You At Your Best

sPonsor content BY Karen rice You at Your Best We live in stressful times. Seventy- seven percent of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress, and 73 percent experience psychological symptoms from stress. The current pandemic has no doubt exacerbated our national stress level. And while small amounts of stress may help people power through difficult projects or solve problems, chronic stress can have a real impact on a wide range of physical and mental health issues. Stress makes muscles tense up and leads to tension headaches and musculoskeletal disorders. Stress can also cause fatigue, changes in sex drive, stomach upset, and difficulty sleeping. And it can lead to other harmful behaviors like smoking or drinking too much alcohol, overeating, not eating enough and social withdrawal. Stress can also affects mood, causing lack of motivation or focus, anxiety, sadness, and/or angry outbursts. Removing stress and changing one's responses to stressful situations isn't easy, but it can be done. Here are some stress- management techniques to try. Exercise Every time you are physically active, whether you take a walk or play tennis, your body releases mood-boosting chemicals called endorphins. Meditation Mindful meditation, prayer, deep breathing, yoga, and tai chi are ways to relax the mind and body. Socialization Talking and spending time (even by phone) with friends or family can relieve stress. Take a break Crafts, hobbies, taking a warm bath, listening to music and other engaging activities can direct attention away from stress. Unplug Take time each day to avoid emails, social media and TV news. Talk therapy Talking to a mental health professional may help people discover ways to change how they respond to stress. Situation changes Changing a job, residence or a condition that removes a source of stress may also help. De-stress BY Dustin richarDs, au.D. WolFPacK hearinG clinic Recent studies establish a link between untreated hearing loss and impaired cognitive function, and between the use of hearing aids and improved brain function. However, the research does not definitively tell us why these links exist. So we cannot say that hearing aids will prevent dementia; or that untreated hearing loss causes dementia. Research does show however, that untreated hearing loss directly contributes to several other mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation. You can use a calculation called disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to see how hearing loss affects your mental health. For a condition like hearing loss, it doesn't mean that a person dies younger, but rather that a person has fewer years of good health. The DALYs calculation takes into account life limitations caused by hearing loss as a lost portion of a healthy year of life. A 2016 CDC report used this calculation to determine that for every year of untreated hearing loss, you lose 2.5 years of healthy life. On average, people wait about 10 years to do anything about their hearing loss. You do the math! When patients ask me if they need hearing aids, I ask them if their hearing loss affects their quality of life. It's true that adopting hearing aids sooner in life rather than later is probably better for the brain. But true success with hearing aids comes with patient motivation. If you don't feel your hearing loss affects your quality of life and mental health, you probably won't be motivated to wear the hearing aids consistently. If you don't wear your hearing aids every day, you are probably not going to be successful. If that sounds more like you, I would still advise a hearing evaluation so we can at least track how your hearing changes over time. Call us at 479-957-9300. Hearing loss and mental health your life Removing stress and changing one's responses to stressful situations isn't easy, but it can be done. sunDaY, MaY 31, 2020 | June - active MinDs nWaDG.coM/YouatYourBest | You at Your Best | 7 Ad Number: 053020e4801 Our patients succeed. You will, too! 479.957.9300 Wolfpackhearing.com Located in East Fayetteville | 2630 E Citizens Dr. #7 Best of Northwest Arkansas the

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