radicals with lots of vitamin C and E by incorporating citrus, which is loaded in vitamin C, and the E-loaded almonds, hazelnuts and leafy greens.
A to Zinc
Anti-oxidant Vitamin A is found in liver, sweet potatoes, peppers, leafy greens and many other fruits and vegetables. Daily doses of zinc-rich foods, which include dark chocolate, can help the inner ear’s resistance to aging. Zinc is also found in beef, pork and dark-meat chicken not to mention a plethora of nuts and seeds including cashews, almonds, peanuts, beans, split peas, and lentils. And then there are oysters!
T
he National Institutes of Health have conducted and supported a number of studies about how to prevent hearing loss by employing nutrient-based solutions including a 2011 study that concluded nutrient combinations of omega-3s, anti-oxidants, beta-carotenes, vitamins A, C and E as well as zinc, magnesium and other nutrients may hold promise for benefit to the human ear.
You Hear What You Eat by Ellyn Santiago
6
Call HearUSA today 1-844-704-5457
There are so many foods to eat that are at once delicious and rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can slow down or prevent hearing loss.
Oh my, Omega-3s!
B-12 to the Rescue
B-12. It does a body good. Go for sunflower seeds, spinach and almonds.
Marvelous Magnesium
Research shows that magnesium can sometimes protect a person from noise-induced hearing loss, so stock up on bananas and artichokes.
Do Not Forget Folic Acid
There is a lot of recent evidence that suggests folic acid is essential to inner ear health. Stock up on the B-9 rich folate found in foods including green leafy vegetables. Salads, salads, salads.
Consuming omega-3 foods may help prevent or delay hearing loss. Lucky for us, the foods that are the richest in omega-3 are abundant and fresh in the spring and summer months, not to mention delicious. Salmon, tuna, shellfish including crab, scallops, shrimp and lobster as well as myriad other seafood to include trout, cod, tilapia, anchovies and sardines.
Call HearUSA today 1-844-704-5457
7
HearUSA pays a royalty fee to AARP for the use of the AARP intellectual property. Amounts paid are used for general purpose f AARP and its members. Neither AARP nor its affiliate providers. AARP does not recomend health-related products, service nsurance or programs. You are strongly encouraged to evaluate your needs. Products or services that are reimbursable by fed rograms including Medicare and Medicaid are not encouraged to evaluate your needs. Products or services that are reimburs y federal programs including Medicare and Medicaid are not aavcailable on a discounted or complimentary basis.
Your First Hearing Test What to Expect
by Clair Cameron
I
f you speak to just about any hearing care provider who conducts thorough hearing tests, they will tell you that, for some people, it is a spiritual experience, one that often makes them cry. For many, it is the first time they will face their hearing loss in a controlled setting, and they are afraid of what the results may be. For others, the sound-insulated room feels confining; voices bounce off the walls unnaturally, creating a sense of anxious uncertainty. But facing a hearing examination is nothing to fear in reality, since the HearUSA TotalCare Program considers the test with comfort in mind; it is painless and the results will help determine how best to treat your specific type of hearing loss.
The hearing test measures your ability to hear spoken words, various pitches, and how well you can make out conversation in a noisy environment. It begins with earphones placed gently in the ear. These block outside noise and are equipped with an earpiece that sends sounds directly into your ear canal. A series of tones are sent through the earpiece, with the patient indicating every time the sound is heard. These tones will range from low to high, and the results will pinpoint the specific type and degree of hearing loss. From there, spoken words are asked to be repeated by the hearing care provider. This helps map out how clearly
speech is heard during normal conversation. The third part of the test follows this line, attempting to measure hearing in a noisy environment, like a restaurant or a train station. Phrases are spoken into the earphones with background conversations put in place to provide distractions. Dominant spoken words are repeated while trying to separate the coherent phrases from the extra noise. Other parts of the hearing test are done outside the sound-proof booth. One portion of the examination determines how well your ear drum moves under pressure. It, too, does not hurt one bit. At HearUSA, every possible effort is made to ensure comfort, and a provider will be happy to offer an explanation during all parts of the examination. It is okay to feel a little anxious, but know that the entire process is relatively easy and designed with optimal health in mind. In order to determine what hearing aid would be best, a complete hearing test is an absolute necessity.
HearUSA pays a royalty fee to AARP for the use of the AARP intellectual property. Amounts paid are used for general purposes of AARP and its members. Neither AARP nor its affiliate is the provider. AARP does not recommend health-related products, services, insurance or programs. You are strongly encouraged to evaluate your needs. Products or services that are reimbursable by federal programs including Medicare and Medicaid are not available on a discounted or complimentary basis.