Hearing Center of Long Island - October 2018

Hearing Center of Long Island - October 2018

(516) 872-8485 www.HearingCenterofLI.com

October 2018

Long Island Sound

No Need to Be Afraid! Dr. Larry’s nephew, Mike Halloween and Hearing

My mom still has shoe boxes full of family photos. I was looking through one of those boxes recently and found an old photo of one of my nephews, Michael Jr., in his Halloween costume ready to go trick-or-treating. Mike is in college now. I showed him this oh-so-cute photo of himself and we both had a good laugh. The photo made me think about what a strange but charming custom Halloween trick-or-treating is. Every year, kids dress up and roam the neighborhood, knocking on doors and getting candy. This door- to-door tradition gives rise to all kinds of funny little interactions, and the kids learn a little about conversation and confidence as they muster up the courage to ring a stranger’s doorbell. Like so many kids, as a child growing up in East Rockaway, I would look forward to the holiday for weeks, eager to wear a colorful costume and pick up as much delicious candy as I could carry. In my newly updated book “Better Hearing With or Without Hearing Aids,” I discuss the three basic communication styles: passive, aggressive, and assertive. Thinking about my childhood experience of trick-or-treating, I realize that I learned a little about these communication styles at that time. I remember always being nervous about knocking on a door and asking for candy. Sometimes I was passive, silently holding my bag out, looking at the ground — or maybe bypassing a house completely if I did

not know who lived there. Sometimes I was more aggressive, spitting out the words “trick or treat” as if I was giving a command, before the person opening the door even got a look at me, and then running away with the candy as fast as I could. But sometimes I would take an “assertive” approach, smiling at the person opening the door and giving a pleasant, expectant “trick or treat.” In those cases, we might have a fun little conversation about my costume that would make me smile. I often meet people I think could benefit from developing some of the trust and confidence kids have when they are walking around asking for candy. Of course, I do not mean that they should go out trick-or-treating. I mean that rather than being passive and avoiding interactions, or being aggressive and trying to dominate the conversation, they would get more from life by taking an assertive approach to socializing and engaging in conversation. That might mean having the confidence to do things like let others know that it would help if they spoke a little more slowly, or that an assistive device for TV would help, etc. So many people shy away from asking for assistance to hear better or from treating their hearing loss by being fit with hearing aids, because they imagine others will think less of them. They miss out on valuable communication with others — like I missed out on delicious candy

when I bypassed the doors I was afraid to knock on. Patients often tell me they found it was a big mistake to assume that those around them would be unwilling to accommodate them or would think less of them for getting help for their hearing. If millions of little kids all over the country can run around in wacky costumes asking strangers for candy every Halloween, then it should be no surprise that most people are essentially good and kind and would like to make communication easier for you — and for themselves.

–Lawrence Cardano, Au.D.

• 1 www.HearingCenterofLI.com

Can You See What I’m Saying? Vision Impairment and Dementia Prevention

As a result of some popular advertising in the hearing care field, some people are under the impression that there is a particular type of hearing device that is “the best” for everyone with hearing difficulty. Nothing could be further from the truth. That is why, at Hearing Center of Long Island, we select from the widest range of options to choose the best solution for each individual. Mrs. Amalia Dragovich shares her experience at Hearing Center of Long Island here. In her case, an option that many hearing care providers could not offer was the most appropriate choice to meet her needs and preferences. Thank you, Mrs. Dragovich, for allowing us to share your comments with our 2 • We’re listening to you. Recent scientific reports confirm that nearly 35 percent of all dementia cases are considered preventable. A 2017 report in the prestigious Lancet medical journal indicated that of all the modifiable risk factors for dementia, the one that has the greatest impact is hearing loss. In fact, physician and Duke University researcher Dr. Murali Doraiswamy, one of the world’s leading authorities on healthy brain aging and dementia, has reported, “The benefits of correcting hearing loss on cognition are twice as large as the benefits from any cognitive-enhancing drugs now on the market. It should be the first thing we focus on.” However, vision impairment has also been found to have significant — and preventable — effects on brain health and functioning. Vision impairment, like hearing impairment, can lead to more social isolation. Vision and hearing impairment are also associated with progressive neural degeneration, which may lead to significant cerebral atrophy. These are both factors that can contribute to dementia.

Recent studies reported in major scientific journals — including reports from the National Institutes of Health, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the American Optometric Association, and the American Journal of Epidemiology — have shown the links between vision loss and cognitive decline. For example, studies indicate that people with distance- vision problems are 2–3 times more likely to develop cognitive impairment (compared to those with normal vision) and that significant near-vision loss in older age also correlates with increased dementia risk. Some researchers have found that moderate to severe near- vision loss can double an individual’s chances of developing dementia. EARLY SIGNS OF VISION LOSS AND DEMENTIA — WHAT TO LOOK FOR It is often hard to separate the signs of vision loss from those of dementia — as the two can mimic each other. Having difficulty with any of the following may suggest a person is having problems with their vision, with cognitive function, or both:

■ Reading ■ Recognizing people ■ Coping with low light, bright light, or both ■ Finding things ■ Avoiding obstacles ■ Locating food on the plate ■ Seeing well even with glasses on MANAGING DEMENTIA AND VISION LOSS There are a number of strategies that can help the person and his or her family manage both vision loss and dementia, including the following: ■ Proper eye care (regular eye exams, maintaining up-to-date vision prescriptions, and assuring glasses are clean) ■ Adjusting living space, including improved — preferably automatic — lighting and removing clutter ■ Improving communication — for example, getting the person’s attention before speaking to them I have had more than one patient tell me they are convinced they hear better when they wear their eyeglasses. Of course, hearing and vision work together to help us communicate and enjoy life. Don’t neglect either of them.

What Our Patients Are Saying

readers. Thank you, also, for the privilege of providing your hearing care.

“I never thought loss of hearing would be something to affect my life, since there wasn’t any family history. Being a person who spent years in the beauty industry, my appearance was important to me. I tried conventional hearing aids and was always self-conscious. My hearing loss was affecting my family and frustrating them — and they were concerned for me, especially while driving. “After speaking to Dr. Lazzaro, I decided to be fitted with Lyric hearing aids, and I

Mrs. Dragovich with Dr. Lazzaro

couldn’t be happier with my experience. Dealing with Dr. Lazzaro and the staff at Hearing Center of Long Island became a wonderful experience. Thank you!”

-Amalia Dragovich Lynbrook, NY

Eating for Better Hearing

Your Diet and Hearing Loss

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that diet may play a significant role in preventing hearing loss. According to Dr. Sharon Curhan, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and co-author of the study, women who ate two or more servings of fish per week had a 20 percent lower risk of hearing loss. Researchers analyzed >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

hearingcenterofli.com

Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker