Hearing Problems and Cochlear Implants

Hearing loss or deafness is one of those conditions that makes life of a person more complicated. It first affects routine communication, as a deaf person find it difficult to understand sounds and speech. There are various causes of hearing loss. For example, prolonged exposure to environmental noise, exposure to chemicals, medications, injuries, diseases etc. Moreover, genetic factors may also play a great role in hearing impairment. So, nobody knows how, when and where one person may loss his/her hearing ability. Yes, there are may treatments for deafness. Hearing aids may reduce some of the problems but are often insufficient, specially for profoundly deaf people.

For severe deafness there is another solution. Yes, I am talking about cochlear implants, which can restore hearing even when conventional hearing aids fails. A Cochlear Implant is a small electronic device designed to help profoundly deaf people. During an operation this tiny device is placed in the inner ear. It works by turning sounds into electrical signals and then stimulating the hearing nerve directly. So, even a deaf person may be able to understand sounds and speech. For quick reference one may think about MedEL Cochlear Implants.

How reliable this procedure is? Various clinical studies have already proved that cochlear implants does help in speech and environmental sound recognition. Cochlear Implant is a good option for children and adults with severe hearing problems. It can be provided for children as young as 18 months old. But wait! These implants are recommended only when a person is badly or severely deaf. In other words, Cochlear Implants are for those who received little or no benefits from other hearing aids.

Cochlear Implant is an expensive procedure and requires patient training for effectiveness. Also there may be some risks associated with the Cochlear Implant Surgery and the whole procedure. That's why it is advised to consult a good doctor to see if a MedEL Cochlear Implant is right for a patient. Moreover, proper selection of implant candidates is also a must. As I have mentioned above, it is not for all. Normally, a candidate is selected after taking into account various factors such as hearing history, causes of hearing loss, hearing aid history, health status etc. So, don't mess with this stuff until and unless it is extremely unavoidable.

 

For better Health let your Kids get Dirty!

Worried about your kids hygiene? Always keep your little ones neat and clean by not allowing them to get in touch of mud or dust? If yes, you are probably doing something wrong, the findings of a study suggests! Because, exposure to infectious microbes early in life may actually protect individuals from cardiovascular diseases that can lead to death as an adult. During the study, a group of researchers from the Northwestern University found that ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic environments early in life may contribute to higher levels of inflammation as an adult, which in turn increases risks for a wide range of diseases. So, the researchers suggests that American parents should ease up on antibacterial soap and perhaps allow their little ones a romp or two in the mud or at least a much better acquaintance with everyday germs. Are you listening?

The Northwestern study is the first research on microbial effects on inflammatory systems in infancy that relate in later life to diseases associated with aging. Most provocatively, it suggested that exposure to infectious microbes early in life may actually protect individuals from cardiovascular diseases that can lead to death as an adult and exposure to ultra-hygienic environments early in life may create great problems in adulthood.

Exposure to clean, hygienic environment may cause harm, because humans only recently have lived in such hyper-hygienic environments. The research suggests that inflammatory systems may need a higher level of exposure to common everyday bacteria and microbes to guide their development. "In other words, inflammatory networks may need the same type of microbial exposures early in life that have been part of the human environment for all of our evolutionary history to function optimally in adulthood," said researcher McDade.

"In the U.S we have this idea that we need to protect infants and children from microbes and pathogens at all possible costs. But we may be depriving developing immune networks of important environmental input needed to guide their function throughout childhood and into adulthood. Without this input, our research suggests, inflammation may be more likely to be poorly regulated and result in inflammatory responses that are overblown or more difficult to turn off once things get started," McDade added.

Read the full article here: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2009/12/germs.html

Today's Babies will Live to 100 Years!

More than half of babies born in rich countries after year 2000 will live to 100 years, a paper published in the latest edition of medical journal Lancet suggests. According to the Danish experts, life expectancy in developed countries increased by more than 30 years since the 20th century and surprisingly the trend shows no sign of slowing down. So, if the trend continues, most babies born today in developed countries will live to see the 22nd century.

For the study, James Vaupel of the Max Planck Institute in Germany and colleagues in Denmark examined data published globally on numerous issues related to aging in 2004-2005. They found that human life expectancy is increasing steadily in most countries and there is no sign of slowing down. It is basically the improvements in health care, that are slowing down the process of aging and challenging the idea that there is a limit to human longevity.

While illnesses affecting the elderly like heart disease, cancer and diabetes are rising, advances in medical treatment are also making it possible for them to remain active for longer. But the obesity epidemic may complicate the matters. Though our kids could live to be 100, obesity could make them more susceptible to diseases and may even increase their risk of earlier deaths from cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

102-year-old Woman Quits Smoking

According to news reports, a woman who has smoked for 95 years has finally decided to say goodbye to the habit! Sounds strange. Isn't it? Winnie Langley, who is now 102 years old, started her smoking habit back in 1914, when everyone used to smoke and there were no awareness of the risks of smoking. Now, she has decided to quit because she "didn't fancy it any more".

Mrs Langley, who lives in Croydon, South London, has smoked on average five cigarettes a day. And still she is fine without any serious disease like cancer. Langley claims that she has prevented getting cancer because she does not inhale the smoke.

Yes, smoking is injurious to health. We all know this fact. But, it is not that every smoker is dying with cancer or other smoking-related diseases. In my view, Mrs Langley's case also proves that. But it must not encourage you to smoke more cigarettes. Because, it is a scientifically proved fact that smoking is the cause, the root cause, of many deadly aliments. Stay away from cigarettes and it's smoke.

The good news is that she is quitting. Smokers can take inspiration from her to quit the bad habit. When a 102-year-old woman can quit, why can't you? Think about it.

Via: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212928/Im-giving-cigarettes--95-years.html

Deadly Staph Germ in US Beaches

Attention beach goers! A dip in the ocean may give you a deadly infections! Researchers at the University of Washington discovered a dangerous Staph bacteria in the sand and water at five beaches along the coast of Washington. The germ is a multidrug resistant form of Staphylococcus aureus and is commonly known as MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Marilyn Roberts, a microbiologist at the University of Washington and her team examined sand and water samples that were collected from 10 Washington beaches between February and September of 2008. The researchers identified Staphylococcus aureus on nine public beaches, and seven of the 13 samples were multidrug resistant, demonstrating resistance to vancomycin as well as other medications. Marilyn gave her report on Saturday at an American Society for Microbiology's Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Francisco.

According to Marilyn, five of the samples found on the beach and in the sand more closely resembled hospital-acquired MRSA than the bacteria found in the community. Three of the samples, from three beaches 10 miles apart, were virtually identical, she says. "One would think they came from the same source," Marilyn added. But it is not clear from where all of those organisms are coming from!

Well, this is not the first time that MRSA is found in marine water and beaches. Back in February, a group of researchers from the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine had also reported Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA in a South Florida beach.

People with a weak immune system and who have recently had surgery are the most vulnerable to MRSA infection. And even healthy people may carry MRSA without any symptoms, for periods ranging from a few weeks to many years. It means, you may already have the germ, even if no visible symptoms! Scary. Isn't it?

Appetite linked to Death in Elderly People

Elderly people who report impaired appetite are more likely to die sooner compared to those who had good appetite, the findings of a new study suggests. The study, findings of which was published in the May issue of the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, pointed that information on an elderly patient's eating habits may be important for health providers regarding risk for patient deterioration and mortality.

The study, conducted by Dr. Danit Shahar, a researcher with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition and Department of Epidemiology, demonstrated a link between the Daily Activity Energy Expenditure (an accurate measurement of total physical activity), appetite and mortality among well functioning community-dwelling adults.

During the study, the researchers analyzed DAEE and dietary factors, including self-reported appetite, enjoyment of eating and intake assessed by the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) of 298 older participants (ages 70-82 years) in the Health ABC study. Participants who reported improved appetite were at lower risk for mortality. Similarly, participants who reported good appetite at baseline had a low risk for mortality.

"These findings are important because they show how subjective appetite measurement can predict death, even when adjusting for health and many other variables," said Dr. Danit Shahar.

Obese Heart Patients Live Longer!

Obesity is one of the major causes of heart disease. I am sure that you know it. But, now the findings of a new study suggests that obesity may actually help heart patients. What? Yes, studies have shown that obese heart patients have better survival and have fewer strokes and heart attacks than normal-weight or underweight heart patients.

According to cardiologist Carl J. Lavie, MD, of the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, "Obese patients with heart disease respond well to treatment and have paradoxically better outcomes and survival than thinner patients". But, though many studies proved that fact many cardiologists haven't heard of this or don't believe it.

Yes, obesity is harmful. And compared to lean people, overweight and obese people have a much higher incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and death from other cardiovascular causes. But when when normal or underweight people get heart disease, their prognosis is worse than obese heart patients.

Why obese people do well? Dr. Lavie thinks that excess weight may be somewhat protective because obese patients have more reserves to fight disease than thinner patients. Another explanation might be that lean heart patients have more aggressive disease because they are genetically predisposed to develop heart disease and have worse outcomes.

Dr. Lavie warned that patients with heart disease shouldn't assume that gaining weight will protect them. The findings of the study appeared in the May issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.