Ear of living dangerously
YOU’RE BETTER THAN A HOUND DOG — CLEAN YOUR EARS RIGHT!
A basset hound puppy will routinely fall over its floppy ears. But as it gets older and bigger, and starts tracking, those ears are an asset. They act like side brooms, sweeping up scents along the ground. That’s why bassets, along with their cousins, bloodhounds and coonhounds, are such champion sniffers. One problem, though: Because the dog’s ears are so close to the ground, they need to be cleaned at least once a week, but never using a cotton swab or any other pointy object. Soft cloths and soapy water will do.
Tip of the day? Treat your kids’ ears like a hound dog’s ... and teach the kids how to treat their own ears, too. According to Ohio State University researchers, every day an average of 34 children under 18 are treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for ear injuries related to use of cotton-tipped swabs. Around 77 per cent occur when a child (not their parent) is wielding the cotton-tipped applicator. (Mom and Dad, you do better than that, but far from good enough!)
The most common injuries are pushing ear wax further into the ear so that it becomes impacted and damages the ear drum — which can cause hearing loss. True, occasionally ear wax does become too much of a good thing, making it hard to hear or feeling uncomfortable. Then you need to see your doc to get it safely flushed out. To hear about the right way to clean your ears, Google “the right way to clean your ears Dr. Oz Show.”
WARDING OFF STROKE HELPS FIGHT DEMENTIA, TOO
From 1902 to 1912, shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman Johnny Evers and first baseman Frank Chance were a double-play dream team, anchoring the infield while the Chicago Cubs won four National League pennants and two World Series championships.
Now medical science has discovered a new type of double play: If you work to strike out strokes, you also can knock out dementia. In 2000, Ontario put a stroke prevention program into play. A new study shows that between 2002 and 2012, stroke rates in Ontario went down for folks over 80 an amazing 38 per cent. The researchers also observed that there was a 15 per cent decline in dementia rates in people over 80. That suggests that the steps people took to lower their risk of stroke probably helped stave off some types of dementia. Or, having a stroke puts you at higher risk of dementia — so fewer strokes means less dementia.
Either way, make your double play and get stroke and dementia off your home plate:
• Stick with a diet rich in produce, olive oil and nuts, whole grains and lean proteins.
• Eliminate inflammation-triggering added sugars and syrups — and artificially sweetened beverages and foods, also associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke and dementia.
• Keep blood pressure at less than 120 over 80; high blood pressure damages your circulatory system. It’s the No. 1 cause of strokes.
• Don’t smoke! Smoking also damages your circulatory system.
• Shoot for at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly to lower lousy LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.
THINK BEFORE YOU INK
In 2006, Lucky Diamond Rich was declared “the world’s most tattooed person.” Ink covers every inch of his body, private parts included. For him, it’s too late to think about the downsides, but for those just starting out or still tattoo-free, the latest Food and Drug Administration warning, “Think Before You Ink,” is worth paying attention to.
When you get a tattoo, an unsanitary facility may transmit infections. It’s the same as having unprotected sex with everyone who has been tattooed with that ink. If that happens, you may then need months of antibiotics or even hospitalization. But even the cleanest of places, says the FDA, may use unsterile water to dilute pigments or they may have pigments (marked “sterile” and sealed) that are nonetheless contaminated with mold or bacteria. (It happens more often than you’d think.)
And then there are the inks themselves. Some contain pigments used in printer toner and car paint. The FDA has never approved any pigments for injection into the skin for cosmetic purposes.
HOW TO AVOID THE ALZHEIMER’S STICKY WICKET
The term “sticky wicket” often is used to describe a tough spot that’s hard to get out of. It’s also a cricket term, describing the field of play (the wicket) as being wet and soft, and apt to cause a wicked slide of the ball, making it tough for the batsman (batter).
Avoiding the sticky wicket of Alzheimer’s disease is an obsession for many people today, and new research is showing that there are several things you can do in middle age (we’ll call that 50) to minimize developing one of the biggest hallmarks of Alzheimer’s — those sticky amyloid tangles.
Researchers recently published a 24-year study of 322 men and women in JAMA that found that having just one of the following risk factors for cardiovascular disease — smoking obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or high LDL cholesterol levels — doubles your chances of developing amyloid clumps. How do you buck those odds?
According to a new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, it’s summed up in one word: EXERCISE. A combination of aerobic (10,000 steps a day — with interval intensity!) and weight training is the most effective way to protect cognitive function if you’re 50 or older.