11 minute read
Mental Health
Hearing Loss and Dementia Mind Games
The connections between hearing loss and dementia
By Virginia Olson
Hearing loss is not limited to asking someone to turn up the TV or asking “Can you repeat that?” It has also been linked to an increased risk of dementia. The latest aging research conducted by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine not only shows that the two are connected, research is also leading scientists to believe that untreated hearing loss, with its social isolation and communication difficulties, may actually be a factor that leads to dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of memory and other cognitive abilities. Currently, around 6.2 million Americans over age 65 are living with Alzheimer’s; the most common form of dementia. Like dementia, hearing loss also affects millions of Americans. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 25% of adults between 65 and 74, and 50% of adults 75 years and older have hearing loss.
In another 2020 study by the Lancet Commission, research revealed that untreated hearing loss was the number one modifiable risk factor in delaying or preventing dementia cases. This means that hearing loss may be responsible for 800,000 of the nearly 10 million new cases of dementia diagnosed each year.
“The Lancet article published in 2020 has shed light on the importance of early detection and treatment of hearing loss. By treating hearing loss with hearing aids, you are able to better connect with others,
maintain positive relationships, and increase neural stimulation in the auditory centers of the brain. These actions protect the brain from cognitive decline,” says Holly Ralston, audiologist at Midwest ENT & Allergy.
Ralston goes on to say that hearing aids not only improve your quality of life, they serve as a safeguard for your mental and cognitive processes.
So, what can you do to be pro-active on this? Ralston recommends that like blood pressure, cholesterol and eye prescriptions, people should have their hearing checked and seek treatment as soon as possible.
If you are experiencing symptoms of hearing loss, it is important not to delay a hearing evaluation. Early detection and treatment of hearing impairment helps solve the problem easier and more quickly compared to those who wait until the hearing problem is severe.
Midwest ENT & Allergy often offers free hearing screening events. Their highly trained audiologists check a base-line hearing projection and visit with you about your hearing health. You may call to check for upcoming screening events! The new technology in digital hearing aids is phenomenal and ever-advancing. Midwest ENT & Allergy also offers free sound demonstrations of Earlens® - The World’s Only Hearing Lens. Earlens is a hearing solution in which a custom lens vibrates the eardrum for optimum hearing results. It provides broader bandwidth than traditional hearing aids, leading to even more stimulation of the neural pathways in the the brain.
Though a hearing aid can’t cure dementia, it can provide the missing stimulation to the brain to keep it active and hopefully lesson your chances of developing dementia. n
Holly Ralston
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PROJECT FIRSTLINE EXPANDS IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Two new Project Managers have been added to Project Firstline in SD. Diane Eide and Jess Danko will join Cheri Fast, Project Manager and Charlotte Hofer, Director of Marketing. Project Firstline is a national infection control collaborative with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases. Its focus is on infection prevention training for frontline healthcare workers. “The CDC has provided great educational information about infectious disease with innovative content that includes vibrant colorful posters, easy to understand videos, cool social graphics and tips on infection prevention this summer,” says Eide. “Best of all, they are free.” Everyone can benefi t from the CDC education and the new materials according to Eide. “The education can’t stop; we must keep learning as infectious diseases are always evolving. “It is great for a business to educate staff on staying healthy and great for public awareness to help everyone stay protected from infectious diseases,” adds Eide. The South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care administers the Project Firstline program statewide, in partnership with the SD Department of Health and the CDC. New CDC training videos and resources on infection control are available at: www.sdprojectfi rstline.org.
GERMS GERMS LIVE ON THE LIVE ON THE SKIN. SKIN.
REDUCE THE RISK! WHERE IS THE RISK? Know where germs live to stop spread
and protect patients
• Hand hygiene Germs spread through touch. •Many germs grow on healthy skin. •Germs on skin can get onto surfaces, • Cleaning and disinfection other people, and things that will touch other people. •Skin – especially hands – carries many • Covering cuts, wounds germs and spreads them easily. •When one’s hands touch surfaces, germs can spread from those surfaces to that person and to others.
WHERE IS THE RISK? Germs That Live on Skin
Know where germs live to stop spread and protect patients • Staphylococcus aureus (staph, including MRSA) Germs spread through touch. •Many germs grow on healthy skin. • Streptococcus (strep) Candida •Germs on skin can get onto surfaces, • Candida (including C. auris) other people, and things that will touch other people. Healthcare Tasks •Skin – especially hands – carries many Involving Skin germs and spreads them easily. •Anything that involves touch •When one’s hands touch surfaces, germs can spread from those surfaces •Needlesticks to that person and to others. •Surgery
Germs That Live on Skin
• Staphylococcus aureus (staph, including MRSA) • Streptococcus (strep) Candida • Candida (including C. auris)
Healthcare Tasks Involving Skin
•Anything that involves touch •Needlesticks •Surgery
Germs spread by bypassing Germs spread by bypassing or breaking down the body’s or breaking down the body’s defenses. defenses.
•Healthcare tasks often involve •Healthcare tasks often involve LEARN MORE breaking the skin. •Breaking the skin – from putting in an IV, drawing blood, surgery, or trauma breaking the skin. •Breaking the skin – from putting in an IV, drawing blood, surgery, or trauma – creates a pathway for germs to – creates a pathway for germs to sdProjectFirstline.org spread into the body. spread into the body. info@sdfmc.org 605.336.3505
Infection Control Infection Control Actions to Reduce Risk Actions to Reduce Risk
•Hand hygiene •Hand hygiene •Appropriate glove use •Appropriate glove use •Injection safety •Injection safety •Cleaning and disinfection •Cleaning and disinfection •Source control (covering cuts •Source control (covering cuts and wounds) and wounds)
WWW.CDC.GOV/PROJECTFIRSTLINE WWW.CDC.GOV/PROJECTFIRSTLINE WWW.CDC.GOV/PROJECTFIRSTLINE WWW.CDC.GOV/PROJECTFIRSTLINE
New CDC Infection Control Resources: For Everyone: Interactive posters, social media graphics & more For Healthcare Workers: Take the Project Firstline training! Short Training Modules, Videos, CEU Credit
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Dr. Brad Hruby | Photo by Kelly Middlebrooks When it comes to being seen by a doctor, convenience and continuity is often more important than it sounds. People have jobs, activities, and families that really do need to be attended to. Moreover, sick individuals can benefi t greatly from rest and being seen at the appropriate time when dealing with an illness. That’s why Dr. Brad Hruby and his team make it easier for patients to get great care – when and where they need it. They offer early morning, lunch hour and late-in-the day appointments, as well as convenient telemedicine visits during and after offi ce hours. You could think of Dr. Brad Hruby as the quarterback of your healthcare team. As a family medicine physician, he helps ensure patients receive all the care they need—when they need it. That includes helping them determine which other health care specialists they should see. “I’m passionate about preventive medicine and dedicated to supporting individuals and family’s wellness through all cycles of life,” said Dr. Hruby. Born and raised in Marion, SD, Dr. Hruby is a highlyrated family physician and has been practicing for more than 20 years in Sioux Falls. He has his own independent practice and recently moved to a new clinic location at 7600 S. Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls, located in the Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital Urgent Care building. Unlike other medical physicians who focus on a specifi c type of disease or a particular part of the body, family medicine physicians like Dr. Hruby provide comprehensive care to patients of all ages and genders through all stages of life. They treat a large variety of different health conditions’ and focus on educating patients in disease prevention and health maintenance. Dr. Hruby received his undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD and
earned his medical degree from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in Vermillion, SD. Following his education, he became board certifi ed by the American Board of Family Medicine. He’s also a 20-year member of the Academy of Family Physicians and has been teaching medical students at the University of South Dakota for more than 18 years. Dr. Hruby provides compassionate care, practices active listening and brings a logical and common-sense perspective to health care and lifestyle management. The services he provides range from wellness checks and immunizations to sports physicals and family planning. His clinic accepts a variety of plans from most insurance companies. Dr. Hruby and his wife, Kate reside in Sioux Falls with their 4 daughters, two cats and two dogs. Going forward Dr. Hruby aims to continue striving for clinical excellence, building relationships, and serving patients in the Sioux Falls community to the best of his ability. Patients wishing to make an appointment with Dr. Hruby may call 605.444.8650.
Dr. Brad Hruby 7600 S Minnesota Ave (85th & Minnesota) 605.444.8650 sfsh.com/family-medicine/
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