Health & Wellbeing Health & Wellbeing Now hear this ... and step up to good health While we are all generally pretty good at monitoring our heart health and keeping an eye out for changes in our sight and skin, two things that take a pounding throughout our lifetime – our feet and our hearing – are often neglected. Foot care plays an important role in keeping people… well, on their feet. Feet are made up of a complex network of 28 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons all working in unison. Yet although our feet are quite possibly the most hardworking part of our body they are easily overlooked, said podiatrist Mark Osborne of Avalon Podiatry. “Feet are the foundations of our body and need to be treated well to maintain good health,” Mark said. As we age, healthy feet play a vital role in keeping the whole body healthy. “Walking is the best exercise for both your feet and general health – by maintaining good mobility, your leg and foot muscles will be strong, which in turn helps the blood circulating,” Mark said. “When we don’t exercise, our muscles become weak and in the elderly this will lead to a high risk of falls.” The average person will walk more than 128,000km in their lifetime – that’s over three times the circumference of the earth. Little wonder then our feet become prone to problems. In fact a recent survey showed 60 per cent of females and 32 per cent of males over 65 were troubled by foot problems. “Painful and uncomfortable feet are not a natural part of growing old, nor are they something you have to put up with,” Mark said. “Foot pain from bunions, corns and callouses, thickened toenails and heel pain are all common foot complaints treated by a podiatrist. “Painful feet in the elderly causes instability and interferes with the normal foot function and gait and is a common reason that leads to falls.” Mark said when it comes to foot pain, comfortable and appropriate supportive footwear was a good place to start. “Often podiatrists will assess the patient’s feet and recommend treatments like padding, strapping and orthotics to improve foot function, eliminate pain and return the patient to their daily exercise routines,” he said. There is also increasing evidence of the importance of hearing to overall health, especially as people age, says audiologist Emma van Wanrooy from <strong>Pittwater</strong> Hearing. Emma said a recent study from France found those people reporting hearing problems had an increased risk of disability and dementia. “In men, there was also a link between poor hearing and depression; however the same links were not found in those people wearing hearing aids,” Emma said. “This suggests that when hearing loss is treated appropriately, people are more likely to remain socially active.” The incidence of hearing loss increased with age – up to 70 per cent of people over 70 had some degree of hearing loss. Emma, who has worked with adults with acquired hearing loss for two decades, said it was quite typical for someone who developed hearing loss as they aged to delay doing anything about their hearing for 10 years. “However, the new studies linking hearing loss to dementia, mobility and depression provide good reasons why everyone should take action to ensure they hear as well as possible as they get older,” she said. Emma has observed many reasons why it was important not to delay hearing assessments. “A lot of the time people don’t take action about their hearing until they are experiencing multiple health issues, such as memory problems, vision or mobility issues and this can make managing their hearing loss or a hearing aid a lot harder,” she said. “However, if they have worn hearing aids before these other health issues arise, then managing the hearing loss is already second nature to them.” Emma recommends regular hearing assessments because “hearing loss sneaks up on you gradually and often people don’t notice it until communication is significantly affected.” – Lisa Offord 50 APRIL <strong>2018</strong> The Local Voice Since 1991
Health & Wellbeing The Local Voice Since 1991 APRIL <strong>2018</strong> 51
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