Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1431992
The holidays are here! By Harmony Audiology The holidays bring family and friends togeth- er – whether it's in-person, over a video conference, or phone call. What should be happy and memorable times can be sometimes be frus- trating. One of the biggest struggles my patients with hearing loss talk about is understanding in crowded or noisy environments – like around the dinner table or in the kitchen. When it's difficult to hear in these social situations, some people feel embar- rassed or frustrated. They might "give up" or seem to be withdrawn. When I talk to patients about hearing difficulties, I talk about the two big- gest obstacles – distance and background noise. Distance refers to how far away the speaker is from the listener. The further away the speaker is, the harder it is to hear them. Have you ever had to raise your voice or shout across the room? Background noise refers to any sound competing with the speaker, like a noisy dishwasher, tv, music, and other people talking in the room. Now add a hearing loss on top of that! Hearing aids help make sounds that are too soft audible again. But there is still distance and back- ground noise that make it difficult to hear, even with hearing aids in. Luckily hearing aids have features to help with these obsta- cles. Most hearing aids have an automatic feature to enhance speech and reduce background noise, making it easier to follow a conversation. Addi- tionally, hearing aids can come with other features or accessories to help. One common accessory is a remote microphone. If a speaker is far away, they can wear a discrete microphone that transmits their voice directly to the hearing aids. This is very helpful for speaking engagements or a couple's dinner in a noise restau- rant. If you suspect you or a loved one has hearing dif- ficulties, get your hearing checked. Find an audiolo- gist who will take the time to listen to your concerns, address any questions, and discuss how hearing devices may help you im- prove your quality of life! Making the Best Choice for You and Your Family By Cathy Conway, Hospice of Santa Cruz County The last two years have taught us many things. Perhaps among the most important are to value our health and our relation- ships…and that we can't plan for everything. But when it comes to our health and our healthcare needs – now and in the future – having a plan and talking with the important people in our lives can bring us closer together. At Hospice of San- ta Cruz County, we'd like to help you plan for your future healthcare needs, prepare for having conver- sations with those who are close to you and document your wishes. How much do the people who matter to you know about what matters most to you? There may be some things they already know, and other things that you need to tell them. Some- times we might think others know how we feel, but they frequently don't. Often, healthcare providers see the anguish that families face when making a healthcare decision for someone who can no longer speak for themselves. Are we making the right decision? Is this what my parent/spouse/ friend would have wanted? Healthcare conversations help make what we think and how we feel as clear as possible, but these conver- sations can be difficult to start. Hospice of Santa Cruz County has many resources that can prepare you for having these conversations. As part of our commitment to community education, we are available to meet with you (in-person or on Zoom) to help you document your healthcare wishes. The re- sources listed below can help get you started. Knowing When It's Time for More Help While navigating our own health care decisions can be challenging, it's even more difficult to know how to best support a loved one with a serious illness. You don't have to face this time alone. Transitional and Palliative Care Services provide an added layer of support, in the comfort of your own home, to help you manage serious illness. Using a team approach to care that includes your loved one and family, their current doctor and care providers, and our Palliative Care Team, we help to ensure that the care you receive matches your current needs and values. The team continually engages with you and your family to provide expert support, helping you to de- termine the care you want and need at every step of the way. The support that's pro- vided by palliative care can also help determine if you or your loved one is ready for hospice care. I'm saddened when I hear members of our commu- nity say, "if only we had known how hospice could help, we would have called sooner". I get it…hospice can be a scary word. And yet going it alone can be exhausting and often feel unsustainable. Studies have shown that hospice care is most effec- tive when patients are with their hospice care teams for months, rather than days. This time allows the team to guide the family as their loved one's needs change. It also allows the patient to fully participate in decisions about their care. And families have more time to prepare for the changes ahead. Our hospice medical professionals can manage pain and symptoms earlier and help avoid crises and hospital stays. Entering hospice care is not giving up, but rather an opportunity to truly live the last months of life with dignity. We see every day that hospice care gives patients and their caregivers opportunities for healing as they cherish their time together. Not All Hospices are the Same Hospice of Santa Cruz County is proud to have the highest quality ratings and caregiver satisfac- tion scores of any other hospice provider serving our community. You can compare hospices by their quality of patient care, the family caregiver expe- rience, and their status as either for-profit or nonprofit on Medicare's Care Compare website listed below. As a community-based nonprofit, Hospice of San- ta Cruz County provides greater access to optional therapies such as music therapy and pet therapy, and provides grief support services to adults and children, regardless of whether hospice or palli- ative care services were used. We don't turn anyone away for their inability to pay. Our services are available to people of all ages. Medi- care, Medi-Cal, and most private insurances cover the core hospice services and we are committed to serving all members of our community. Resources: Advance Healthcare Planning and tools to help you have the conversation: www.hospicesantacruz. org/community-edu- cation-events/prepar- ing-for-the-future Compare hospices in the area: www.medicare.gov/ care-compare Call for information: (831) 430-3000 The missing link to treating gut disorders The importance of gut health has gotten a tremen- dous amount of press late- ly, and rightly so. There are more immune cells in the lining of the gut than anywhere else in the body. When the GI tract is not healthy then we are not healthy overall. We know that the gut flora is very important to be balanced. Proper probiotic intake is very beneficial. Proper intake and assimilation of nutrients are also essential. In order for this to occur, the gut brain connection needs to be in good work- ing order. When it is not, it often results in faulty valve and peristaltic function. Inflammation of the gut lining can lead to "leaky gut syndrome," resulting in poor assimilation of nutrients as well as pain. A common source of GI dysfunction that is often not talked about is autonomic nervous system dysfunction. This system is composed of the sympa- thetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches. When there is dysfunction of this system, it can lead to pain and gut disturbances. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is commonly the result of this, as are leaky gut syndrome, constipa- tion, diarrhea, excess gas, distention, and cramping pain. At Trilogy Medical we commonly see patients with these conditions, which can often be cured with the use of Consti- tutional Homeopathic Med- icine along with proper nutrition. When carefully prescribed homeopathic medicines are properly used, the autonomic nervous system comes into balance. This will often rapidly resolve abdominal pain, cramping, distention, constipation and diarrhea, even after many years of suffering. Vom- iting syndromes can also be resolved in infants, children and adults. A constitutional ho- meopathic medicine is commonly derived from plant or mineral extract and diluted to deliver a signaling effect on the nervous system and organs. These remedies come in both chewable and liquid forms, which can get into the autonomic nervous system efficiently and repair the dysfunc- tion. They are usually taken for between 2-6 months to resolve most GI dysfunction. On our YouTube chan- nel, trilogytalks.net, you can view two of our re- cent patients who suffered with leaky gut and bowel dysfunction and see how they rapidly responded to treatment. It is very rewarding to be able to return a patient's gut dys- function back to healthy even after many years of pain and disturbance. While the gut returns to healthy function, there is a simultaneous positive response to the general nervous system. Anxiety, fatigue, brain fogginess, irritability and depression can improve greatly. Although a healthy diet is always a good idea to follow, correct- ing the nervous system of the GI tract can lead to profound and lasting improvement in overall health. Constitutional Homeopathic Medicine often gets overlooked as a viable option for these conditions, however we find it to be consistently effective in long term and often permanent cures of IBS, chronic constipation or diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue and depression. Cyclical vomiting in chil- dren and infants can often respond well to treatment. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease can also respond well to homeo- pathic care. Medications currently taken can be carefully tapered once the homeopathic treatment becomes successful. I recall a simple case of a young woman who came to us for chronic constipa- tion that she feared would cause her embarrassment on her upcoming wedding and honeymoon. She would often spend 45 minutes in the bathroom with the issue. After just 4 weeks after homeopathic care she was able to have a normal stool within 10 minutes in the bathroom. She was able to go on her honeymoon without worry or stress. She was very thankful about her rapid success. Early in my career, I treated a woman with ulcerative colitis, which she had suffered with for decades. Within 6 weeks of a well-chosen homeopathic medicine, her intestinal bleeding stopped and has not returned in the past 25 years. Call it remission or call it a cure, but either way, homeopathy has been life-changing for this woman, as it has been for many others. If your symptoms are severe or long-standing, we may suggest more in-depth testing than what your standard primary care doctor or even GI specialist has ordered for you. Our physician assistant and licensed acupuncturist Amber Weiss may also order one or more functional medicine tests to help figure out the root cause of your symptoms. Many digestive issues also respond well to acupunc- ture. Our commitment is to practicing medicine that works. At Trilogy Medical, we hope that people who suf- fer from these ailments find us sooner than later in their pursuit of good health and well-being. Please visit our website at trilogymedical. net for more information or reach out to our friendly staff at (831) 600-8117 to discuss possibilities for your situation and health pursuits. By Dr. Jeff Lester, DO Physician & Director - Trilogy Medical, Inc