Tag: ageing

Ringing in your ears? Get some sound advice for tinnitus

Loud speakerThe last time I heard Motörhead play my ears were ringing for two days. Known for their 1980 hit ‘Ace Of Spades’, the three-piece metal band say they are ‘The World’s Loudest Band’ and their concerts have been recorded at 130 decibels – louder than a military jet at 100 feet. I was lucky that the ringing in my ears gradually faded, but for tinnitus sufferers the ringing never stops.

Described as hearing a sound when there is no sound, tinnitus affects people of all ages and walks of life. Statistics say that one in seven people experience tinnitus, and it can be experienced as high-pitched ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling or even a humming sound. Most of us will experience tinnitus from time to time after a loud bang but it becomes a problem when it doesn’t stop. If you hear tinnitus after listening to music or being near noisy machinery, it’s the body’s way of telling you that your ears can’t cope and are being damaged. When tinnitus persists it is notorious for keeping people awake at night and can interfere with work and cause depression. Read more

It’s official: you’re only as old as you feel (and look)

Forever Young by Roberto Ventre on Flickr“You are only as old as you feel,” or so the saying goes. This adage is great for cheering yourself up when the grey hairs start to take root, but science has recently revealed that the time-honoured expression is alive and kicking – the younger you feel, the younger you actually are.

Ground-breaking new research has shown what happens when you follow the lives of 1,000 twenty-somethings over a period of ten years. A team of American and New Zealand scientists monitored each volunteer’s ‘biological of age’ over this period, measuring their ‘true age’ through tests for cholesterol, heart and lung health, immune system function and DNA damage (among other things). Incredibly, they found that each person’s body aged at a different rate. Read more

Do old people get more grumpy?

Happy 95th!It is said that during our twenties we spend our time worrying about what other people think . In our thirties, we blame our parents for all our problems. In our forties, we finally realise that no one was really paying us that much attention and all our issues aren’t our parent’s fault after all.

Not so very long ago, a certain Sir Michael rather publically lamented today’s teachers – accusing them of being a group of whinging bums (I paraphrase). One commenter wondered whether it was just his age getting the better of him. She questioned whether there is any research about age-related ‘grumpiness’. In today’s post, you will find out whether there really is any truth to the “grumpy old codger” stereotype – and whether we are all destined to get grumpy as we get old… Read more