Dear Dr. Roach: I recently had a hip replacement. I听am 84, with hearing loss. My family says my hearing is worse after the operation. My daughter talked with several seniors who experienced the same thing. They think it has to do with the anesthesia. Fact or fiction?
D.W.
Possibly fact. Hearing loss is a known and rare occurrence after surgery, and there are several ways in which it can happen. You mentioned anesthesia: Several anesthetic agents, especially nitrous oxide, can cause temporary hearing loss, but nitrous oxide is not used as often as it once was. Changes in the fluid pressure in the ear also can cause both temporary and permanent hearing loss. Finally, antibiotics given around the time of an operation can cause hearing loss.
听
Dear Dr. Roach: I recently attended a free introductory visit at my local health spa. It鈥檚 an interesting process. There is a circuit with 12 machines and 12听mats for doing cardio. Each exercise is done for 30听seconds, then you move to the next station. The circuit is supposed to be done twice at each session, three times per week. Can this really work to help you lose weight and get fit? Need I say, again, 30 seconds? Really 鈥� your opinion please.
E.Y.M.
There are two questions, and the first is on fitness. There, the answer is a resounding yes. High-intensity interval training has been clearly proven to improve muscle and cardiovascular fitness. If you were to follow the program at the gym, working hard but not overdoing it, you certainly would find that your ability to do the exercises would improve, your stamina would increase, and you鈥檇 likely feel better and have more energy. A 24-minute workout (24 stations of 30听seconds each, done twice) is enough (and a LOT better than no workout at all).
Unfortunately, just doing the exercise will not make you lose much weight. Losing weight comes from better dietary habits, which can help you eat less听food and still feel satisfied. The combination of increased exercise and a little less food, especially less low-quality (鈥渏unk鈥�) food, may help you lose a few pounds.
Losing weight shouldn鈥檛 be the goal, in my opinion. Losing weight and keeping it off is tough to do, but by听exercising regularly and eating well, you can dramatically improve overall health and well-being even without weight loss.
听
Dear Dr. Roach: I have large bubbles in a froth of small bubbles in my urine. Is this normal? I鈥檓 86.
J.P.
Urine normally makes some bubbles, but a large amount of bubbles in the urine could mean abnormal protein in the urine.
In adults, protein in the urine ranges from benign to quite serious, depending on the cause. Nephrotic syndrome 鈥� the name given when protein output is very high, blood protein (albumin) is low and there is swelling (edema) in the body 鈥� is strongly associated with medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus and lupus. There are several kidney diseases that can cause large amounts of protein loss.
Your regular doctor is the right place to start. A simple urine dipstick can show protein in the urine, but a 24-hour collection is the definitive way to measure protein output. A kidney specialist often is consulted when there is unexplained large protein output.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to听[email protected]
