OverSixty July 2023 Digital

ISSUE 5 | JULY 2023 | OVERSIXTY.COM.AU 12 LIVEWELL 5 silent signs of hearing loss !is stroke acronym could save a life MEGHAN JONES LIVE WELL I n the event of a stroke, taking action as quickly as possible could be the key to preventing lasting damage. Doctors claim that a matter of hours often makes a di!erence in whether or not a patient receives life-saving care. Since strokes are so time-sensitive, it’s important to act immediately. But how will you know when an emergency call is in order? A simple, easy-to-remember acronym has been developed that represents the three major stroke symptoms. "e ac- ronym is FAST, a memorable word that stresses the importance of urgency and rapid action. If you or anyone you know is at risk of a stroke, these simple four letters, F.A.S.T., should be committed to memory. "e #rst three letters describe major stroke symptoms, while the fourth tells you what to do next if someone ex- hibits any of those symptoms. F is for Face drooping. If one side of the person’s face looks like it’s sagging, ask a suspected stroke victim to perform: S for smile, T for talk, and R for raise both arms. If they have di$culty doing any of those things, reach for the phone. Visit www.strokefoundation.org.au to learn more about stroke prevention, stroke recovery and support. LIVE WELL If you’re at risk for a stroke, ensuring you and your family and friends learn this acronym could make all the di!erence Photo: Getty Images LIVE WELL Hearing loss can creep up on you, so it’s important to be aware of the di!erent warning signs Photo: Getty Images Aussies may be neglecting their hearing health A recent survey shows Australians aren’t being as proactive with their hearing health as they should be Conducted by Audika, the survey, released in March this year, found 34% of respondents over 40 admitted they are probably hard of hearing but have never been tested or sought treatment, despite 37% of those who don’t wear hearing aids agreeing they ZRXOG EHQHȴW IURP GRLQJ VR In fact, more than half (51%) of those surveyed said they would avoid wearing a hearing aid for as long as possible, even if they were diagnosed with hearing ORVV 5HDVRQV JLYHQ IRU WKLV include the belief that hearing aids are too expensive (51%) or too uncomfortable (51%), or that wearing a hearing aid would make them feel self-conscious or embarrassed (42%) or make them ȆORRN ROGHU WKDQ WKH\ DUHȇ This inaction to seek treatment comes despite 69% of survey respondents with actual or suspected hearing loss reporting WKDW LW QHJDWLYHO\ LPSDFWV GL΍HUHQW aspects of their lives, including personal relationships (35%), VRFLDO OLIH DQG FDUHHU With a 2021 study by YouGov $QDO\VLV ΖQVWLWXWH LQ ȴQGLQJ 37% of Australian hearing aid wearers were happier than before their hearing loss was diagnosed, and nearly 1 in 5 reported a ‘life- FKDQJLQJ GL΍HUHQFHȇ OHWȇV FKDQJH RXU WKLQNLQJ DQG WDNH DFWLRQ If you or a loved one exhibits any of these signs, act FAST ALYSSA JUNG LIVE WELL Your ears buzz or ring Ringing or buzzing in the ears that comes and goes is one of the earliest signs of hearing loss. “When it’s quiet, you may start to hear a low-level buzzing or ring- ing sound in the background. When it becomes more noticeable and is more frequent or constantly there, that means you’ve damaged the nerves in your ear,” says Dr Robert L. Pincus, associate pro- fessor of otolaryngology. Headphone use is a big contributor to hearing damage, says otolaryngologist Dr Sreekant Cherukuri. “Permanent hear- ing loss can occur in eight to 15 minutes of listening to music on the maximum volume level,” he says. “If you have tem- porary ringing or buzzing when you stop If you notice any of the following warning signs, it’s important to talk to your doctor your music, that should be your earliest clue that it’s too loud.” Dr Cherukuri sug- gests investing in over-the-ear noise-can- celling headphones because they reduce environmental noise, like tra$c, which means you don’t have to turn up the volume to hear. Earbud headphones are popular, but dangerous because they sit close to the eardrum, he says. <RXU EDODQFH LV R΍ If you notice yourself stumbling more of- ten, clumsiness might not be to blame: "is could be one of the signs of hearing loss. “When people have trouble hearing, they spend so much e!ort trying to hear that simple things like balance get less of the brain’s attention,” says Dr Cherukuri. Your inner ear canals send signals to your brain to help you balance, so damage to themmay make you a bit o!-kilter. You’re getting more forgetful “So much of memory is based on what you hear. It’s hard to remember things when you can’t hear,” says Dr Cheruku- ri. As you get older, though, hearing loss may become an indicator of mental de- cline. "at’s why hearing loss often leads to social isolation, which is a risk factor for cognitive decline. Another factor: if your hearing is impaired, he explains, your brain may devote extra energy to processing sound at the expense of mem- ory and thinking. Loud noises are painful Rumbling trains and car horns can be loud and irritating, but the sounds shouldn’t be painful. If they are, these could be signs of hearing loss. “When you lose your hearing, your ear is less able to dampen loud noises, which may cause your ears to hurt around loud nois- es,” says Dr Pincus. “"e pain is hard to describe, but it’s somewhere between a sharp shooting pain and a dull ache.” You’re constantly saying “what?” If you have trouble hearing in places with lots of background noise, like a restau- rant, don’t blame it on the loud chatter or poor acoustics. “A good functioning ear can pick up what you want to hear in a noisy room. If you can’t, that could be one of the early signs of hearing loss in the upper ranges,” says Dr Pincus. or feels numb, this is a common sign of a stroke. Ask the person to smile. If the smile looks lopsided, this is a common indicator that something is wrong. A is for Arm weakness. In the event of a stroke, one arm will likely feel numb or weak. If the person can’t raise both of his or her arms, or if one arm doesn’t stay up and %oats back downward, that’s a major warning sign. S is for Speech di"culty. Slurred speech is one of themost common signs of a stroke. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence back. If they have trouble speak- ing, or are hard to understand, take action. T is for Time to call 000. If the person shows any one of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away shortly after, dial 000. Try to remember the approximate time that the symptoms began, since the emergency sta! will most likely ask. FAST isn’t the only mnemonic that can warn of a stroke. "ere’s a very similar, even simpler mnemonic: S.T.R., the #rst three letters of “stroke.” "e three letters represent basic actions that you should