Brock Skywalker

Audiological adventures · 5 February 07

Audiogram (hearing test)

The objective of a hearing test is to measure your threshold for hearing tones and speech. During the hearing test, the Audiologist will use headphones that most often look like something you would find in an old German u-boat.

When the test starts, you will be instructed to respond each time you hear a soft tone presented in either ear. In addition, you may occasionally hear a static noise in the background (masking noise) that should be ignored. The Audiologist will measure your threshold for tones over a range of frequencies (typically, the range is 250 to 8000 Hz – the frequency range necessary to understand speech).

Speech Testing is used to measure the lowest level at which you can repeat two-syllable words and also your ability to understand and repeat single-syllable words presented at a loud volume.

Electronystagmogram (ENG)

The most common audiological test ordered for individuals complaining of dizziness or vertigo. This test records and measures voluntary and involuntary eye movements, specifically nystagmus (the involuntary back and forth jerking movement of the eyes that occurs when the entire balance system is stimulated).

The ENG is comprised of a series of subtests:

• Oculomotor Analysis – patients perform various visual tasks that involve watching a little projected square dart around a wall
• Positional Testing – patients are placed in various body positions to determine if dizziness develops and to see if nystagmus occurs
• Caloric Stimulation – small amounts of both warm and cool water are introduced into each ear canal to independently stimulate the inner ear vestibular system

The patient wear goggles housing special video cameras that track eye movement that is reported to and recorded by a computer.

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)

This test is performed on an individual who is resting quietly. A series of clicks are presented to each ear through special earpieces inserted into the ear canals. The audiologist can vary the intensity of the clicks. The individual wears electrodes on their head which record appropriate brainwave activity. The averaging computer in the ABR unit then analyzes the information and it is compared to normal responses. If the results of the test suggest some degree of hearing loss, you may be referred for further testing.

Electrocochleography (ECoG)

This test is an objective measure of the electrical potentials generated in the inner ear as a result of sound stimulation. This test is most often used to determine if the inner ear (cochlea) has an excessive amount of fluid pressure which can cause symptoms such as hearing loss, aural fullness, dizziness, and/or tinnitus.

A patient undergoing an Ecochg test will have several surface electrodes placed on their head. A tiny microphone and an earphone will then be inserted into the canal of the test ear. The patient will be instructed to relax while they listen to a clicking sound. No response from the patient is required for this test.

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In the loo? · 10 January 07

According to a new survey commissioned by Staples Inc., nearly one in five small business managers read work related email (and other documents) while in the bathroom, and 49 percent say they work while driving.

This isn’t REALLY necessary… is it?

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The Daily Nap · 10 January 07

The Pathumwan district office in central Bangkok recently set up a lunchtime “nap room” that features soft music, sweet-smelling flowers, soft lighting and strict rules surrounding mobile phones and talking.

Surakiet Limcharoen, the district’s top official who started the program, in a brave/honest moment said “I’ve been taking naps at lunchtime for a long time, and decided to introduce the project to my staff in November.”

The Bangkok Post’s Monday edition showed a picture of a wood-paneled room with civil servants seated around a conference table. Everybody in the room has their heads down on desks and the blinds drawn.

Now that is progress! Are you listening Alberta employers?

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Listen up sickies! · 3 January 07

There are a lot of sick people at work these last few days and I just want to share some info with all you sickies:

Presenteeism (the act of showing up at work or school, even though you probably should be at home getting over whatever it is that ails you) costs the American economy up to $150 billion US a year, as ill workers perform well below their usual levels while they pass on their ailments to their co-workers.

Respiratory infections (such as colds and flu) are responsible for 21% of the presenteeism costs, not including the added costs of potentially infecting others.

Being on the job but not functioning to the best of your ability can cut your productivity by a third or more – and can actually cost an employer much more than absenteeism.

So, what symptoms should keep you at home?

• Fever of any kind
• Achy joints
• Persistent cough accompanied by green mucus buildup and a runny nose
• Severe sore throat
• Vomiting
• Eyes are bright red and have a discharge

What symptoms are normally OK to go to work with?

• Sniffling but no fever
• Throat tickles or postnasal drip
• Ear aches
• Sinus infection
• Dry cough with little or no mucus

Oh yeah! Contrary to common belief, stomach and intestinal complaints are not a feature of the flu. The flu is a respiratory illness and the lungs are the major site of symptoms. If you are nauseated and vomiting, it’s far more likely you have food poisoning or gastroenteritis. As for the term “stomach flu,” well… there’s no such thing.

79% of Canadians surveyed reported going to work sick at some point in the past year… don’t be one of them.

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Stressed? · 14 December 06

Some forms of cardiac disease are easily missed when the patient is at rest, because at rest the patient’s physical examination and ECG are often entirely normal. In these cases, cardiac abnormalities may become apparent only when the heart is asked to perform at increased workloads.

During a stress test the patient is attached to an ECG machine, and a blood pressure cuff is placed on one arm. After a baseline ECG is obtained, the patient begins to perform a low level of exercise by walking on a treadmill. The exercise is “graded” (every three minutes the level of exercise is increased). At each “stage” of exercise, the pulse, blood pressure and ECG are recorded, along with any symptoms the patient may be experiencing.

With a “maximal” stress test (the kind I had), the level of exercise is gradually increased until the patient cannot keep up any longer because of fatigue, or until symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness) prevent further exercise, or until changes on the ECG indicate a cardiac problem (the Cardiologist stopped my test at 5.5 mph, an elevation grade of 16% and a heart rate of 167 bpm, after 13 minutes. A new record for that lab, I was told!).

After the test, the patient remains monitored until any symptoms disappear, and until the pulse, blood pressure and ECG return to baseline. Then a towel is applied to sop up the sweat and the patient is sent home… or back to work, as the case may be.

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I <s>heart</s> Nintendo · 23 November 06

There is a rumor going around that the infrared Wiimote interferes with pacemakers. Apparently signs were posted at the Nintendo World event in Japan that warned folks with pacemakers to stay back. I have googled my ass off and have not been able to confirm this rumor further than with this (crappy) photo of a warning from the Nintendo Wii packaging. It seems to read “Do not operate the Wii console or remote within 9 inches of a pacemaker.” 9 inches… that’s only 22.86 centimeters! That would make it rather difficult to play! I guess this is one more good reason to stay healthy and not need a pacemaker!

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Whoa... head rush! · 14 November 06

Orthostatic Hypotension (also known as postural hypotension and colloquially as head rush) describes an extreme drop in blood pressure that may occur when a person stands up suddenly and the blood pools in the blood vessels of the legs. Because of this pooling, the amount of blood carried back to the heart by the veins is decreased. Subsequently, less blood is pumped out from the heart, resulting in a sudden drop in blood pressure. By definition, the drop in blood pressure must be greater than 20 mm of mercury during contraction of the heart muscles (systole) and more than 10 mm of mercury during expansion of the heart muscles (diastole).

Normally, specialized cells in the body (baroreceptors) quickly respond to changes in blood pressure. These baroreceptors then activate the autonomic nervous system to increase, via reflex action, levels of catecholamines (e.g. epinephrine, norepinephrine) in the body. Increased catecholamine levels rapidly restore the blood pressure. A defect in this spontaneous response (reflex), prevents the heart rate and blood pressure from rising adequately and orthostatic hypotension results. Fainting and falling are the usual consequences.

Symptoms, which generally occur after sudden standing, include dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, blurred or dimmed vision (possibly to the point of momentary blindness), and syncope (temporary loss of consciousness).

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Less tired & less fat! · 25 July 06

“Caloric consumption in a society with readily available food is likely to be approximately proportional to the number of hours of being awake,” said Michael Sivak, head of the Human Factors Division at the U-M Transportation Research Institute in a new article appearing in the current issue of Obesity Reviews. “By replacing one hour of being awake with sleeping, we forgo a significant consumption of food because of the resulting reduction in the opportunity to eat.”

Sivak says that a person who sleeps seven hours a night and consumes 2,500 calories during the remaining 17 hours of the day can cut 147 calories by simply sleeping an extra hour instead of watching TV. He calculated that such a decrease in caloric intake would result in a body-weight reduction of about 14 pounds per year.

“Recent research has suggested that the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin mediate an association between lack of sleep and weight gain. But this may turn out to be only part of the story,” he said. “The behavioral, non-hormonal relationship between sleep and weight is another possible connection.

“To the extent that a large proportion of the population is both overweight and voluntarily sleep-deprived, replacing some sedentary activity with sleeping might offer a practical behavioral solution for a large segment of the overweight population.”

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Counting the kilojoules · 17 July 06

The foods we eat provide energy which is measured in kilojoules. Just how much energy (kJ) depends on the amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat the food contains. Fats and alcohol are by far the most energy-dense foods. This is why they should only be consumed in moderation, particularly if you are overweight or obese.

Starbucks White Hot Chocolate Energy: 3006kJ Fat: 31g

McDonald’s Big Mac Energy: 2196kJ Fat: 28g

An average male may have a Basal Metabolic Rate (the amount of energy your body needs to maintain itself) of around 7,100kJ per day, while an average female may have a BMR of around 5,900kJ per day.

When we regularly eat more energy than our body needs, the excess is stored inside fat cells. Just 1kg of body fat contains the equivalent of 37,000kJ. To lose 1kg of body fat in a week, you would need to burn an additional 37,000kJ, or around 5,000kJ a day.

 [ File under: Health & News ]

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I've got a deal 4 u! · 27 April 06

Anyone who buys a CD from me via PayPal between today and May 4^th will actually be donating money to the Canadian Cancer Society when I have my head shaved for cancer on May 5^th. I will make a $15 donation (in your name) AND mail you a copy of my album Cerebral Re-runs. What a deal I tell you!

Best of all you will get an official tax receipt from the CCS for your donation and you get the satisfaction of seeing me with a bald head! How can you go wrong? Click on the ‘Buy Now’ button… now!

• 2 of the $17 you will be charged will go to CD shipping costs

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