Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center - (Page 17)

SAY WHAT W TINNITUS What it is: A ringing in the ears that affects one in ﬁve people. While annoying, it’s typically not something serious, but it does point to an underlying problem, like agerelated hearing loss. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says more than 200 medications are known to cause tinnitus when a person starts or stops taking them. Symptoms: Ringing, buzzing, whistling, clicking or low-level roaring sounds. What to do: See an audiologist for a hearing test. And visit your doctor to determine whether you have a rare blood vessel condition that causes a whooshing sound in the ears (and can be treated by medication). Also, make it a habit to remove excess earwax and limit your exposure to loud sounds. hen I was younger, going to concerts was de rigueur. Queen, Cheap Trick, Rush—it didn’t matter which rock band performed as long as there were stacks and stacks of ampliﬁers. One measure of a good show was how long my ears rang afterward. But after a few years, I wised up. Now, I’m the old guy at the concert ﬁddling with foam earplugs. It may be decidedly uncool, but at least I’ve got my hearing health. With more baby boomers reaching retirement age, hearing health now commands center stage as an aging issue. But not all hearing loss is age-related. In fact, even certain medications can affect your hearing. So listen up and beware of these common causes of hearing loss: More than just old age causes hearing loss BY JOHN TOMKIW ? Vim & Vigor · SUMM ER 2011 17

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center
Contents
Tasty Tips
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
What’s New?
Navigating the Healthcare Waters
Girl Talk
Say What?
Action Plan
Like This? Try That!
On the Cover
A Day in the Life of Your Heart
Unexpected Heroes
Get in Gear
A Real Lifesaver
Extras, Extras
Community Health
Thriving With Diabetes
Foundation Focus
Ask the Expert

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2011 - Parrish Medical Center