Life Hacks For Those Suffering From Hearing Loss

Many people experience varying levels of hearing difficulty, and hearing loss. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 37.5 million American adults over the age of 18 have trouble hearing. However, there are several life hacks you can implement when suffering from problems with your hearing, in addition to following the treatment recommended by your audiologist.

Never wait to schedule a hearing test if you are having difficulties. Life hacks can help you to cope with hearing loss, but they aren’t a long-term strategy for your overall hearing health. When it comes to finding an audiologist in Denver Colorado who can help you live your best life, turn to Sound Relief Hearing Center. Their experienced audiologists perform several types of hearing tests on new patients to determine the type of hearing problems and the extent of the loss in hearing.

Once your audiologist determines which type of hearing difficulty you have, they can recommend treatment such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. The Denver ear associates use the latest techniques and technologies for treating audiological issues such as tinnitus and loss of hearing to help improve your overall hearing health. The best way to cope with hearing loss is to contact an audiology center at the first signs of compromised hearing.

Beyond that, here are a few life hacks, guaranteed to help you cope with any difficulties in your hearing.

Hear With the Correct Ear

A simple yet sensible life hack is to hear with the correct ear. Normally, you’d use both ears for maximum hearing, but with hearing impairments, it matters which ear you use for each situation. Turn your right ear to hear speech better, and turn your left ear to listen to music.

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Pause and Think

It becomes a habit to say “what?” when a loss of hearing impacts your ability to register what someone else is saying. But, you can break that habit by pausing, and taking a moment, before speaking. Your brain is capable of using context clues to fill in any gaps when it has a moment to process. Get into the habit of using your surroundings, contextualizing the conversation, and then filling in the blanks whenever possible, before asking for something to be repeated.

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Sound Masking

Tinnitus patients, who still have significant use of their hearing, use a process called sound masking as a tool to help minimize its effects. Background noise helps drown out the sounds of tinnitus and provide temporary relief from its associated discomfort. Use partial masking to help you focus by keeping the volume of the masking audio, lower than the volume of your tinnitus. Lowering the perceived volume of your tinnitus can help your brain and nervous system stop reacting negatively to sound.

High-Fidelity Ear Plugs

High-fidelity ear plugs are a must to protect your ears in loud environments when living with hearing difficulties. Traditional earplugs absorb and block out as much sound as possible. High-fidelity or musician’s earplugs have special filters that evenly reduce the decibel level of your surroundings. You can still listen to music, engage in conversations, and maintain situational awareness with high-fidelity earplugs at a lower volume.

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Put Your Back Against the Wall

An interesting yet practical life hack for those with hearing issues is to sit with your back against a wall. This is helpful when having a conversation, especially if you are in a crowded or loud space. The wall will prevent ambient noise from behind you and bounce back sound waves instead of letting them dissipate.

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Enter your email address when you shop women’s clothing online to receive additional coupons on final sale items and enjoy free shipping in the U.S. When you look, you feel good, even with hearing loss.

Try these life hacks if you are suffering from hearing loss and see how they can help you get through the day, better.

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How Changing Your Surroundings and Talking to Others Can Relieve Teen Anxiety

We all know that it’s tough being a teenager. You’re faced with many life transitions, feelings, and emotions. On top of these overwhelming feelings, young adults usually begin struggling with mental health around this same time-frame, too. Research shows that 50% of all mental illnesses occur by the age of fourteen. With this revealing statistic in mind, it’s worthwhile to consider that your teen is experiencing symptoms like withdrawal, frequent mood changes, sleep changes, and excessive nervousness. This way, you can get the correct treatment options for them, to help alleviate some of those overwhelming feelings and enhance their quality of life. Here are a few of those effective options to consider to relieve teen anxiety.

Change of Scenery

One thing to remember is that your teen is experiencing the same emotions that you feel if you have anxiety. One incredible tool to utilize for handling anxiety for teens is to simply get a change of scenery. Though this won’t help as a recurring treatment plan, a mini-trip can do wonders for relaxation. With the current pandemic, it’s never felt more overwhelming to be at home for long periods of time. Teens, in particular, are forced into online schooling that leaves them staring at a screen for hours. That’s why a drive to the forest preserve for a walk, heading to a lake or beach, or a bike ride can be incorporated into their lives to promote healthy coping and relaxation. Overall, seeing new places is a great way to broaden your perception of how much beauty is out there in the world, and you can be sure your teen will see that too.

Newfound Spirituality

Another way to manage anxiety is to rely on a higher power. Obviously, you want to show compassion and practice empathy as if you were your teen. If your family is spiritual or religious, it’s worth having a conversation with them about heading to vacation bible school, or VBS. These vacation bible school programs are interactive ways to explore God’s word and the Bible story. Relying on spirituality and leaning on God’s word to help a teen manage worries and anxieties is a powerful tool to have.

If you’ve ever searched for vacation bible school before, there are many options. To find the best VBS for your teen, look online to view different options that will work best for you. It’s a great idea to let your teen choose which VBS program they’re interested in so that they’re an integral part of the decision making process.

Talk Therapy

Arguably, one of the best ways to relieve anxiety is to reach out to mental health professionals. There’s a reason why there are professionals like therapists, counselors, and psychologists out there. They’re there to help you and your teen handle all that life throws at them. If you’re looking for therapists in Northern Virginia, The Ross Center is an incredible resource for your struggling teen. With help from their qualified staff, your teen can receive cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. This is a form of talk therapy that will assist your teen in recognizing their patterns that may lead to further feelings of anxiety, poor self-esteem, or other unwanted feelings.

If your family has a medical history of anxiety disorders, it’s important that you get your teen help from mental health professionals who can accurately assess your family member and perform the necessary psychological evaluations. This way, your teen can experience a better quality of life, get the medication they may need, and understand that talking about their anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. This is especially the case when studies report that nearly 40 million people in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder. So when your teen feels like they’re alone in this struggle, remind them that they’re one of many. They aren’t different for feeling this way. Always remain empathetic towards them and make sure that they have the coping tools they need so that they can talk about their anxiety disorder. This is an important part of overcoming it.

Natural Pet Products That Your Pooch Will Love

Living a green, eco-friendly life has become easier than ever over the last decade. There are so many natural products on today’s market for people that it makes total sense for it to spill into other aspects of life, such as our pets. After all, if you’re trying to lessen your carbon footprint, or eat a healthier diet, you should expand those goals to your pooch as well! You can pamper your pup with natural pet products they’ll love, and you’ll rest easy knowing exactly what your dog is consuming.

Here are some natural products that your furry friend will enjoy.

CBD Oil

It may sound weird, but CBD products really are great for pets! CBD is all the craze right now, boasting things like anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory relief. There’s still plenty of research to be done on the hemp plant, cannabinoids, and how all of it can benefit us. That being said, CBD oil has shown promise in helping ease anxiety, inflammation, arthritis, and even seizures in humans, and research has shown it may help canines too.

It’s best to know where the CBD oil came from, so be sure to get the best organic CBD oil for dogs. SeraLabs makes CBD oil specifically for dog owners, and the oil is tested by a third-party lab. Before you give any to your dog, consult your vet. They’ll be able to recommend the correct dosage. Remember that a 50lb dog will have a different experience than a 25lb dog, so checking in with your vet about dosage is very important.

Eco-friendly Dog Beds

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Which dog out there doesn’t love their own space and bed? Treat your four-legged companion to a comfy, sustainable, and natural dog bed. Skip the regular synthetic blend bed, and get a bed made from recycled materials. There are lots of companies out there that are making eco-friendly dog beds. While dog beds can take up a lot of space, it’s beneficial to a dog to have a safe space they can go to. If you need some extra space storage in San Diego, consider a storage unit. You can keep your belongings safe, and give your pooch their own extra space.

Natural dog treats

If you care about what foods you eat, then you should definitely care about the foods your dog eats. Common dog treats that can be found at department stores can often contain ingredients that are harmful to dogs. So back away from the bleached rawhide treats, and pick something a little more natural like a chew. Chews are a natural way to reduce tartar and plaque build-up on your dog’s teeth.

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Shampoo

Without sounding too dramatic, the shampoo you use on your dog can seriously impact their life. Many common shampoos on the market contain chemicals that can dry out your pup’s skin which can lead to scratching and itching. You can avoid the problem altogether by finding a shampoo that hydrates and protects the skin instead. Read the label with care and avoid any products that may contain alcohol.

Flea Medicines

Fleas are nasty little bugs that can be hard to get rid of once they’ve infested. Most people are set in their ways because of a bad experience with fleas. If you want to avoid harmful pesticides, there are more natural ways to exterminate these pests. There are flea remedies that can be sprinkled on carpets, couches, and pet beds that are safe for your dogs to be around. You can also find natural topical treatments that contain natural ingredients and are safer for your pets.

There are many benefits to providing your pooch with natural products, but the best one of all is peace of mind knowing that you’re giving your pet the healthiest life.

Common House Plants that are Safe and Unsafe for Your Furry Friend

As pet owners, you know how important your furry friends are to you. When they are sick, you are sick. When they nap, you want to nap, too. Your pet is such an important part of your life, that many of your life decisions involve your pet’s safety and comfort, including your decision to become a plant parent. There are plenty of houseplants that are pet-safe, but there are also houseplants that can really hurt your pet and can even be harmful to small children. It’s really important to be aware of these types of things as both current and future pet owners. You certainly want to provide the safest, most comfortable environment for your pet.

If you don’t intend on owning any pets for one reason or another, then this isn’t a concern to you. After all, while living room foliage like pothos plants have high toxicity to cats and dogs, they are safe for humans because vines aren’t generally considered to be a tasty snack.

For Pet Parents

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Of course, this is not a list of every single indoor plant which is pet safe, just a few trendy plants that will look good in your home without harming your pet. A money plant is a popular choice of the indoor plant which requires medium to bright indirect light and does not need to be watered often. Christmas cactuses are another type of houseplant which is pet safe and requires little work. This plant is low maintenance, likes medium light, and does not need to be watered often. As a bonus, this plant flowers during the holiday season! One more option which is both a popular houseplant and perfect for indoors is a Parlour Palm, which prefers humidity and bright indirect light but can also tolerate drier, low light conditions, making it another low-maintenance plant.

For Pet-Free Households

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Having a pet does set some limits on the types of trendy plants you can have in your home. Varieties of the pothos plant, (or to use its common name: devil’s ivy,) are extremely harmful to cats and dogs, but for a pet-free home so you can take your pick or have them all. The joy of having pothos in your home is that they can survive without much light and don’t need to be watered often; about once a week. While all pothos has green leaves, there’s a variety of looks produced by the different types. The most commonly seen and most popular pothos is the golden pothos, which is a beautiful tropical vine whose leaves are a lovely blend of green and gold marble. Another pothos with a similar look to the golden pothos but a different variety is the marble queen pothos. The marble queen pothos is a hardy vine whose waxy leaves are a gorgeous variation of dark green and silvery-white as opposed to gold. The jade pothos is a variety of the marble queen. But instead of the marbled colors, the jade pothos has dark green leaves with cream, white, and gray streaks. This is not to be confused with the heartleaf philodendron, which is of a different variety altogether. The golden pothos, as well as the other varieties, look beautiful hanging in baskets and growing as long vines on a trellis. Some pests that might infect your pothos include mealybugs and scale, but these can be taken care of by wiping the leaves down with a cotton swab dipped in 70% alcohol, or by applying insecticidal soap.

Please note: this article lists a few of the most common house plants that are safe and unsafe for your furry friend. For a comprehensive list of safe and harmful plants and studies on house plant safety, please refer to the ASPCA site. This is ideal for passionate plant owners with a larger variety of unusual plants in their home.

Natural And Pet-Safe

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If your pet suffers from joint pain, epileptic seizures, and other forms of chronic pain, then CBD oil and other CBD products might be a viable option for your pet. Derived from a hemp plant, this medicine is quickly becoming the gold standard for veterinary medicine. ABSC Organics has released its ABSC Pure Organic CBD Oil, the only product for pets to undergo multiple clinical trials at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, a veterinary institution at the forefront of veterinary research in the US, as well as other veterinary research institutions. This CBD oil is derived from a specific strain of hemp plant with a distinct set of active ingredients. ABSC Pure Organic CBD Oil was developed alongside some leading experts on the medical use of hemp-hybrid oil extract in veterinarian science in the US. Clinical trials showed that CBD delivered orally is considered safe and highly tolerated by pets, with a significant reduction of pain levels in arthritic dogs, and an 89% reduction in seizure frequency.

If your pet is suffering from epilepsy, arthritis, inflammation, then ABSC CBD Oil and other ABSC organics products might be a viable natural option to treat illness in your pet.

Love Your Pooch, But Hate the Poop? 4 Ways to Deal With Pet Waste

As a dog owner, you know the ins and outs of owning your pup. You love your dog more than anything, but there are definitely somethings that you could live without. One of these things is your pet’s waste.

If we’re being honest, the clean up of your dog no matter the bodily fluid isn’t exactly one of the perks to owning your pet. Luckily, there are services and ideas to consider that can help. Keep reading to explore four different ways to deal with pet waste.

1. Hire scoopers.

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Arguably the best way to deal with pet waste is by hiring a pet waste removal service. This way, your arent even subjected to having to clean up after your pup. The last thing you want to do on your weekend off from work is to pick up your dog’s poop outside.

Instead of having to do this dirty work, you can hire professionals to remove the fecal matter for you. If you’re near the area, do a quick Google search for pet waste removal North Aurora Illinois. You’ll likely see services from Scoop Troop. They ensure your front and backyard is free of any dog poop so you can spend time over the weekends bonding with your pup instead of picking up their messes.

2. Consider other disposal options.

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If you’re not partial to picking up your dog’s poop or having someone do it for you, you have other options. One of these less commonly known options is flushing your dog’s waste. Yes, you read that right.

Many owners put their pet’s waste in a water-soluble, flushable bag and put it down their own toilet. However, you need to make sure this coincides with local laws and that your septic tank can handle it to prevent sewage backup.

Another alternative is to bury your dog’s poop. With this option, you have to be mindful of nearby water sources as to not contaminate them. No matter which pet waste pickup option you chose, pet waste needs to be disposed of properly because it can spread harmful bacterias that cause illnesses.

3. Keep the interior clean.

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You might be surprised to hear that animal waste is considered a biohazard. For example, if you move into a home with possible animal waste contaminants in the basement, you need to hire professional biohazard cleanup crews. To get safe protection from harmful residues, pathogenic substances, and biological contaminants, you’ll need to hire a cleanup company for biological cleanup in your home.

Qualified trained professionals will remove the hazardous materials and contaminants so that you can feel safe under protocols as a property owner. This animal waste could be from the previous owner’s pets, or it could be from rodents or other animals whose fecal matter is full of harmful viruses and microorganisms.

The same cleanup principle applies if your dog is the one who is causing excessive in-home waste or contamination. Along with pet waste, they also offer cleanup services for the basement like mold cleanup from water and possible chemical contaminants. Overall, it’s critically important to hire professionals for this sort of biohazard cleanup in the home so that you can have peace of mind that your cleanup process aligns with health regulations too.

4. Purchase eco-friendly cleanup tools.

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When cleaning up after your pet becomes a chore, you can at the least, change the choices you make during your pickup. One thing to consider is how disposing of dog feces is not environmentally friendly. That’s exactly why you need to purchase these biodegradable dog waste bags. They’re much better than traditional plastic bags because they’re convenient and eco-conscious. However, you have to be careful with which brand of a doggie bag that you choose. Many of these bags tout being biodegradable, but there are some that outperform others.

All in all, your pet means the world to you. So when it comes time to clean up their messes, you’ll do what you have to. And, there’s an option out there for everyone. Whether you want to hire trained professionals for dog poop pick up, hire a biohazard company for the inside of your home, try out different waste cleanup ideas, you can get peace of mind as you care for your pet in whatever way works best for you.