Cognitive Decline Archives - Countryside Hearing Aid Services

Keys To A Better Life: The Surprising Benefits Of Piano For Seniors

Owner — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 12:17:00 +0000

In recent years, the spotlight has shifted to the profound benefits of music on cognitive and emotional well-being. One group that stands to gain significantly from this therapeutic intervention is seniors. Playing and learning the piano, in particular, has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing the quality of life among the elderly, offering a harmonious blend of mental, emotional, and physical benefits. Here are some ways seniors can benefit from engaging with the piano, with a particular focus on its potential to aid in dementia prevention and management. The Cognitive Symphony: How Piano Playing Stimulates the Brain Enhancing Memory and Cognitive Function One of the most compelling reasons seniors take up the piano is its impact on cognitive health. Reading music, coordinating hand movements, and recalling notes and rhythms engage multiple brain regions simultaneously. This comprehensive brain workout helps to enhance memory, improve attention, and boost overall cognitive function. Studies have shown that musical training can lead to structural changes in the brain, particularly in areas associated with memory […]

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The Benefits Of Listening To Calming Music

Owner — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 17:50:54 +0000

Listening to relaxing music can have a wide range of benefits. If you have ever sat down or lay on your bed and listened to calming music, you may have noticed that it had an effect on your body and mind. All genres of music can have an impact on the way we feel, and music can be utilized to help us relax and feel calm. We’ll consider some of the benefits of listening to calming music in Clearwater and Pinellas County. It Can Help You Sleep Easier People who struggle to fall asleep might benefit from listening to calm music before bedtime. Relaxing music can be particularly beneficial for older people, who may struggle more to fall asleep and achieve good quality sleep. Failing to get enough sleep each night can result in long-term health problems like depression or dementia. Listening to relaxing music before you go to bed can help you to feel calmer and ready to sleep. Calming music can help to lower blood pressure and make […]

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Driving Risks For Seniors With Hearing And Vision Impairments

Owner — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 20:29:55 +0000

Being able to drive is an important part of maintaining your independence and quality of life regardless of your age. However, as we get older certain age-related changes do make it more difficult to do certain things. For instance, most seniors say that they are concerned about being unable to drive. This isn’t surprising when you discover that automobile crashes are one of the leading causes of death among the elderly – a risk that increases among people, who have hearing loss. Research on Seniors’ Driving and Health Seniors face a lot of different issues that make it more dangerous for them to drive a car such as the loss of cognitive functioning, intact coordination, vision, and motor control as well as their growing inability to maintain attention. Studies on seniors and these health impairments show that when a person’s hearing and vision (or a combination of the two) become impaired the person is more likely to face cognitive decline. If this cognitive decline happens to be significant then it’ll […]

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Super Foods For Super Seniors

Owner — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:25:10 +0000

A healthy diet will help to greatly improve seniors’ lifestyles. In specific, there are some superfoods that contain special health benefits that you should know about. Dark Leafy Greens Things like spinach, kale, dandelion greens, and arugula are essential to your diet. This is because they contain high doses of Vitamin K which helps your blood clot and makes your bones less fragile. Green Tea To help with your digestion and boosting your immune system seniors should drink green tea. Drinking a few cups will also ring you some relief when you’re suffering from constipation or if you find yourself prone to overeating. Blueberries Packed with antioxidants, blueberries will help fight off heart disease. Salmon Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, salmon will help lower your risk of developing heart disease by lowering your blood fat count. In stores, wild salmon will always be the better choice nutritionally verses the all too common farm raised varieties. Orange Juice When seniors go to grab a glass of orange juice, you should be […]

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Playing Sports Improves Your Hearing

Owner — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 20:47:27 +0000

The brain’s ability to process sounds may be improved when you play sports. With this discovery, it’s possible the people with hearing issues could have new therapies opened up to them. There’s no argument that sports improve a person’s physical fitness level. However, we don’t typically think about the brain here. This is according to the study’s author, Nina Kraus who works at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois as a professor of communication sciences and neurobiology. What Kraus’ study is saying is that playing sports can help your brain have a better understanding of your sensory environment. In Kraus’ study, there was a total of 495 male and female athletes who attended Northwestern University. There were another 493 non-athletes who also participated in this study. All of the students were sex-matched so that this wasn’t a random control variable. Throughout the study, researchers monitored the participants’ brain activity by having them wear earbuds that played speech sounds. Athletes did a better job than those in the control group when it […]

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Understanding Sudden Hearing Loss

Owner — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 21:11:46 +0000

When you suddenly develop hearing loss you should see your doctor right away as this will help you be more likely to fully recover. This is what’s known as Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL). It usually only affects one ear (hence why it’s called unilateral) it will leave you unable to distinguish where sounds are coming from. Sometimes it’s possible to save some of your hearing ability and amplify it with a hearing aid. What SSNHL Is This loss of hearing can either occur all at once or for a few days. Regardless of how long it takes to happen, it occurs in one in every 5,000 adults each year. Since this is only the number of people who report the problem, many may suffer without saying anything. This is because they assume that it’s allergies, a sinus infection, or the build-up of earwax. Both men and women are equally affected by this type of hearing loss which will typically first occur when they’re in their mid-40s – mid-50s. Some […]

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Menopause And The Link To Hearing Loss

Owner — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 19:31:02 +0000

It’s somewhat complicated to decide whether taking hormone therapy (HT) for menopausal symptoms is the right answer for you. Both the risks and the benefits must be considered with your doctor. However, you should know that there’s new research that demonstrates the link between this and the need for hearing aids. Research Studies Weigh In Currently, there’s a lot of mixed results regarding menopause’s effects on a person’s hearing. This is also true of HT. However, according to preliminary research taking estrogen can protect your hearing. One study conducted by Dr. Sharon Curhan, MD, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that taking HT (both pills and patches) can increase your risk of having hearing issues. In this study, 47,000 females were followed for 22 years. At the end of the study, it was concluded that taking HT for 5 – 10 years increased the likelihood of developing hearing loss by 15%. The longer women remained on HT, the more the risk increased. Menopause and the Need for Hearing […]

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The Relationship Between Poor Hearing And Poor Memory

Owner — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 12:57:22 +0000

You may be surprised to learn that about 15% of American adults suffer from some form of hearing loss according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One of the things that play a major role here is age. It is estimated that about one-quarter of American seniors who are between the ages of 65 – 74 and half of the American seniors who are over the age of 75 face some form of hearing decline. This in comparison to the approximately one-third of seniors who are suffering from hearing loss throughout the world today. How Research Weighs in on Hearing Decline Rodolfo Sardone from the NIH and Italy’s University of Bari recently conducted a new research study in which he and his team took a look at the link between hearing loss and memory issues (especially mild cognitive impairment or MCI) in approximately 75-years-old patients. This study was entitled The Great Age Study and its results are to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 70th annual meeting. […]

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Tips To Help Seniors Stay Well Through The Pandemic

Owner — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 20:06:11 +0000

Everyone has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, most seniors are at a higher risk of contracting the disease, suffering from its complications, and even dying from it. This is why it’s so important for you to take care of your health. One way to do so is by exercising. There are many great ways to do this throughout the pandemic. Get Your Daily Steps In You should take a 30-minute walk every day. Doing so will help give your immune system a great boost. When the weather is nice, try to take a walk outdoors. Of course, you should always avoid crowded places and socially distance yourself from those around you. The best way to get your walk-in is by setting a daily goal for steps. Doing so will motivate you to walk more. If you can’t walk outdoors by yourself, get someone to help you do so. Engage in Strength Training Exercise While you’re at home it’s possible to engage in regular strength training exercises. Doing so […]

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The Impact Cold Weather And Moisture Have On Your Hearing Aids

Owner — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 19:46:44 +0000

Hearing aids and their batteries can be damaged by cold weather and moisture. This is because temperature changes can cause condensation to occur which damages its internal components. Signs of Moisture Damage Moisture may ruin your hearing aids’ microphone and receiver. It can also clog its earmold tubing, resulting in corrosion. You’ll know that you need hearing aids maintenance in a few different ways including: They’ll cut out during a loud noise The sound will fade in and out Static punctuates everything you hear Sounds seem unclear, even distorted Your hearing aid will suddenly stop working then start again Hearing Aids Maintenance Tips Before you get too concerned that your hearing aids malfunctioning you should know there are some hearing aids maintenance tips you can follow, including: Make sure your hearing aids are turned on Make sure the batteries are new and properly inserted Clean the battery contacts with dry cotton swabs Make sure the air molds aren’t clogged with wax It’s also a good idea to know what to […]

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Early Warning Signs Of Hearing Loss

Owner — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:21:00 +0000

Hearing loss has a way of sneaking up on you gradually. It’ll steal your hearing in very small increments. Suddenly you’ll find yourself straining to understand a conversation or missing out on some of your favorite sounds. While only a qualified hearing professional can tell you for certain if you have a problem, there are 5 signs you should watch for. Difficulty Hearing Consonant Sounds When you’re older you may develop a type of hearing loss that’s known as Presbycusis. This happens when you can no longer hear high-frequency sounds. In the speech, this refers to the consonant sounds of F, K, P, S, Sh, T, and V. These are important because they help you distinguish between words that sound alike (e.g. show/throw, peep/keep). When you don’t have hearing aids you may not be able to understand some important parts of the conversation. As such you may either respond inappropriately or think that people are mumbling because you can hear them but you can’t understand them. Common Sounds Disappear If […]

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Ways To Manage Hearing Loss In Your Family

Owner — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 13:14:10 +0000

When someone in your family suffers from hearing loss you know it’s hard on them, but undoubtedly it’s hard on you too. This is something that doesn’t only affect the hearing-impaired person but it also affects those who are close to them too. There are some things you can do to deal with everyone’s frustration here. Be Supportive Studies show that it takes about 7 years from the point someone realizes they’ve lost some of their hearing to when they get hearing aids. It’s a long journey to get to the point where you know you need them. This is because it isn’t easy to admit to yourself, let alone those around you that you can’t hear as well as you once did. It’s important to be patient and supportive by: Hugging them and showing them you care Practicing new communication strategies Going with them to a hearing professional to help them choose the right hearing aids Learn What It’s Like to Suffer From Hearing Loss While you can say […]

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