A head-to-toe check-in for the fall

0:00You're listening to Life Kit from NPR. Hey, it's Marielle. A lot of us treat our bodies like they're our employees. You know, they work for us. And when they don't work for us, we get mad. We say mean things about them. We're frustrated. We're disappointed. The way I see it, though, our bodies don't work for us. They work with us. And if we want to give them the best chance of doing that, we have to take care of them, to give them regular attention so they can support us. Now, I need to do a quick plug here for going to the doctor. Make sure you're getting your annual physicals and checking in with your healthcare providers as needed because, as we know, a podcast is not the same as professional medical advice.

0:46But beyond that, we want to help you take care of your bodies. So on this episode, Life Kit reporter Andy Tegel has put together some of our favorite health tips from head to toe. We've got advice from an audiologist, an ophthalmologist, a dermatologist, and more. That's after the break.

1:06All right, first up on our tour through the body, magic school bus style, shout out to all my fellow millennials who will forever adore Miss Frizzle, our ears. Feels appropriate since you're listening to a podcast right now. How's the volume on this episode, by the way? Is my voice coming through loud and clear? Good. So you can listen closely to our first reminder for hearing health. Learn the signs of noise-induced hearing loss and don't forget to protect your ears, especially when you know you'll be around loud noises for a long time. Now, when you think about hearing loss, you might assume it's an older person's problem.

1:43But with the advent of personal audio devices, perhaps like the one you're listening to right now, over 1 billion young people aged 12 to 35 are at risk of hearing loss due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud sounds at dangerous levels. This is according to a 2019 report from the World Health Organization. And the WHO projects nearly 2.5 billion people will have at least some degree of hearing loss by the year 2050. So how do you know if you're at risk for noise-induced hearing loss and what can you do about it? Well, it sounds different for everyone, but it often happens gradually. And there are a few common symptoms to be on the lookout for.

2:27When we have hearing loss, that becomes harder to filter out the speech from the noise, or I should put it as the sound source that we want to hear versus the sounds that we don't want to hear. This is Ariella Naim, Senior Audiologist at AudioHelp Hearing Center in New York City, Talking here in her office to LifeKit producer Margaret Serino, who originally reported on this topic. She says hearing loss is a result of damage either over time or from one big sudden noise to these teeny tiny hair cells in our ears that help convert sound frequencies into electrical signals. They won't transmit that sound as well to the brain because at the end of the day, it's all about our brain hearing and our brain processing what's going on.

3:10So noise-induced hearing loss isn't just about your ability to hear external sounds. It's also about your brain's ability to interpret them. For example, have you ever walked out of a concert and turned to talk to a friend, but you can't quite understand what they're saying? That muffled feeling is one sign to watch out for. Other signs? If you have trouble following a conversation in noisy places. or if you struggle with or have hypersensitivity to particular sounds or tones of voice. But one of the most common symptoms to pay attention to is tinnitus. And yes, that is the correct pronunciation.

3:50It's usually defined by a ringing or buzzing in the ears. Or like the static on the TV or radio turned all the way up. And the number one cause of tinnitus is hearing loss. If any of this feels familiar, it's a good idea to get your hearing tested and establish what your baseline level of hearing is. You can talk to your primary care doctor about a referral for a full audiological exam or try a free test online. Hearingnumber.org or hearing.org are two good places to start. Now, the best way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss, no big shocker here, is to protect your ears. But what might surprise you is how often they need protecting.

4:29The rule of thumb is that when you're listening to a sound at what's considered 85 decibels, you are safe. Some examples of 85 decibels of sound? City traffic, a vacuum cleaner, a garbage disposal. So a fair amount of noise, but eight hours of exposure at 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss. And then when you increase that sound by five decibels, you have to cut the time in half. And let's note recommendations vary here. Like the CDC's number is three decibels, not five. And our everyday world is loud. An approaching subway train, roughly 100 decibels. The music and sounds of a nightclub or bar, around 110 decibels.

5:11That level can actually damage your hearing in less than five minutes. Basically, it's like one big exponential curve where the louder the noise, the less time you can listen to it unprotected. Earplugs can help minimize that risk. Although, depending on the type, they likely won't block out everything you hear. They're usually just a good tool to take everything down a notch. In fact, if you love music and you want to preserve how it sounds, you can even get filtered plugs that can maintain that natural resonance of sound and music. And while over-the-ear muffs are better, those foam ear plugs are still much better than nothing.

5:46You know, the kind that they give out on airplanes. Just make sure you put them in properly. You roll them really thin into a small, small cylinder, pull your ear back and up, and then push them in nice and deep and let them expand. Besides earplugs, the other thing to watch is your phone volume. There's actually no official guidance on how loud is too loud, but here's Arielle's rule. As long as you play your music or podcast, audiobook, anything like that, at 60 % of the volume bar or less, you would be safe. Which should still be plenty loud enough to enjoy this sweet outro music as we move into our next section, the eyes.

6:25To start, if you're over 18, a comprehensive eye exam is recommended every two years. If you're in between visits and find your peepers give you trouble from time to time in our screen-laden land, our top tip for eye health when dealing with digital eye strain, aim for less screens, more sky, and don't forget to blink. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about what affects the quality of your vision. One big example, blue light. This is a super hot topic in the eye world. Like maybe you're one of the many, many people who went out and got a pair of blue light glasses to protect your eyes in the beginning of the pandemic.

7:02Here's the thing. There have been absolutely no studies that have demonstrated any kind of negative effect of blue light on your retina, on your cataracts, on your macula. I think people get a little confused with ultraviolet light and blue lights from that perspective. But what blue light does is it affects your melatonin. It affects your circadian rhythms. This is Dr. Rupa Wong. She's an ophthalmologist and assistant clinical professor at the University of Hawaii John Burns School of Medicine. And it's true. While research is still ongoing about the potential long-term negative effects of blue light, Rupa and the American Academy of Ophthalmology say as things stand, blue light isn't really the bad guy people often make it out to be.

7:43Sure, if you have a computer screen right next to your bed, it might mess with your sleep in the same way any other bright light would. But the real reason for your screen-induced eye fatigue is likely much simpler. So digital eye strain, really it comes down to the fact that when we are on devices, whether it be a computer or a phone or a tablet, we tend not to blink as much. And we are focusing up close for many hours at a time. Yep, blinking. See, when you don't blink, your eyes get drier. Might not sound like a big deal, but... The amazing thing is that your tear film is responsible for a good part of the clarity of your vision.

8:23When you have dry eyes, the vision becomes blurry. People don't come in saying, I have dry eyes. They come in oftentimes saying, my eyes hurt or my vision is blurred. There are a lot of different medical problems that can be associated with severe dry eye syndrome. Some quick fixes. You could keep artificial tears handy. Not eye drops, there is a difference. You could start or end the day with a few minutes of warm compresses over your eyes to moisturize the oil glands on your eyelids. But if nothing else, try to regularly practice the 20-20-20 rule. That is, for every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20-second break and look 20 feet away.

9:03And that doesn't have to be 20 feet exactly, mind you. It just means look at something off in the distance. Because when your eyes are looking farther away, they're more relaxed. And that's important. Because some of the things that can actually affect your prescription aren't always in our control. Some conditions, like cataracts, are age-related. Others can be related to diabetes or high blood pressure. But there is one factor we do have some power over. Near work is associated with becoming nearsighted. Near work is what it sounds like. Any work that you focus on up close, like within arm's reach.

9:37So almost all screen time would apply, but also reading, drawing, sewing. And studies have shown that increased and continuous time spent on near work is linked to increased risk of nearsightedness. Luckily, the fix is as simple as you think it might be. Being outside is so crucial, especially in my younger patient population. Recent research suggests regular outside time for kids, like up to two hours a day, may help slow or even prevent nearsightedness. That might be because when you're outside looking at nature, you're spending less time looking at things so close up and thus letting your eyes rest.

10:15Or maybe because sunlight slows eye growth. That could help eyes from unnaturally elongating, which is a cause of nearsightedness. So get out in the sunshine and go look at some trees, will ya? Ophthalmologist orders. Up next, a quick break, then back to checking in with our bodies.

10:39Alright, now that you've gotten a big dose of sunshine, let's quickly check in on that great big nature-induced smile on your face before we move into our next section. Here are a few quick dental health reminders to chew on, inspired by our teeth episode. The American Dental Association recommends seeing your dentist regularly for prevention and treatment of oral disease. So if you can't remember the last time you went, it's probably been too long. And it's important to keep those appointments. Oral health is a window to the overall health of your body as the entry point for your digestive and respiratory tracts.

11:14So having poor oral health, like gum disease, can play a part in other conditions, like cardiovascular disease, pneumonia, even pregnancy or birth complications. Finally, for clean teeth, Focus on technique, not just tools. You should replace your toothbrush every three to four months. And yes, a good toothpaste will make your mouth feel clean. But as long as you're doing it right, brushing with just water can be enough. So you want to brush each tooth, slightly sweeping the gum line with your brush at a 45 degree angle for two minutes. Making sure to hit each quadrant of your teeth twice a day.

11:52And floss once a day to keep those pearly whites strong. Okay, now how does that song go? Head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Let's get you walking into this next season feeling fresh and fancy-footed. Our next tip, good footwear is good foot care. And so is going to the foot gym. Okay, now I know a lot of people don't like to look at, talk about, or even think about their feet. Toes and toenails, heel skin, evoke a general sense of ache, perhaps. But let's all take a step back from the aesthetics of feet and just think about their utility. They're a base of support. They can become a spring. They become mobile adapters to uneven terrain, and yet sometimes they have to be rigid for push-off.

12:40So yes, they're really critical structures, and I think they're very highly underappreciated. Irene Davis is a professor of physical therapy and rehab sciences at the University of South Florida. She has spent decades researching the biomechanics of feet and the lower extremities. And she says our feet do so much for us. For starters, they take 5 ,000 steps a day on average. So why wouldn't you do everything you can to take care of them? Like when it comes to footwear, for example. Irene says it's pretty simple. It shouldn't feel better to take your shoes off. I guess it'll always feel a little bit better.

13:17Maybe that's extreme. But you know how people are like, I just can't take my shoes off? that shoe's not a good shoe for you. There are a lot of little assumptions we make about our footwear. For example, when was the last time you got your shoe size checked? Even though, generally, the bones of your feet stop growing longer when you stop growing in height, your shoe size can still change. Famously from pregnancy, but also weight fluctuations, aging, or just general wear and tear. And when it comes to walking or running shoes specifically, it's a good idea to wear a half or even a full size up.

13:48because your feet often swell when you walk or run for long periods of time. General guidance says you want to replace these kinds of shoes every 6 to 12 months or We typically will say 350 to 500 miles. And common errors, of course, are that maybe you both run and walk around in the same pair of shoes. Well, all those miles count. That's Dr. Adam 1040, a professor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. He says it's important to regularly replace your shoes because any padding will slowly wear away from use, friction with the ground, weather. And that shoe will start to put more and more demand on your foot and ankle, which can make you more prone to injury.

14:31Another piece is that we're asking our foot to be supported by this footwear. And so if other aspects of the footwear are wearing out, it affects our biomechanics with walking and with other daily function. For the front of your shoe or your toe box, you need the rule of thumb. As in, you want about a half a thumb to a thumb's width between the end of your longest toe and the top of your shoe. The third part is really the width of the shoe. We don't want to crowd our toes. In fact, you want wiggle room in all directions for all types of shoes, including those super cute but highly impractical six-inch heels.

15:09Yes, you can still wear them and have healthy feet. As long as you're not wearing them all day long, because there's been a lot of studies that have shown that, you know, wearing them all day long ends up causing problems with the Achilles and you get problems with the forefoot. So just be smart. Take breaks, bring backups, and make those show-stopping but toe-numbing after 10 minutes type of shoes the exception, not the rule. Now, arguably even more important than what you put on your feet is how you train them, especially if you're prone to aches and pains. Your feet have lots of muscles. And just like any other part of the body, the stronger they are, the better protected you'll be against future injury.

15:49But for now, we're just dipping our toes in the water of that foot health pool. We've got a whole episode on this topic. Plus an article complete with gifts of foot strengthening exercises to help get you moving. So don't walk, run on over to npr.org slash life kit after this. Because we have to show our feet love. Because they've got to last us a lifetime.

16:14now before i let you go an episode on head-to-toe health just would not feel complete without one last incredibly apropos tip from dermatologist sonia betra she's here to lead us through our last section best practices for bathing and skincare head to toe is the way to go because surprisingly there there are a lot of questions about this like something we all do every day that is when it's time to hop in the bath or shower after a productive day of health maintenance and such, you want to work from top to bottom, front to back. You know, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, then soaping and scrubbing all your bits.

16:48Or at least your most sweat, odor, and bacteria prone places. Working down to your feet. That way, you're not bringing any dirt or debris back up your body. Especially if you're acne prone or breakout prone, I always recommend that you do your shampoo and your conditioner first because any residue from those products you're going to want to make sure isn't left on your back, which can break you out and cause bacne. It might sound super simple, but you'll want to be brilliant in the basics, as they say. That's why our final bit of advice for a healthy body this fall is bathe better. Be it bath or shower, keep them not too hot, not too long, and don't forget to clean your cleaning products.

17:31It might surprise you to know the subject of bathing can get a bit controversial. For example, if you love a long, luxurious soak in the tub, you're probably not going to like what Sonia has to say next. I would say, you know, less than five minutes if you can, maximum 10 on a really long shower day. It's also, you know, obviously not wasting water that way too, because let's face it, we can all get clean in a pretty efficient window of time. Sonia sympathizes with anyone out there like me who loves collecting shower thoughts and slowly turning into a raisin at the end of a hard day. But she says long, hot, steamy showers are really not a good idea, especially as the weather starts to turn.

18:10Every organ in your body has a function, right? Like your heart is designed to pump, your lungs are designed to breathe. And your skin's function as an organ is to be a barrier that keeps the outside world out. And so one of the really critical components of that barrier is the fats in your skin. Immersion and long extended exposures to hot water really dehydrate your skin and break down the barrier. So if you're used to your bathwater steaming and sizzling, turning your skin itchy, splotchy red, it's time to turn the temperature down. You could go for cold water instead. Cold plunges won't dry you out and are awful popular these days for benefits like increasing circulation and reducing inflammation.

18:52But in Sony's opinion, lukewarm water, like somewhere around the range of body temperature, is the best way to take care of your skin so that your skin, in turn, can take care of you. Next up, bath or shower. Washcloth or loofah. There's no scientific hardline on either of these. Although, from an eco-friendly standpoint, the EPA says showers generally save more water. So that's something to consider. When it comes to cleaning tools, Sony prefers options that will be gentler on your skin. But she says whatever you use, just clean them daily. Remember, yeast, bacteria, they love a really warm, moist environment, which is, of course, your shower.

19:32So if you use a loofah, washcloth, or similar, be sure to thoroughly wash and rinse it after every use. Then wring out your tool and leave it somewhere it can dry all the way. That means not just hanging it on the wall of the shower or the head of the bath faucet, where it's likely to get wet again when your partner takes a dip in half an hour. If you're team washcloth, change them out regularly. Sonia throws hers in the wash at least once a week with the rest of her towels. For loofah users, a weekly deep clean by submerging it in boiling water is a good idea to disinfect it. And be on the lookout for any signs of mold with any type of tool, but for loofahs especially.

20:08And in general, even if it's not changing color and it's not smelly, I would say throw it out every two months regardless. Guidance from the Cleveland Clinic suggests an even smaller window of time for safety. You want to discard natural-made loofahs after one month, plastic loofahs after two, or right away if you notice any mold, discoloration, or unsavory odor. Surprising, right? Less for me. And also, potentially pretty wasteful. So, maybe this is the moment for all of us on Team Loofah to consider switching sides. But no matter your preference, don't forget to enjoy a little care and keeping of you.

20:44Brief, though these moments may be, here's to hoping we can all luxuriate in good health in the future. So even if it's that two minutes, I'm sorry it's not 20, but even if it's that two minutes in the shower, just to reconnect with yourself, I'm all in favor of it. And if you follow best practices, even better. All right, let's review. For your ears. Learn the signs of noise-induced hearing loss. Protect your ears any time you're around sounds louder than a vacuum cleaner. and keeps me your plugs close. You never know when you might need them. For eye health, remember 20, 20, 20. For every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20 second break and look 20 feet or so away.

21:26The more you can get your eyes outside, the better. Quick reminder for oral health, it's a window to your health overall. So use the right technique twice daily and don't forget, floss first. Also, good footwear is good foot care. Get resized every so often, replace old walking and running shoes to avoid pain and injury, and make sure the new ones give your tootsies enough room to breathe. We only get one pair of feet. Be good to them. Finally, to treat your whole body well, bathe better. Be it bath or shower, keep them not too hot, not too long, and don't forget to clean your cleaning products.

22:02That was LifeKit reporter Andy Tagle, who also produced this episode. And that's our show. So if you love Life Kit and want even more, follow us on Instagram at NPR Life Kit. There you'll find a wonderful comic about how to deal with intrusive thoughts and another comic that goes into even more depth about bathing. Again, you can find those by following at NPR Life Kit. This episode of Life Kit was edited by Megan Cain. Life Kit's visuals editor is Beck Harlan and our digital editor is Malika Grebe. Megan Cain is our senior supervising editor, and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Claire Marie Schneider, Margaret Serino, and Sylvie Douglas.

22:43Engineering support comes from Jimmy Keeley, with fact-checking by Tyler Jones. I'm Mariel Cigarra. Thanks for listening.