Page 6 - Healthcare News Sep/Oct 2022

OPINION
October Is Audiology Awareness Month
Our private audiology clinic, Florence Hearing, serves Western Mass. and beyond. We’re constantly encouraging people of all ages to prioritize their hearing healthcare, but we’re push- ing the subject especially during Audiology Awareness Month this October. We are committed to helping create better living through better hearing, and we’re looking forward to seeing more people talking about their hearing healthcare as Audiology Awareness Month com- mences.
Coincidently, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are being made available mid-October. OTC hearing aids are an option for folks with mild to moderate hearing loss, but with many brands likely to hit the market, a patient may need to do some research to determine which device meets their hearing loss and lifestyle needs. At Florence Hearing, we are encouraging folks to consider OTC hearing aids as the hearing equivalent of reading glasses. They are an appropriate starting point; however, it is still important to see an audiologist for your hearing evaluation to determine whether or not they will help you.
“OTC hearing aids are an option for folks with mild to moderate hearing loss, but with many brands likely to hit the market, a patient may need to do some research to determine which device meets their hearing loss and lifestyle needs.”
We’ve always recommended that the first step in any individual’s hearing healthcare journey be to get a hearing test with an audiologist, even if the patient will be purchasing OTC devices. In addition to getting a hearing test beforehand, patients should follow up with an audiologist if they find the OTC devices are not helping. Hearing aids aren’t hearing cures, and most folks require a level of in-person support to be successful with using them. An important aspect that is missing from the OTC delivery model is the support that an audiologist provides, such as helping patients reacquaint their brains to sound after experiencing hearing loss, called aural rehabilitation.
A baseline hearing test is recommended for folks over the age of 50 and for anyone who has a perceived change in their hearing and/or tinnitus. An audiologist will do a thorough, diag- nostic evaluation to make sure there are no underlying, potentially treatable conditions caus- ing the hearing loss and whether further consultation with a healthcare provider is needed.
We’re hopeful the community can help us reach anyone who has been wondering about their hearing regardless of age, to get it checked out now. Untreated hearing loss can have a significant impact on the quality of life for those experiencing it, such as social isolation. It is also associated with other conditions as well, such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline.
We encourage the community to manage their hearing healthcare as they do other regular healthcare, like dental and eye care. Our recommendation is for all folks to make sure they get a baseline hearing test by age 50, understand the results and any recommendations, and have access to recommended communication solutions in a no-sales-pressure healthcare setting. We are hopeful that this launch of OTC hearing aids and the emphasis we’re trying to place on Audiology Awareness Month will lead to more folks experiencing the positive benefits of treating their hearing loss. -
Dr. Jennifer Sowards is an audiologist and founder of Florence Hearing Health Care.
Don’t Lose Track of the Dangers
BThe American Academy of Audiology started Audiology Awareness Month in 2008 as a means of bringing awareness to hearing health and the importance of hearing protec- tion. Did you know that, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, even though 13% of the population has hearing loss, only 16% of adults ages 20-69, and 30% of adults over age 70 with hearing loss, use hearing aids? We find those results staggering.
oC f C h o l e s t e r o l By QUINN PACK, MD
y JENNIFER SOWARDS, AuD
holesterol has its good and bad qualities, and it’s the bad you want to avoid.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance used in making the walls that surround cells and in making a number of hormones used in human metabolism. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and is found in every cell in the human body. It travels through the bloodstream with the aid of lipoproteins, which can deposit cholesterol in the blood vessels, forming plaque and increasing one’s risk of heart attack and stroke. This is what we consider bad cholesterol, which is clinically referred to as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
The National Cholesterol Education Program currently recommends that adults age 20 and older have their cholesterol checked every five years. Cholesterol levels increase as people age and can change significantly de- pending on dietary habits, so even if your cholesterol levels were normal in the past, it’s still a good idea to get your cholesterol checked every five years. Menopause also can worsen LDL levels.
In addition to LDL, doctors are also concerned with high-density lipo- protein HDL, referred to as good cholesterol, with 40-59 md/dL considered acceptable, but 60 mg/dL and higher even better and considered to be protective against heart disease.
Many risk factors contribute to having high or low cholesterol, includ- ing diet, lack of exercise, excess weight, age, sex, race (African-Americans and Hispanics are at greater risk for developing high cholesterol), alcohol, and stress levels. For some, high cholesterol is inherited, but many times, it is the result of eating too many saturated fats and dietary cholesterol from animal products. Some risk factors can be reduced by following a heart- healthy lifestyle, while others are beyond your control.
Although very low levels of LDL have been shown to reduce risk for heart disease the most, it is important to remember that any amount of cholester- ol lowering reduces risk of heart disease. For example, if you have very high cholesterol levels (LDL level above 190 mg/dL), reducing your LDL to less than 100 mg/dL will substantially reduce your risk for a heart attack, even if your cholesterol levels don’t get into the 30-70 mg/dL range.
For a patient who has had a heart attack, even if he or she has had aver- age cholesterol levels, we still generally recommend taking a statin or other cholesterol medicine because these medicines reduce a person’s risk of hav- ing a second heart attack. For patients without prior heart disease, but with moderate to extreme levels of cholesterol, they should always be on statins, regardless of their risk factors and even if they lead a pristine lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a healthy diet.
Cholesterol can be a confusing health topic for a lot of people, but under- standing and managing high blood cholesterol is an important step in tak- ing control of your heart health. Get to know the basics of cholesterol, your risk factors, and your numbers, and team up with your healthcare provider to manage your cholesterol. -
Dr. Quinn Pack is a preventive cardiologist in the Heart & Vascular Program at Baystate Health. For more information on the Heart & Vascular Program at Baystate Health, visit baystatehealth.org/heart.
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