The Surprising Link Between Sleep Apnea & Alzheimer's

The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine recently published a study from New York researchers that suggest that sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s are connected. Their study found that people with obstructive sleep apnea had higher levels of amyloid beta in their spinal fluid—a protein associated with Alzheimer’s.

Sleep apnea is a condition where patients either take shallow breaths or stop breathing while sleeping. It disrupts the sleep of up to 22 million people in the United States. The study focused on 208 otherwise-healthy sleep apnea patients, over half of which had obstructive sleep apnea. Those with OSA correlated with higher levels of amyloid beta.

The data suggests that sleep disturbance could “accelerate cognitive decline” for those who are at-risk for Alzheimer’s, according to a press release from researchers at the NYU School of Medicine. However, a co-author of the study clarified that the relationship hasn’t been discovered between sleep apnea, amyloid, and cognitive deterioration.

The data does suggest that the severity of sleep apnea is a predictor of cognitive deterioration.

What This Means for Doctors

If there is a relationship, then screening for sleep apnea may help doctors better predict a patient’s chances of developing Alzheimer’s. More importantly, it will motivate doctors to correct any sleep disturbance disorder in order to prevent Alzheimer’s later in life.

4 Ways to Avoid the Common Cold During Holiday Travel

Consider this your warning: these tips are not designed to make you look stylish or fun. In fact, you might think some of these tips are overkill. That’s normal.

But if you actually want to make it through an airport without breathing in the collective germs of millions of harried, exhausted, immuno-compromised travelers, then you’ll need to value your health over your appearance for just a few hours. We promise it will be worth it.

#1: Wear a Medical Face Mask

Remember those masks everyone wore when SARS was a threat? Those are actually famously effective at keeping your body from accidentally breathing in germs and viruses. After all, these are the masks surgeons use while working on patients.

They serve two purposes:

1. They keep you from breathing in everyone else’s germs.
2. They keep your germs to yourself—which is a favor to everyone else.

#2: Drink a Glass of Water Every 1.5 Hours

Drinking water in general is a great practice, but if you’re normally the type of person who hovers near “dehydrated,” drinking water is extra important while traveling. Constantly ingesting fluids and flushing them out of your body keeps your immune system humming at peak levels. If you’re peeing a lot, that’s a good sign—it means what’s staying in your body is supposed to stay in your body.

The classic 8 glasses a day is a little bit daunting for people who don’t normally drink a lot of water daily—instead, drink a glass of water every hour-and-a-half or so.

#3: Put 9 Hours of Sleep on the Calendar

Okay, we know this isn’t always completely under your control, but block out time for sleeping. Consider it an appointment that you need to keep with yourself—if you put it on your calendar, that’s sacred. No one else can touch it, and no other plans can take that space.

The reason we aim for 9 hours? Because we always know there’s last-minute travel tasks, aiming for 9 hours allows us to get at least 7.5 (which is good enough).

#4: Buy a Travel-Size Pack of Disinfecting Wipes

The surfaces at airports, bus stops, and train stations are as bad as bathrooms sometimes. Bring wipes for arm rests, tables, and any other surfaces you come into contact with. You might look a little OCD, but that’s okay. While everyone else is wondering what you’re doing, they’re caught in skin-to-skin contact with millions upon millions of viruses and bacteria.

Avoiding that is a good trade-off for looking a little eccentric.

Need medicine to keep yourself functional through the holidays? Set up an appointment with your Orlando ear nose throat doctor at Florida ENT today! Offices serving Orlando and Kissimmee.

Holiday Events in Florida No Family Should Miss

Four Blocks of Winter Performances + Free Fun & Games

Where: Pensacola (223 S. Palafox Place, Pensacola, FL 32502)

When: Until December 24, 2017

Link: Buy tickets here!

Beautiful performances, warm hot chocolate, and games for kids are only part of what make the Pensacola Winterfest a can’t-miss event. However, you’ll want to act fast—tickets for the Polar Express Tour are selling out fast (but you still have a chance)! Many of the attractions are free, but tickets are on sale now for the Performance Tour, the Winterfest Performance Tour, and other tours.

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Get a Zoo Tour with Santa for Jolly Days!

Where: Brevard Zoo (8225 North Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL 32940)

When: December 21-23, 2017

Link: Get info here!

The animals are getting in on the fun at Brevard Zoo this holiday season! Bring the family from 10 am to 3 pm for animal encounters, games, music, and photos with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus! Zookeepers will also be presenting animals with holiday gifts—something your child won’t want to miss.

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Explore the World’s Largest Christmas Theme Park

Where: Miami (7900 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL 33155)

When: Until January 7, 2018

Link: Get tickets here!

Come see the world’s largest holiday theme park! Santa’s Enchanted Forest has South Florida’s tallest Christmas tree, animal shows, and a free carnival with over 100 rides and attractions. The park is open until midnight on all major holidays (including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve).

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Watch a Christmas Movie & See a Massive Christmas Light Show

Where: University of Central Florida’s CFE Arena (12777 Gemini Blvd. N, Orlando, FL 32816)

When: Until January 7, 2018

Link: Learn more here!

For a musical light show unlike anything you’ve ever seen, come down to the University of Central Florida for the “Light Up UCF” celebration! The show features over 30,000 lights that pulse and strobe in sync with Christmas classics. Afterward, you and your family can curl up and watch your favorite Christmas movies on a two-story screen.

Parking is free! Get your tickets today.

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Walk Through an International Christmas Ice Sculpture Garden

Where: Lake Buena Vista (6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746)

When: Until January 8, 2018

Link: Get tickets here!

Adventure through a sculpture garden with 2 million pounds of ice sculptures and a 2-story ice slide! Kept at a frosty  9 degrees, the ICE! At Gaylord Palms exhibit features hand-sculpted Christmas scenes from around the world. Don’t worry—a coat and gloves are provided.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Affects People of All Ages

When we say “hard-of-hearing,” you might conjure up an image of an elderly loved one, their hands cupped around their ears while you repeat yourself for the third time. For most people, hearing problems are either genetic (present from birth) or a problem for the elderly.

However, data from the CDC determined that the association between hearing loss and old age is not as strong as we think.

According to data from 2011-2012, between 6 and 24 percent of U.S. adults under 70 exhibited signs of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Up to 40 million U.S. adults barely old enough to retire have permanent damage in their ears. That’s not all—a separate study found that up to 17 percent of teenagers have hearing loss for the same reason.

Why People Are Losing Their Hearing

Noise-induced hearing loss is widespread but preventable. So why doesn’t anyone do anything about it? Because people don’t know they have NIHL until the effects are too far gone.

People unknowingly suffer from NIHL because it’s the result of gradual damage. See, hair cells in your inner ear transmit sound vibrations into electrical signals for your brain. Loud noises kill these hair cells. When loud noises cause hair cells to die, you don’t notice the loss of a few cells. However, over time, voices become more muffled; voicemails are harder to decipher; phone calls become less convenient.

So what noises do you avoid?

Any noises above 85 decibels could potentially cause hearing loss—this includes both impulse noises (one-time and immediate) and ongoing noises. The most common sufferers of NIHL include people who are exposed to loud noises on a daily basis (people in woodworking shops, construction workers, musicians, people who listen to their music too loud). For reference, the sound of a motorcycle engine up close is 95 decibels.

Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

It’s not too late to save your hearing! Here are a few simple steps to prevent further damage:

• Wear ear protection at work or at concerts.
• Turn down your music.
• If possible, situate yourself away from sources of noise.
• Protect your children’s ears while out and about.
• Get your hearing tested to find out how urgent your loss is.

Remember: most people with hearing loss wait until it’s too late before they change their behavior. Making a small change today could radically change your future.

Common Causes, Symptoms & Care for a Bruised Eardrum

Bruised eardrums are an injury caused by trauma or improper cleaning of the ear. Sonic trauma (like an explosion or sustained, high-decibel noises) and physical trauma (like a punch to the side of the head) can both causing bruising of the ear and eardrum. Car accidents are also a common cause of ear trauma.

Cauliflower ear, which is a buildup of fluid in the outer ear, can also lead to bruising.

Common Symptoms of Bruised Eardrum

The symptoms of a bruised eardrum are somewhat similar to a perforated eardrum—with the exception of sudden relief from an earache. Sudden loss of an earache is more likely to be caused by a perforation than a bruised eardrum.

If you experience the following symptoms, see your local ENT doctor quickly:

• Trouble picking up background noise
• Mild or incomplete hearing loss
• Bleeding or discharge of fluid
• Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Difficulty keeping your balance

What to Avoid If Your Eardrums Could Be Bruised

Keep your ears dry, so avoid swimming. To prevent water from getting into your ears while showering, insert cotton balls into your ear. You can also seal them with petroleum jelly if you’re concerned about water getting past the cotton balls.

Whatever you do, do not insert cotton swabs into your ears to clean them. Using q-tips or other tools to clean your ears could turn a bruise into a puncture. Your ears might be filled with fluid, but it’s better to let a doctor handle your ear care rather than risking the health of your ears.

Treatment

Thankfully, bruised eardrums should heal on their own. If you experience symptoms for longer than two weeks, consider seeing a Florida ENT doctor to check up on you. While healing, avoid exposure to allergens, cigarette smoke, and blowing your nose—blowing your nose alters the pressure of your inner ear and causes discomfort.

4 Things Everyone Can do to Reduce Their Risk of Pneumonia

While the warm temperatures here in sunny Florida make it more difficult for us Floridians to catch pneumonia, even we aren’t immune to the disease. Each year, 1 million Americans seek the care of a hospital for pneumonia, while 50,000 people will die from the disease. As we approach cold, flu, and pneumonia season, we’re sharing a few ways you can best recognize and avoid pneumonia.

Recognizing Pneumonia

Because pneumonia often mimics other diseases, it can be hard to tell if what you’re suffering from is actually the disease. Below are a few of the tell-tale signs of pneumonia:

• Persistent, high fever
• Severe coughing 
• Yellow or brown, thick mucus
• Shortness of breath 
• Chest pains 

Reducing Your Risk of Pneumonia 

Quit smoking. 
People who smoke are more likely to have a more compromised immune system, making them more likely to get pneumonia, as well as the common cold and flu.

Wash your hands. 
Aside from after going to the bathroom, when else do you wash your hands? For most people, the answer is almost never. In addition to after going to the bathroom, you should wash your hands before you eat and when you get home. This will help prevent the spread of viruses.

Avoid people with respiratory issues. 
It makes sense that you’d want to avoid people with pneumonia, but the disease can also be spread from people who have a cold, the flu, or a respiratory infection.

Avoid people with the chickenpox or measles. 
If you haven’t already had chickenpox or measles, or received the vaccine for each, you should avoid people who have the disease.

With locations in Orlando and Kissimmee Florida, Florida ENT is dedicated to the complete medical care of your lungs, nose, throat, and sinuses. To learn more about our sinus institute, give us a call at 407-944-3340.

How it Works: RADIESSE Volumizing Fillers

Do you want to get rid of a few lines around your mouth and nose? I think most of us in our 30s and 40s would be quick to say "yes," but procedures like facelifts and BOTOX injections can be costly and more extreme solutions. But luckily for you, there are other options! RADIESSE volumizing fillers improve the look of wrinkles, creases, and scars by boosting your skin’s natural collagen supply.

What can RADIESSE do for me? 

• RADIESSE fillers can improve the look of a number of areas of your face and body. RADIESSE volumizing fillers can: 
• Correct scars that have left impressions. 
• Lift sagging jowls. 
• Eliminate chin wrinkles. 
• Reduce facial creases and laugh lines. 

Why choose RADIESSE? 

• RADIESSE stimulates the production of your own, natural collagen, so it's safe and effective. 
• Results are proven to last for at least a year in most patients. 
• RADIESSE is FDA-approved. 

What can I expect during the procedure?

Before RADIESSE fillers are injected, your doctor will clean and sterilize the injection site. Your doctor will them mix RADIESSE with anesthetic lidocaine (which is also FDA approved) to make the injections more comfortable. RADIESSE injections take only 15 minutes to inject and are considered an outpatient procedure with little-to-no downtime.

Am I a candidate for RADIESSE? 

Though most people are good candidates for the procedure, there are a few people who do not qualify. RADIESSE injections should not be performed on people who:

• Are allergic to any of the components found in RADIESSE. 
• Have a history of severe allergies. 
• Have a bleeding disorder. 
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding. 
• Are allergic to lidocaine. 

Improve your appearance and boost your confidence with the help of RADIESSE volumizing fillers. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Han of Florida ENT today by calling 1 (877) 327-6673!