National Hearing and Vision

11/16/2020

It’s that time of year again! Time to pull out the winter coats, boots, and gloves and face the cold winter weather. But before you head outdoors for work, don’t forget the winter hats and ear muffs. For those who are spending extended periods of time outside working in the cold weather, it is extremely important to keep ear health top of mind to avoid long-term damage that will extend past the cold winter temperatures. Whether it be low temperatures, frigid winds, or icy rain and snow, winter weather can be extremely harmful, and keeping ears warm is a necessary precaution outside workers need to take to stay safe.

Why are Your Ears the First Part of Your Body to Get Cold?
Ever notice that when you are outside in frigid temperatures, it only takes a couple of minutes for your ears to feel like they are covered in ice? Similar to the nose, ears are comprised of mainly cartilage and do not have a lot of insulating fat, causing them to get cold faster than other body parts.1 In addition to the fact they are often not protected and directly exposed to the cold, that makes them one of the first parts of your body to feel the bitter cold air.

a man and a woman standing outside while it's snowing

But what about the inside of your ears? If you've ever felt pain on the inside of your ears after being outside in cold weather, that is because the nerves in the ear canal are also unprotected and react with a strong pain impulse whenever they are cold. Internal ear pain can also be caused by the lack of blood circulation caused by cold and wind.1

Does Cold Weather Cause Hearing Loss?
While it may not be a winter injury that comes to your mind at first, it’s true, spending a lot of time in the cold weather without any ear protection can lead to problems that can ultimately cause hearing loss. If you are consistently exposing your ears to cold temperatures, your body can react by increasing bone growth in the ear canal in an attempt to block the cold. This growth is called exotosis, and is often referred to as surfer’s ear, since surfers who are spending extended time in cold water often develop this growth. This is also very common among those who partake in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding, and can also affect those who are working outside in the cold.

While this is the body’s effort to keep your ears safe, exotosis can actually cause harmful damage to ear health and hearing. The bone growth constricts the ear canal making it difficult to drain water, dirt, and ear wax, which can lead to continuous ear infections, which can in turn lead to permanent hearing loss.

Fortunately, exotosis can be surgically removed, but it does require extended recovery time away from any cold wind and water.2

How Can I Keep My Ears Safe and Sound This Winter?
While 59°F may not seem very cold, that is when you should consider wearing ear protection. Beginning at 59°F, your blood vessels begin to constrict in an effort to consolidate warmth and your ears become more susceptible to the cold.3 As the temperatures dip further below that benchmark, it is even more important to protect your ears and keep them warm.

First and foremost, make sure you have some sort of ear protection while you are outside, such as ear muffs or a hat that covers the ears. While both are great options to keep your ears warm, if workers are also faced with occupational noise, be sure to provide them with ear muffs that not only protect their ears from the cold weather, but also protect against noise exposure.

civil engineers at a construction site during winter

In addition to keeping your ears nice and toasty, proper ear protection can also prevent moisture build up in the ear, which can often lead to infection. To further avoid infection, be sure to switch out hats or muffs if they get wet since that can also prevent them from keeping your ears warm.

While covering the ear is beneficial in protecting it from cold winter weather, putting items inside the ear is not as safe and effective. While some people put cotton swabs or cotton wool inside their ear in an effort to stay warm or to keep the inside of the ear dry, this can cause inflammation and lead to further problems.2 Instead, use a hair dryer on a low heat setting to get rid of any moisture in your ears and continue to cover them while you are outside.

MedExpress aims to keep your employees healthy all year long. To ensure cold weather or loud outdoor noises aren’t taking a toll on your employees’ hearing, make sure you are conducting regular audiometry testing to measure possible hearing loss.

References:

06/18/2020

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/early-and-periodic-screening-diagnostic-and-treatment/vision-and-hearing-screening-services-children-and-adolescents/index.html

Children and adolescents enrolled in Medicaid should receive both vision and hearing screenings at each well-child check-up. If a primary care provider suspects that a child has a vision or hearing problem, the child should receive further evaluation and necessary treatment. Medicaid coverage for ch...

06/14/2019

Ten ways to protect your eye during Summer!!1. Wear Sunglasses with Complete Ultraviolet Protection
Let’s start with the obvious one – sunglasses. You already know that you should protect your skin from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and our eyes need similar protection. UVR comes from the sun and may also be reflected off surfaces such as water or sand.

The best way to protect your eyes from UVR exposure is to purchase and consistently wear sunglasses with 100-percent protection against both UVA and UVB rays, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Many inexpensive brands of sunglasses offer this protection, so you have a wide variety of choices. Remember to wear them even on cloudy days.

The Medical Details: Too much exposure to UVR can cause photokeratitis or photo conjunctivitis (more commonly known as “snow blindness”) in the short-term. Continual UVR exposure, particularly exposure to UVB rays, may cause cataracts development, pterygium (a non-cancerous growth over the cornea) or skin cancer of the eyelids.

2. Use Goggles at the Pool
If you have not gone swimming in a few months, the first dip into the pool can feel awful on your eyes. The chlorine, designed to protect you from exposure to germs, has the potential to hurt your eyes.The simplest solution for protection is to wear goggles every time you go to swim in a pool. This also applies to swimming in the ocean or other natural bodies of water, as they contain other contaminants that may hurt your eyes.

The Medical Details: A 2008 study revealed that frequent exposure to chlorine negatively affects the integrity of your corneal epithelium. The epithelium provides a layer of protection to your cornea from irritants and pathogens. If that protection is compromised, you have an increased likelihood of corneal abrasion or other eye injuries.

3. Wash Hands and Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes
Studies indicate that the best way to protect yourself from the spread of communicable disease is simply to wash your hands on a regular basis. This practice is crucial to avoid contracting eye-related conditions such as conjunctivitis. You often develop conjunctivitis after touching something that someone else has touched after they rubbed their eyes.

After any eye surgery such as LASIK, cataract surgery or glaucoma shunt surgery, your eyes are more susceptible to infection. The Centers for Disease Control suggests that you wash your hands thoroughly before you apply any treatments to your eyes, and avoid rubbing your eyes as much as possible. When you have conjunctivitis, be sure to wash your hands after putting in eye drops or ointment, to avoid spreading the disease to others. When you come into Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center for professional eye care, you can rest assured that all specialists providing treatment or examination take your health and risk of infection very seriously.

4. Wear Hats
Even if you wear sunglasses every time you go outside, you are not offering complete UVR protection to your eyes and eyelids. Sunglasses usually have gaps along the sides where UVR exposure occurs. While you wear your sunglasses, minimize your risk and add a hat with a brim at least 3 inches wide. Consistent use of hats and sunglasses significantly decrease your UVR exposure.

The Medical Details: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a form of skin cancer that typically affects the eyelids, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. While it most commonly occurs on the lower eyelid, the site of most frequent exposure, it can also develop in the corners of the eye or under the eyebrows. While BCC does not usually spread to other parts of the body, it can certainly spread to the eye itself.

5. Protect Against Chemicals
While people are more likely to sustain chemical burns to their eyes while at work, there are several opportunities to hurt your eyes in non-occupational tasks, as well.

Hand or body soap bubbles that pop near your eyes
Spray paint that blows back into your face
Splashing cleaning solutions
These are all circumstances which can cause a chemical burn on your eyes; some more severe than others. You can prevent chemical exposure by taking appropriate precautions. Wear protective goggles or protective eyewear whenever you are working with any kind of toxic chemicals. Take care to handle solutions delicately, so that they do not splash.

The Medical Details: A 2013 analysis of chemical exposure claimed that eye-related chemical burns represent a serious ocular emergency that can ultimately cause serious damage or blindness. The CDC says 2,000 workers a day in the U.S. sustain an eye-related injury.

6. Keep Children Safe and Start Young with Eye Protection
Too many people realize in adulthood that they should have thought of protecting their eyes when they were young. It is never too early to start with your children, however. The World Health Organization notes that as much as 80 percent of a person’s lifetime UVR exposure occurs prior to the age of 18. That is because children are far more likely to spend time playing outside, particularly during the warmer months. Thankfully, the solution is much the same as it is for adults. Apply regular sunscreen, particularly on your child’s face. Add a hat with a wide brim and comfortable sunglasses

The Medical Details: A child’s ocular lenses do not filter out UV light as efficiently as an adult’s, according to The Vision Council. This means that children can sustain eye damage more readily.

7. Wear eye protection during outdoor activities
If you have ever had dust or sand in your eye, you know that chemical exposure is not the only environmental threat to your eyes. You should try to protect yourself, as much as practically possible, from contact with foreign bodies that can cause abrasions to your eye.

Most corneal injuries heal in a day or two without too much pain or difficulty. However, some environments, such as woodworking or yardwork, present a higher risk of long-term injury. Always look to prevention first, through the use of glasses or other personal protective equipment to shield your face and eyes from potential damage. Remember that certain medical eye conditions, such as chronic dry eyes, increase your risk of corneal abrasion. Seeking dry eye treatment or corneal exams from Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center ensures that your eyes get the best care.

8. Eat Healthy and Drink Plenty of Water
You may be surprised to learn that what you eat has the power to affect how well you see. It’s not just carrots.

There are many foods rich in nutrients that improve your eyesight and help prevent the development of long-term vision problems. Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants known to help resist macular degeneration and cataracts. Adding a supplement or foods high in Vitamin C, Vitamin E and zinc can assist those with symptoms of age-related macular degeneration; they help slow or prevent the progression of symptoms.

Additionally, during the summer, people are more likely to become dehydrated, which can affect their eyes. Serious dehydration makes it harder for the body to produce tears, leading to dry eye symptoms and other vision problems. Drinking plenty of water each day can prevent and reverse many of the negative effects of dehydration, as well as providing fluid for normal eye function.

9. Use eye drops
Sometimes, despite your best attempts, you need to use some kind of eye drops to minimize pain or manage other eye problems. This can be especially true for those going through glaucoma surgery recovery.

If you have allergies that make your eyes feel tired or excessively dry, you may also benefit from ketotifen eye drops. However, you should also consult a qualified ophthalmologist to discuss a chronic need for eye drops. Dry eye symptoms may arise from temporary exposure to contaminants, or they could be a sign of something more serious. A specialist at Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center can assess your concerns with chronic dry eyes and provide a dry eye treatment that addresses the cause of your problems.

10. Get Adequate Sleep
Although you know how important it is to get a good night’s rest, you may find it hard to get the sleep you need, particularly with a busy lifestyle. However, your eyes are counting on you to be rested.

In 2008, researchers discovered that people who have been awake as little as 18 hours start to suffer decreased cognition on visual tasks. This might not seem like a big problem until you realize that you need visual acuity to drive safely or attend to potentially dangerous activities like cooking or caring for children. Additionally, when you are tired, your eyes are more likely to feel dry. This encourages you to rub your eyes to stimulate the lacrimal gland, which increases the likelihood of exposure to irritants and diseases. The best way you can keep yourself alert and safe is to aim for a full night of sleep every night.

Those 10 tips will help your eyes over the summer. The best thing you can do to care for your eyes in the summer is to wear protective eyewear and a hat for any outdoor activities or tasks that involve potential exposure to toxic chemicals or other contaminants. While you follow this advice for prevention, you can make sure your children do the same.

By taking a proactive approach to eye care during the hot summer months, you can minimize the amount of time you need professional eye care. When you are looking for a specialist for general eye health, the experts at Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center are ready to help you.

01/28/2019

Did you know that sounds that are too loud for too long can damage your hearing permanently? The louder the noise, the faster it can damage your hearing. This October, during National Protect Your Hearing Month, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) encourages everyone to learn about noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and steps you can take to prevent it.

Very loud noise, such as using fi****ms, can cause you to lose your hearing almost instantly. You can damage your hearing in less than 15 minutes at loud sporting events or concerts or when listening to music through headphones at high volume. If the noise is not as loud but lasts a long time, such as when using noisy yard or farm equipment, hearing damage can build more slowly.

NIHL can happen to anyone at any age. Up to 24 percent of American adults under age 70 may have hearing loss due to noise exposure in one or both ears. Other studies have suggested that 13 to 18 percent of U.S. teens have signs of possible hearing loss from noise.

When sounds are too loud for too long, tiny bundles of hair-like structures that sit on top of hair cells in the inner ear are damaged. When hair cells are damaged, they cannot respond to sound, causing NIHL. In humans, hair cells cannot be fixed or replaced, so the hearing loss is permanent. Because NIHL can build slowly over time, you might not notice the early signs of hearing loss.

The good news is that you can take steps to protect your hearing:

Lower the volume. Know which noises can cause damage: those at or above 85 decibels. If you use headphones or earbuds, keep the volume low.
Move away from the noise. If you cannot lower the volume, put some distance between you and the source.
Wear hearing protectors, such as earplugs or earmuffs, when you’re involved in a noisy activity, whether it’s mowing the lawn, using power tools, playing loud music, or attending a concert or loud sporting event. Activity-specific earplugs and earmuffs are available online and at hardware, sporting goods, and other stores.
Protect the ears of children who are too young to protect their own.
Tell family, friends, and colleagues about noise hazards.
Help spread the healthy hearing message to your family and community with these resources

08/17/2018

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22460107

Med Sci Monit. 2012 Apr;18(4):SR17-21.

02/06/2018

http://www.whyeyefight.com/

More than 11 million Americans have Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). You're not alone. Bausch + Lomb, the makers of PreserVision AREDS 2 stands with you in your fight and encourages you to share your story on Facebook and Twitter using .