Here we Go! Halloween is over and it is time to head into the holidays. One great thing about the holidays is the joy we get from fellowship with others. Often, we will visit with people that we may not see except for this time of year. Kids will fly in from out of state. Brothers and sisters will try to get together. There will be parties at the clubhouse and get together at friends’ houses. Simply put…the holidays are just festive. The next couple of months most people will be a bit more active. A bit more hurried, perhaps a bit more energetic. It is important to set a safe healthy pace for your activities. Don’t get yourself worked up in the moment that you forget your own personal needs. Getting proper nutrition and enough sleep will make your days and evenings more enjoyable.
During the holidays there is an increased risk of falling. Some will fall off a ladder while decorating. Others will trip on lawn decorations or stakes for the blowups. Others will be tired and hurrying and will somehow end up on the ground. Of people who fall off a ladder almost 50% will end up requiring to be hospitalized. From experience, I will tell you that you do not want to fall and break anything on Christmas Day…it is a quick way to ruin the day for everyone. How did I fall? I was hurrying and exhausted from going..going..going. Ugh! Stepping over a pet fence my foot and pants leg did me wrong and WHAM! I went flying thru the air and down on the concrete. Broken arm in several places. BIG BUMMER! The fun was done…just because I was tired and hurrying.
If you are over the age of 60 and you have a hearing loss, then your chances of falling increases if you are not correcting the auditory signal to the brain. Wearing a hearing instrument makes you more aware. It sends correct, clear signals to the brain. Wearing hearing instruments improves your balance. “The risk of falling increases by 3 times with untreated hearing loss. Every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss increases the risk of falling by 140%. Hearing loss makes the brain work harder, leaving fewer resources for gait and balance” (KWQC;10/26/22) Combine that with being tired, hurrying and climbing ladders and the RISK IS REAL. Men who fall are at a greater risk for hospitalization than women who fall. Averages over the last several years show that people who fell off a ladder were hospitalized almost 50% of the time.
This holiday season take the necessary steps to stay upright on your feet. Eat well, get plenty of rest, slow down and enjoy the moment and…get your hearing tested. If you need hearing aids, then make that step. Just a mild hearing loss will increase the risk of falling by 3 times that of a person with normal hearing. Everyone should have a complete hearing evaluation for their health profile. Call and schedule one today.
To Hear Better Is To Live Better!