As you get older, you will receive letters telling you to go for certain tests in regards to your health. However, it’s also important to be proactive and to take care of your own health, and go for tests if you feel something is wrong. Whether you’ve been called for a test or have decided you need something tested on your own, don’t put it off, it is better to get everything checked out as soon as possible because if there is a problem, it is better to catch it earlier and it might even be something you can reverse or prevent. So what things should you keep an eye on as you go through life and what should you be getting checked regularly?

Your Weight

Knowing how much you weigh and what a healthy weight is is important for your health and it’s really easy to go along through life and not realize that you’re piling on the pounds. It can feel like it happens overnight as one morning your jeans won’t fasten. If your weight has crept up and is in an unhealthy range, then you are at risk of a number of other health problems and diseases. While you can start by yourself by fighting back by eating healthier and exercising more, it’s also a good idea to go to the doctor and check for signs of type two diabetes or heart disease. Find out what a healthy weight for you would be and what you need to do to get there. 

Your Hearing

Having a hearing test is important and should be part of your annual physical examination every three to five years. The reason it’s so important to get tested is not just because hearing loss can be detrimental to your life but because it can happen very gradually and you may not notice it. For example, as your hearing deteriorates you may just turn the volume up on the TV, or you might just be asking people to repeat themselves more often and it’s not until someone else points it out that you realize how bad your hearing has become. By getting it tested you can keep on top of it and know where you are at. There might be something you can do to help so make sure you go for tests and speak to the doctor before any problems you have worsen. 

Your Blood Pressure

Having high blood pressure can be dangerous to your heart, your brain, your eyes, and your kidneys. The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test which all adults over 40 are advised to have at least every five years. It’s also important to know what the risks of high blood pressure are as they are pretty common. You might be more at risk of having high blood pressure if you are overweight, eat too much salt and do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, do not do enough exercise, drink too much alcohol or caffeine, smoke, or do not get enough sleep. You can make lifestyle changes to put yourself in a better position, but make sure you do get a test to know where you’re at. 

Your Cholesterol 

High cholesterol does not cause symptoms and you can only find out if you have it from a blood test, but it’s important to do so as even though there are no symptoms if you have high cholesterol you could be at risk of coronary heart disease.

Your Skin

While you might not necessarily go for a skin test unless you experience a specific problem with your skin, you should always take really good care of your skin, and while you’re doing that you should look at it and feel it to make sure everything feels normal. Check for any unusual spots or moles and then keep an eye on them to see if they change or stay the same. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it is your biggest protector so you must look after it so that it can look after you. 

Your Eyes

Get your eyes tested regularly to make sure that you are not suffering from anything undetected or that your eyesight isn’t deteriorating. Just like with your ears, losing your eyesight is something that can happen gradually, so if you find yourself squinting a little more or bringing your book closer to see it better then go for a test because it’s important to keep one step ahead and make sure you detect any issues early. 

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It’s no secret that we live in stressful times right now, and we’ve all got our own coping mechanisms. But there will be times when we feel a sense of isolation. It may come from nowhere. And we might be surrounded by people, but we still feel some form of isolation or loneliness. But it’s not necessarily a case of being lonely or depressed. There can be other reasons as well. Let’s show you some reasons why you may very well feel isolated.

Hearing Issues

It’s a question that may not have even crossed your mind, but do you need a hearing aid? When you start to have hearing issues, they can be very subtle. But gradually after a while, you may find that it’s easier to smile and nod rather than having to answer questions. And this is a very dangerous path. If you feel too embarrassed to admit that there’s something up with your hearing or when you are having a conversation with someone in a crowded place you’re struggling to focus on them, you could be having a subtle case of hearing loss. But you could remedy this by getting a hearing test from a professional. And even if you think that hearing aids are big, bulky devices, many hearing aids are very small and discreet.

You Are Stuck in the Past

You can feel alone despite people being around you. And if you have a sense of being alone that you don’t understand, it could very well be a hangover from the past. If you were an only child or shy but now you are outgoing, you might very well be holding on to that sense of “aloneness” that you once had. Conversely, it could be something from the past that is stopping you from developing connections right now. If feeling like this could be a possibility, there are methods of therapy that can help you. Talk therapy is a great way to create a safe environment so you can work through aspects of your past that are no longer a part of who you are.

You Aren’t Acknowledging How You Have Changed

We all make changes in life. If you have outgrown a relationship or you are holding onto a friendship that is no longer akin to who you are, you can feel misunderstood, lonely, or on your own. You need to acknowledge that things change. And this can mean letting go of the past but also letting go of outdated relationships. This will give you the opportunity to create room for the people that understand who you are right now.

You Like the Idea of Being Lonely

Feeling any sense of isolation can be attractive to some people. Even if you like the idea of being isolated or lonely, it’s important to identify the benefits of it in your life. It could very well be a case that you are attracted to how it makes you feel special or too complicated for others. The best thing you can do in this respect is to make a list of all the reasons and benefits being loved or accepted can bring you. Some people feel that being isolated or lonely is a very attractive quality. It’s something that many people go through as teenagers, but if you are now feeling this sensation creep up on you again, what are you rejecting in the present-day?

Do You Know Yourself?

It’s a very simple question, but do you know the answer to it? If you haven’t taken the time to learn what actually makes you happy in life, you will invariably feel isolated. Being a parent can mean giving a lot of yourself over to make sure the household runs smoothly. And this can mean you lose touch with who you are. But if you are struggling to find out who you are, even if you are successful, it might be time to undergo some work in the field of self-development. You can find many resources to get you started. 

Are You Suffering From Depression?

If you haven’t been able to connect with anybody for a while, it could be feeling depressed. You could also feel uninspired and tired. And these can be key signs that you might be depressed. If so, speaking to your doctor can point you in the right direction. 

Feeling isolated is something that we all go through on occasion, but it’s not something that we can benefit from in the long-term. There are many reasons. 

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This year, we have spent a lot of time in our homes, haven’t we? And so it is important to keep our brains occupied and to look for new things to do. Learning an instrument could be exactly that. Plus, nowadays, there are lots of different opportunities to learn online today. If you do a quick search online, you will see that there are plenty of free and paid lessons for you to select from.

There are many benefits to be gained by taking music lessons online, yet some people are sceptical about doing so. Surely online lessons cannot be as good as the real thing? Well, you would be surprised! Read on to discover more about the reasons to consider online lessons.

One of the main benefits associated with online music lessons is the fact that you will be able to learn at your own pace. Music lessons are often catered to the masses, and thus it is easy to feel like you are getting left behind. Even if you have one-on-one tutoring, you are only going to have a limited amount of time – an hour let’s say – and thus you will want to extract as much as you can from the lesson in as little time as possible. With online learning, you can spend as long as you need on the same thing until you get it right.

It can also be more comfortable. After all, not everyone wants to learn an instrument because they want to be the next big thing in the industry. There are other reasons for learning an instrument. For instance, there are a lot of people who decide to learn an instrument to help their hearing. You can learn more about this online. However, focusing on sounds, as you do when learning an instrument, can help to slow down hearing loss. There are then people who want to learn an instrument purely because they are bored during the lockdown and want to enhance their skillset. Of course, online learning is going to be more suitable for this.

Another reason to consider the likes of piano and guitar lessons online is that this is a more cost-effective approach. There is no denying that the cost of private lessons can soon mount up, and this is a luxury that not everyone can afford. Thankfully, there is no need to splash the cash, as online lessons are much cheaper, and some are available free of charge. For instance, if you want your children to learn how to play piano, you can first try the free stimulation keywords to help them get a hang of it. Encourage them to play with it first to gain their curiosity. Later, when they are old enough and ready look for proper piano lessons and resources. You may also want to spend a little bit to ensure a quality lesson.

Finally, online lessons are beneficial because of the sheer number and diversity of music lessons online nowadays. You will be able to find lessons that are suited to you in regards to what you want to learn and your style of learning. After all, not everyone learns in the same way – some people may respond better to video demonstrations of how to play an instrument while others may enjoy reading tutorials.

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This year, we have spent a lot of time in our homes, haven’t we? And so it is important to keep our brains occupied and to look for new things to do. Learning an instrument could be exactly that. Plus, nowadays, there are lots of different opportunities to learn online today. If you do a quick search online, you will see that there are plenty of free and paid lessons for you to select from. You could learn a great new instrument which can help you in so many ways. It may ignite a passion in you to start a band by strumming on a guitar, playing the drums, etc. you can even get customized Tama drum wraps and guitar picks to add to that experience.

There are many benefits to be gained by taking music lessons online, yet some people are sceptical about doing so. Surely online lessons cannot be as good as the real thing? Well, you would be surprised! Read on to discover more about the reasons to consider online lessons.

One of the main benefits associated with online music lessons is the fact that you will be able to learn at your own pace. Music lessons are often catered to the masses, and thus it is easy to feel like you are getting left behind. Even if you have one-on-one tutoring, you are only going to have a limited amount of time – an hour let’s say – and thus you will want to extract as much as you can from the lesson in as little time as possible. With online learning, you can spend as long as you need on the same thing until you get it right.

It can also be more comfortable. After all, not everyone wants to learn an instrument because they want to be the next big thing in the industry. There are other reasons for learning an instrument. For instance, there are a lot of people who decide to learn an instrument to help their hearing. You can learn more about this online. However, focusing on sounds, as you do when learning an instrument, can help to slow down hearing loss. There are then people who want to learn an instrument purely because they are bored during the lockdown and want to enhance their skillset. Of course, online learning is going to be more suitable for this.

Another reason to consider the likes of piano and guitar lessons online is that this is a more cost-effective approach. There is no denying that the cost of private lessons can soon mount up, and this is a luxury that not everyone can afford. Thankfully, there is no need to splash the cash, as online lessons are much cheaper, and some are available free of charge. Nevertheless, you may want to spend a little bit to ensure a quality lesson.

Finally, online lessons are beneficial because of the sheer number and diversity of music lessons online nowadays. You will be able to find lessons that are suited to you in regards to what you want to learn and your style of learning. After all, not everyone learns in the same way – some people may respond better to video demonstrations of how to play an instrument while others may enjoy reading tutorials.

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The idea of sound being able to damage your ears can seem a little silly when you first hear it. Your ears are designed for listening, and they handle certain sounds just fine, so why would others hurt them? The complexity of your ears and the variety found in the physical properties of sound make this issue much harder to wrap your head around, leaving a lot of people unsure as to how they should protect their ears. Let’s take a look at some of the key issues that can occur when your ears are exposed to the wrong kind of sounds.

What Hurts Your Ears?

There are two main factors that will dictate how much damage a sound does to your ears; the volume and pitch. Extremely loud sounds are some of the worse, having the potential to cause damage to just about every part of your inner ear. Your ears don’t have to be in paid for damage to be done this way, and it usually happens over a long time, leaving a lot of people unaware of the damage they’re doing. Very high and low pitched sounds can also damage your ears, with their vibrational waves coming in at frequencies that your ears aren’t equipped to deal with.

Damaged Cilia

When a sound is played near your ears, small hairs known as cilia vibrate, trigger a nerve response that your brain can understand. Different hairs are responsible for different pitches, making it possible for your brain to understand a complex array of sounds. When something too loud passes over the cilia, though, they can be pushed down, unable to raise back up again. This essential renders them useless, causing people to lose their hearing over time. You can prevent tinnitus and other hearing conditions by protecting your cilia, and limiting your exposure to extremely loud sounds is one of the best ways to handle something like this.

Physical Damage & Blockages

There are loads of tiny bones inside your ears that are able to move and further aid your ability to hear sounds. These bones can be damaged by trauma outside the ear, and the way that they recover can often cause issues like tinnitus. Alongside this, blockages in your ears can also cause hearing loss. Wax, fluids, and other potential blocks will simply stop sound from getting inside your ears, making it much harder for you to hear things. Keeping your ears in good shape is a good way to overcome both of these issues, making it much easier for you to keep your ears healthy for years to come.

Hearing loss, tinnitus, and the other conditions that can come with your ears are all difficult to live with. While some people find this easier than others, it always makes sense to put some time into researching health issues like this, especially if you think that your lifestyle could lead to problems down the line.

You want your kids to grow up being as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, they don’t really know much about life at all. In fact, most of what they learn comes from listening to and following you. As such, they’re guilty of some bad habits that you probably used to be guilty of when you were little. Thankfully, you learned that these habits are bad, and you can teach your kids to steer clear of them. 

Keeping that in mind, here are a few rules to drill into your kids:

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Don’t sit too close to the TV

This is a classic one, but it’s so important. Sitting too close to the TV can cause all sorts of issues for your child that impact their life forever. Mainly, they can damage their eyesight forever. A lot of young children need permanent glasses because they have too much TV time and spend too long sitting close to the screen. Get them to move back to a safe distance to protect their eye health and keep their vision in check. Also, sitting too close can lead to hearing loss in young kids as they’re in close proximity to the loud speakers of the TV. 

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Don’t put cotton buds in your ears

So many children will see cotton buds lying around the bathroom and start using them however they like. Normally, this means putting them in their mouth, nose, or ears. It’s the latter of the three orifices that’s the real problem here. Kids may try and clean their ears using cotton buds, but this is dangerous. It can push wax deeper into the ear canal, and the buds themselves can poke the eardrum and cause all manner of issues. Some children have permanently damaged their ears by doing this, leading to them wearing hearing aids from a very young age. Plus, putting things in their ears can cause infections as well. Get them to stop doing this to protect their hearing health. 

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Brush your teeth every morning and night

It’s quite shameful that the majority of children in hospitals are there for dental reasons. Too many kids are having teeth extracted because they’ve become filled with cavities. The number of child fillings is on the rise as well – it’s a serious problem! Kids aren’t looking after their oral health, and this stems from not brushing their teeth every day. Force your children to brush their teeth in the morning, preferably 15-30 minutes after eating breakfast. Then, most importantly, make them brush in the evening right before bed. The evening brush is essential to ensure that any sugar or food particles are removed after a long day of eating. This keeps their mouths healthy, avoiding a host of oral health problems that can turn into general health problems. Be sure to also get your teeth troubles sorted at Boynton and go for regular check-ups.

Start teaching these rules to your children if you want them to remain healthier. Obviously, you’re in charge of other aspects of their health – like making sure they eat good foods and cut down on sugar. Still, these rules are ones that they can learn from a young age and stick to throughout life. 

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If you are someone who likes to drink a cup of coffee on a daily basis, now could be a great time to make the switch to something else, with matcha being a good choice.

Before we move onto the benefits of matcha, ditching caffeine in the form of coffee is beneficial for numerous reasons. We all know that it can result in the jitters. However, there are other health benefits that are not discussed as regularly. Did you know coffee is linked to hearing loss? You can learn more about this and getting the right help online.

Is matcha tea as good as or even better than regular green tea? You might be wondering if it tastes as good and if it has as many health benefits. Green tea has recently hit the headlines as a healthier form of tea, filled with antioxidants and nutrients. There are many claims of health benefits, improved brain function, fat loss, and even a lower risk of cancer,

So why should you buy matcha tea and how does matcha powdered green tea match up? When you buy matcha tea online you will discover that it has 137 times the level of antioxidants available from regular green tea. It seems Japanese matcha green tea has better health benefits than popular healthy choices.

Matcha green tea powder reviews suggest it even has 70 times the antioxidants found in orange juice. You’ll notice that matcha green tea is brilliantly green and packed full of flavour. Unlike some regular green tea that may look a murky brown colour, matcha green tea powder lives up to its name. You will not miss the bright green colour or delicious taste. Each cup of matcha tea you drink has more antioxidants than drinking orange juice every day for the next two months.

Choosing a tasty cuppa tea or even drinking a matcha smoothie

After reading about the health benefits, you might be asking yourself, where to buy green tea matcha powder, and can how to brew the perfect cup of matcha?

You will be pleased to learn that matcha organic green tea powder can be used to make a tasty cup of tea. You just mix the powder with hot water to make a tasty nutritional drink.

Unlike leaf tea, you will find that you can also mix powdered matcha green tea into your favourite smoothie. There are a lot of great smoothie recipes on the Internet incorporating matcha, making it easy for you to create a tasty matcha smoothie that also offers health benefits too.

In fact, you will probably be surprised by the different matcha recipes that are available today. If you are really struggling without your coffee fix, why not try a matcha drink in latte form? You can also make baked matcha goods, including muffins and pancakes. There are many ways to mix it up and get the benefits from matcha powder.

We hear a lot about how we should take care of ourselves. The things that we should do to look after our health and wellbeing and improve our mood. But, something that we don’t hear much about is our senses and what we can do to keep them healthy and working well. 

Most of us assume that our senses will just naturally start to decline as we age. To an extent, this is true. We’ve got far fewer taste buds when we enter our 70’s than we had when we were 20. Our sight and hearing may start to decline from middle age, our skin becomes more delicate, and some people notice that their sense of smell isn’t as effective as it once was. Genetics also play a part. If your parents were near or farsighted, you are more likely to be the same. 

But, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing that you can do to improve your senses and slow any deterioration. There’s plenty that you can do to enhance your senses, and help them to stay young for longer. 

Protect Your Hearing

Most premature hearing loss is caused by long-term exposure to loud noises. If you work in a noisy environment or spend long periods of time at particular loud events, it’s worth investing in hearing protection, to reduce the risk of broken eardrums, swelling and hearing loss. 

Get Regular Checkups

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You should get your eyes tested at least once every two years. More often if you wear glasses or have noticed changes to your sight. These checkups shouldn’t just test how well you can see, but other areas of your eye health too. 

You might not need to get your other senses checked unless you notice sudden deterioration, pain, discomfort, or other symptoms. But, you should attend regular health MOTs to make sure your body is in good condition, and so supporting your senses efficiently.

Keep Clean

Dirt, bacteria and other germs can cause damage to our senses, so it’s important that we keep ourselves clean and practice good personal and home hygiene to stop any nasties invading our bodies. 

Eat a Healthy Diet

Your diet can play a big part in keeping your senses healthy. A balanced diet with plenty of vitamin A, folic acid, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and plenty of water can help your senses to function well, keeping them healthy for longer. 

Get Some Exercise

You might not think that exercise could benefit your senses, but it can. Exercise boosts your circulation and lowers your blood pressure. This can keep all areas of our body working well. Yoga can be very good for your senses, and cardio activity will boost your overall health. 

Keep Warm

Being cold can be bad for your skin, affecting your sense of touch. It can lead to blocked noses and an inability to smell. Coldness can cause ear infections and damage, and you’ll find that things taste different if you are unwell with a winter bug. Keep yourself warm, and wrap up when it is cold outside.

Busy mammas have a lot to deal with, and sadly some things such as ear health can end up being shunted down the list in favor of more obvious issues and concerns. However, our families ears and hearing are a vital part of their overall health and well-being and should be cared for as such. A topic you can read more about in the post below.

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Do treat ear health as seriously as any other issue.

If your child fell down and broke their arm, you wouldn’t tell them to get up and stop moaning, would you? Of course not you would be straight to the energy room to get them assessed and treated so they can heal as quickly as possible.

Of course, this is precisely the same process that you need to adhere to when it comes to hearing and ear health. After all, loss of hearing is no joke, and as that is what some ear conditions can lead to it really pays to get any issue, however small it seems, to be checked out.

Luckily, there are ear health specialists know as audiologists that are experts in this field. To access one, you may wish first to attend your GP’s office, although it is also often possible to book an appointment directly with them. This being something that will allow you to get your ear health issue resolved as quickly as possible.  

Don’t use cue tips.

One of the biggest mistake that many people in the US make is that they clean their own and their family’s ears with cue tips! The problem with this being that sticking such a device in the ear can be incredibly dangerous. The reason being that it can easily travel too far down the ear canal impacting wax, and even in the worst-case scenario, bursting the eardrum.

Happily, there are now other ear cleaning options including alternative therapies such us Hopi candles, and even modern devices that prevent anything from penetrating too far and causing damage.

Do get educated about ear problems.

Next, if you want to take your family’s ear health seriously, then it’s crucial that you learn to look for possible issues and problems. In particular, older relatives with hearing loss may not realize that they are listening to the TV at a very high volume. While younger, pre-verbal children won’t turn around when you call them or make a loud noise.

It can even be useful to learn about things like tinnitus symptoms, which includes ringing in the ears, and then educate your family on this, so they know what to look out for. Then, if they do start to experience any problem with their hearing or ear health, it won’t go unnoticed, and you can be sure to deal with it as quickly as possible.

Don’t forget that tech is changing all the time.

Lastly, when it comes to ear health don’t forget that the technology, both in diagnosis and treatment is moving at an increasingly fast rate. What this means is that issues you may have thought undetectable, or incurable may no longer be so.

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Hearing aids are becoming increasingly small.

In fact, tech such as hearing aids are becoming increasingly sophisticated while shrinking in size, meaning that there really is no reason to suffer in silence when it comes to ear health.