Things You Didn’t Know Could Affect Your Hearing

08/16/2023 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

One of the senses that you don’t realize you need is your hearing – and you don’t appreciate it until you really need it and usually, this is after you notice that it’s going! Did you know that hearing loss is actually one of the most common medical issues affecting people in the US? The thing is, hearing loss isn’t always something you can just fix with hearing aids, nor is it something that everyone can fix at all.

Because there is such a variation in hearing loss, it’s tough to pinpoint what will necessarily help. Hearing loss isn’t just caused by aging, nor is it only caused by a prolonged exposure to noise. When you choose the right hearing specialist, you can get your hearing properly tested and then get the support that you need most. Hearing loss happens for many different reasons, and understanding the different types of hearing losses will help you to understand what started your hearing loss in the first place. Let’s take a look at some of the things you may not have even known could affect your hearing!

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Infections. Did you know that both bacterial and viral infections can affect your hearing? Something as simple as a cold gone awry can muffle and impair your hearing, affect your balance and result in things like tinnitus. The good news with this one is that a cold affecting your hearing is usually only temporary. You won’t have to worry about it long-term and the sooner you seek out new treatment, the better. Hearing loss that remains permanent comes from illnesses such as meningitis and brain inflammation.
Trauma. Have you bashed your head recently and noticed muffled hearing? Head trauma can damage the internal structures of the ears, and so can foreign objects in the ears. If you have had a trauma to the inner ear or the head, you could have damaged the ear canal or the eardrum of that ear. You’ll find that your auditory signals are completely interrupted when this happens and if you have noticed hearing loss as a result of a head trauma, it’s important to speak to a doctor as soon as you can.
Your teeth. You wouldn’t think that a problem with your teeth will connect to hearing issues. The thing is, they’re more related than you’d imagine they are. Infections in the mouth and the teeth can compromise your hearing because of the inflammation that they cause further issues. Inflammation narrows the blood vessels and this pulls the blood flow away from the cells in the inner ear. Your dentist can help you with this, ensuring that your teeth are in the best condition possible so that your hearing isn’t compromised as a result.
Diabetes. If you are dealing with other medical issues outside of your hearing loss, these could be a main contributor! You’re twice as likely to develop hearing loss if you have diabetes due to the deterioration in the ear’s nerve cells. This goes back to the fact that high sugar levels can cause damage and as it’s something that happens over time, it may not even be something you’d notice until it creeps up on you.
You have higher blood pressure. You’re not alone in this but high blood pressure can lead to hearing loss and you wouldn’t even know it most of the time. It’s a particularly rare side effect and as blood flow has to be established for healthy living, you can bet that it’ll also be the case for healthy hearing. Speak to an audiologist when you can so that you can get a handle on the cause of high blood pressure.
You’re on prescription medications. The one thing that you want to find out with any medication you’re supposed to take is the medication side effects. You need to know if the medications taken to improve and help your wellbeing are going to cause other issues or not. If so, you can speak to your doctor about changing the medicine. There are more than 200 different medicines out there that can cause hearing damage as a side effect.

All of these things can affect your hearing and if you didn’t know about them before you surely do now. Your hearing is something that needs to be protected and the best way to do that is to speak to your doctor. Get a hearing test if you notice any changes and talk to them about any existing medicines that you may be taking. It’s all important if you want to keep your hearing consistent.

Lifestyle, Tips

How To Keep Your Car Running On The Road With Few Troubles

08/14/2023 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

A car is an expensive asset to own. Whether you’re someone who has a Land Rover or a Vauxhall Corsa, they’re all going to provide a different degree of expense and that goes beyond simply paying for the car in the first place.

It’s not just the running costs but all the costs that come when you take it in for its annual service. Is it going to pass its MOT or are you going to need to shell out a lot of money? It’s a nail-biting moment for any household and an expense that simply cannot be avoided.

With that being said, it’s worth knowing what advice is best when it comes to keeping your car running on the road without too much trouble. Here are a few tips that might help you keep your costs down when it comes to maintaining your car this year and beyond.

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Drive it carefully

First and foremost, make sure to drive it carefully. This is important because if you’re not driving it carefully, then you’re likely to do more damage to it. It’s not just the threat of crashing it or crashing it into another car but how you use your car can cause financial costs you don’t want.

Overuse of the brake pads for example or going over potholes that could damage your tires and the alloys. These are all things that can be avoided if you’re driving it carefully.

Consider how you’re driving your car now and whether you’re doing everything you can do to avoid the costly repairs and fixes that might be needed when you drive too erratically or without caution.

Get it checked annually

Getting your car checked annually is important, especially when it comes to the MOT servicing that you’re legally required to get. Otherwise, if you don’t, then you’re not allowed to run it on the road.

It’s good to get the date each year noted in your diary so that you can get it checked over by the garage every time something might need to be fixed or updated. You may be blissfully unaware that nothing is wrong and therefore you won’t realize how big the problem is until you get your car into the garage.

If anything is wrong before your MOT, get it taken in because chances are you might be able to save yourself some money in the meantime.

Conduct the relevant car maintenance in a timely manner

Make sure that when it comes to your car’s maintenance, you’re doing it all in a timely manner. This is important because when there are problems with the car or certain tasks that need doing, like filling up the oil in your car’s engine, the longer you leave it, the more damage it could do.

There are some typical maintenance tasks that you should be doing on your car regularly to keep it in good condition. These include:

Check your engine oil levels
Change oils and filters regularly
Checking your fuel levels and don’t go too low in the tank
Checking your antifreeze levels
Check your brakes feel and perform the same

These are just some typical maintenance tasks that you’ll want to stay on top of in order to keep your car performing efficiently.

Start your car and leave the engine running briefly before moving

Before you start moving your car on the road, let the engine run briefly. This is important to do, especially if you’ve not used the car in a while or it’s a particularly cold day. That can often be a problem because when the battery or engine has been used or has been quite cold, it might have a few troubles running efficiently on the road as a result.

When you first step into the car, start the ignition and leave the engine running for a couple of minutes. This will help give your car’s battery and engine time to warm up before you set off.

This is something you should do regardless of how short or long the drive ahead will be!

Avoid overpacking your car on trips

Overpacking your car on trips is never a good idea because the weight can make driving a lot more challenging. Not only do you have to ensure your car has a good grip on the road but that might influence how fast or how slow you’re able to go in order for it to remain safe.

Car packed with luggage, road trip, travel, vacation, maintenance

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When you overload your car, you’re also putting more pressure on the car itself and the heavier it is, the lower it will sit, meaning there’s a chance you might catch it on the road somehow.

Avoid overpacking where you can and always approach your packing with the attitude that if you feel you’ve got too much in the car, then you’ll want to remove some stuff before you leave.

Be aware of everyone on the road

It comes as no surprise or knowledge that there are more cars on the road than there were some thirty to fifty years ago. That does mean that you’ve got a lot more drivers to contend with and not all of them are going to be as talented on the road as others are.

Many may have developed bad habits and those bad habits are something that you don’t want to deal with when you’re trying to drive the best that you can. However, when it comes to driving, it’s important that you have eyes on the back of your head.

Be aware of everyone on the road so that you can ensure no accidents occur or that you’ve mitigated as much of the risk to you and your safety as possible while on the road.

Have a good towing service on speed dial

Should anything happen where you can’t physically move your car because it may have broken down, always have a towing service on speed dial. These can be lifesavers, especially when you’re in a situation where it’s an emergency and you’re perhaps in the middle of nowhere with a broken-down car.

Keep your car running on the road with these top tips!

Life, Lifestyle, Tips

Unconformed: An Unbound and Unbridled Path to Unstuck Growth

08/11/2023 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut with your job? Or maybe you know someone who jumped into college because of family pressure, gathering loans for a degree they’re not even sure they’re into. It’s even tougher when they feel like they’re backed into a corner, unable to explore new career paths.

That’s where Unconformed comes in. It’s a toolkit for preventing and overcoming that “stuck” feeling and exploring the many paths to success, no matter your age or life stage. With many stories about successful people from diverse backgrounds, this book offers a fresh look at learning and working.

Unconformed questions the whole “you need a college degree to succeed” mantra. It highlights the awesome value in tradespeople and artisans – real people who shape our world. This book focuses on the importance of lifelong learning and resilience rather than a diploma from a lofty institution. The best part? It will show you how to take advantage of real-world opportunities and get unstuck at any stage of life. Unconformed is your guide to becoming “unstuckable.”

Here is what Richard Trethewey from This Old House said about the book

“I couldn’t put it down. It’s the book that’s in the heads of all of us on This Old House. We have been talking (not writing) about convincing people to join the trades and the fact that conventional education doesn’t always serve to make successful adults…… Unconformed is fabulous; and necessary; and funny, and readable; and needed……. Bravo!”