Protect your ears!

TURN DOWN THAT MUSIC!  Anyone remember their parents saying that?  They had a point.

Your ears are beautifully and wonderfully made.  Your outer ear, where you hang your earring,  is designed to capture sound waves and direct them down your ear canal to the  middle and inner ear.   Ears are truly  God’s artistry on display.

Hearing is such a blessing …….most of the time!  Whether it is the sweet voice of a toddler to the majesty of a symphony to the jokes of your favorite comedian, hearing (and therefore your ears) is something you want to protect.

BUT HOW?

Here are a few simple rules to follow.

1-START EARLY!   It may be too late for some of us to do that but we can help guide our children and grands.  For instance, It is felt that even the infant sleep machines can be harmful to young ears.  They are useful, of course, but it is best to place them as far away from the baby as possible and keep then  at a low volume

2-Avoid LOUD noises.  Not just people yelling at you.   This includes loud concerts, loud sporting events, fireworks.  It is a good idea to keep a pair of ear plugs in your car or purse (if you use one) because sometimes you end up someplace noisy without planning on it….. or you just forget to bring them.

3-AVOID INGESTING PRODUCTS THAT HARM YOUR EARS.  Of course this is not always possible, since even some frequently used antibiotics can do some damage.  If you already have decreased hearing you may want to think about this.

4.  If you are listening to a podcast or music on headphones, keep the volume low enough  that you can hear someone speaking to you

5.   AVOID USING Q TIPS – they can cause perforation in your tympanic membrane if you go too far

6.  Finally, take a breaks from noise altogether.

SILENCE REALLY CAN BE GOLDEN!

Happy New Year! New Body Anyone?

FRAILITY………………………………………………………………………….VIRILITY

I have been a family physician for over 35 years!  I  kinda miss my younger body.  I know it is not coming back but there are some things one can do to improve.  I don’t know where you are on the continuum above, but wherever you are, there is wiggle room for change!

In the year ahead, I am going to explore different aspects of aging and what can be done to slow it down a little.   Every few weeks, I will talk about a different topic.  I would love some company along the way…..and would appreciate any comments please!

Let’s start with your MOUTH (oropharynx)

Your MOUTH is part of your gastrointestinal track.  The GI track extends from your mouth to your “other end.”  In between there are a lot of different places that could be good stopping points (for discussion – not food).  Anyway, beyond your mouth there is your esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.  All told this is about 30 feet of track.  If it wasn’t curled up and packed so well we would take up a lot more room!

As you age you may develop a decrease in saliva (spit) production and develop a DRY MOUTH.  Certain medications can make this worse.  A common one that causes mouth dryness is benadryl.  Eventually, the transfer of food from your mouth to your  pharynx (throat) may be altered.  Studies have shown that up to 60% of older people without any symptoms have some abnormal transfer of food from their mouth to their throat

Also, your mouth has a lining called the oral mucosa.  As you get older, this lining gets thinner.  Your gums tend to recede.  This in turn causes the base of the tooth  to be exposed and you become more susceptible to root cavities. You may lose some of your teeth and not be able to chew your food as well.  This in turn can affect your nutritional intake.

In addition, inadequate flossing of your teeth can lead to increased inflammation of the gums.  Chronic inflammation has been linked to a variety of diseases.  Your dentist bugging you to floss is NOT JUST ABOUT YOUR TEETH! 

So………..  what are a few steps to take in the new year to protect this little area of your body and avoid downstream consequences?

1 – IF YOU HAVE TEETH, take care of them.

2- If you have not been getting regular dental cleanings, start.

3- Floss daily (gently)

4- Avoid medications that cause oral dryness (benadryl is one such medicine)

5- AVOID sugary foods, especially at night right before bed.

6- AVOID COLA DRINKS – They have a low pH and drinks with  a pH <4.0 are potentially harmful to your teeth.  The pH of cola drinks is  2.6 (I have been binging on diet lemonade which is pretty acidic and think I need to stop) Water is good.  Water is neutral

7- AVOID smoking.  It causes some pretty nasty mouth cancers.

Your  “new body” can start with good mouth care.

Remember, your mouth may not be what you think of first when considering a new body.  But it is directs a lot of traffic and needs a lot of care!  It’s a good place to start…..and we can move on from there!

MAY YOU BE happy, HEALTHY, and wise in 2025.