Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, April 15, 2017

THE GOOD LIFE

10

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 15, 2017 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

COPING WITH RINGING IN YOUR EARS


Dear Savvy Senior,

Are there any new treatments you know of that can help 
with constant ear ringing syndrome known as tinnitus? I’ve 
had it for years but it’s gotten worse the older I get.

Ringing Louder at 62

Dear Ringing,

Tinnitus is a common condition that affects around 45 
million Americans, but is usually more prevalent in the 
60-and-older age group. Here’s what you should know 
along with some tips and treatments that may help. 

What is Tinnitus? 

Tinnitus (pronounced tin-NIGHT-us or TIN-a-tus) is the 
sensation of hearing a ringing, buzzing, roaring, hissing 
or whistling sound in one or both ears when no external 
sound is present. The sounds, which can vary in pitch and 
loudness, are usually worse when background noise is 
low, so you may be more aware of it at night when you’re 
trying to fall asleep in a quiet room. For most people 
tinnitus is merely annoying, but for many others it can be 
extremely disturbing.

 Tinnitus itself is not a disease, but rather a symptom 
of some other underlying health condition. The best 
way to find out what’s causing your tinnitus is to see 
an audiologist, or an otolaryngologist – a doctor who 
specializes in ear, nose and throat diseases (commonly 
called and ENT). The various things that can cause 
tinnitus are: 

 Age-related and noise-induced hearing loss – this is 
most common cause.

 Middle ear obstructions, which are usually caused by a 
build-up of earwax deep in the ear canal.

 The side effects of many different prescription and 
nonprescription medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, 
certain blood pressure medicines and diuretics, some 
antidepressants, cancer medicines and antibiotics. 

 Various medical conditions such as high blood 
pressure, vascular disease, diabetes, allergies, thyroid 
problems, ear or sinus infections, Meniere’s disease, Lyme 
disease, fibromyalgia, otosclerosis, temporomandibular 
joint (TMJ) disorder, a tumor, an injury to the head or 
neck, traumatic brain injury, depression, stress and more. 

Treating the Causes

While there’s currently no cure for tinnitus there are some 
ways to treat it depending on the cause. For example, if 
your tinnitus is caused by a wax build-up in your ears or a 
medical condition (high blood pressure, thyroid problem, 
etc.), treating the problem may reduce or eliminate the 
noise. Or, if you think a medication you’re taking may 
be causing the problem, switching to a different drug, or 
lowering the dosage may provide some relief. 

Other Treatments

Another treatment option for tinnitus that can help 
suppress or mask the sound so its less bothersome are 
“sound therapies.” These can be as simple as a fan or a 
white noise machine, or something more sophisticated 
like a modified-sound or notched-music device like 
Neuromonics (neuromonics.com) or the Levo System 
(otoharmonics.com) that actually trains your brain not to 
hear the tinnitus. 

 Or, if you have hearing loss, hearing aids can help mask 
your tinnitus by improving your ability to hear actual 
sounds. There are even hearing aids today that come with 
integrated sound generation technology that delivers 
white noise or customized sounds to the patient on an 
ongoing basis. Your audiologist or ENT can help you with 
these options. 

 There are also certain medications that may help. While 
currently there’s no FDA approved drugs specifically 
designed to treat tinnitus, some antianxiety drugs and 
antidepressants have been effective in reliving symptoms. 
Behavioral therapies, counseling and support groups can 
also be helpful. 

 Other things you can do to help quiet the noise is to 
avoid things that can aggravate the problem like salt, 
artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, tonic water, tobacco 
and caffeine. And protect yourself from loud noises by 
wearing earplugs. 

 For more information on tinnitus treatment options, 
visit the American Tinnitus Association at ata.org.

 

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 
5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim 
Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author 
of “The Savvy Senior” book.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …April Birthdays*

Howard Rubin, Hattie Harris, Mary Harley, Bette White, Dorothy White, Doris 
Behrens, Freda Bernard, Beth Copti, Terri Cummings, Marilyn Diaz, Virginia 
Elliott, Elma Flores, Betty Jo Gregg, Barbara Lampman, Betty Mackie, Elizabeth 
Rassmusen, Maria Reyes, Marian DeMars, Anne Schryver, Chrisine Bachwansky, 
Colleen McKernan, Sandy Swanson, Hank Landsberg, Ken Anhalt, Shannon Vandevelde 

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required

...................................................................

ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart 
Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 

 

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10a.m. to 
11a.m. Join instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula. 

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to join. 
May be canceled if less than five people. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11a.m. to 12p.m. No appt. is necessary. 

Brain Games: Thursdays, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m., improve your memory and strengthen your 
brain. Activities facilitated by Senior Volunteers.

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesdays from 10:30a.m. to Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson is 
available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Injury. 
Appointments are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

Senior Club: Meets every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown Bag Lunch at 
11:30a.m. 

Tax Assistance: Every Wednesday beginning on February 1st through April 12th from 1:00p.m. 
to 2:00p.m. - Don Brunner is available for income tax consultation. Appointments are required by 
calling 626-355-7394.

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45a.m. with Paul Hagen. 3rd Monday of each 
month, a variety of balance exercises are practiced. All ability levels are encouraged and welcomed! 

*A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, but is not required.

Case Management: Case Management services are provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in 
a variety of areas. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling the Hart Park House 
Office at 626-355-7394.

Birthday Celebrations: Every 2nd Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House, share some free 
birthday cake provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club.

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00p.m. Come join this group of Seniors in a poker game. 
Other games are offered to all. Please note time change. 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45p.m. to 1:30p.m. with Lisa Brandley. This 
energetic class utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All class materials are provided.

Stress, Resilience, Positivity: Finding Balance - by The Kensington Sierra Madre Four Tuesdays, 
March 7 - 28th from 2:00 - 4:00p.m. Register by calling 213-821-6919 or 213-821-6908. 



SENIOR EXCURSIONS

 APRIL EXCURSION

APRIL EXCURSION - SAVE THE DATE

 Tanaka Farms Strawberry Tour (Irvine)

 Date: Thursday, April 27th

 Time: 9:30a.m. to 2:30p.m.

 Meeting Location: Hart Park House

 Cost: $20.00 (Not including Lunch)

 

Come experience a real working farm in the heart of Orange County. Tour includes a guided wagon 
ride around the 30-acre Farm. Learn about and sample different fruits and vegetables in season. Pick 
and eat fresh, juicy strawberries. You will be given a one-pound container to fill with berries. Things to 
consider:

- Wear comfortable shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

- The farm is not handicapped accessible; and wagon rides on dirt

roads will be bumpy.... and lots of bending to pick berries.

- Bring your sack lunch to eat at the picnic tables.

- Spending money is optional for market shopping.

Level of walking: Medium – High.

Please call the Hart Park House for reservations at 626-355-7394. 


THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR

Tomorrow is Easter, and every year I 
try to share the Gospel in a meaningful 
way. Recently I heard a pastor on the 
radio describe “The Four Spiritual 
Laws” as an approach to evangelism. 
They are: 1) God loves you and offers 
a wonderful plan for your life. 2) Man is sinful and separated 
from God. 3) Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s 
sin. 4) We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior 
and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and 
plan for our lives. 

 These sounded good to me, but the difficulty I have 
with most of the nonbelievers I know is that they don’t 
care whether or not God loves them or has a plan for their 
lives. Most of them are happy, successful, seemingly fulfilled 
individuals with loving families, cute pets, and a nice 401-
K. They see God as an unnecessary addition in their life. 
Jesus encountered this same reaction when He came to earth 
the first time. His message of salvation resonated with the 
sinners and down trodden of society because they knew 
they were messed up. The religious authorities who were 
respected in the community and appeared to have it all put 
together didn’t feel they needed Him in order to have a right 
standing before God.

 I’ve heard of a different set of four points that explain 
the Gospel: 1) “For all have sinned and fall short of the 
glory of God,” 2) “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of 
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” 3) “But God 
demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were 
still sinners, Christ died for us,” 4) “If you confess with your 
mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God 
raised Him from the dead you will be saved” (Romans 3:23, 
6:23, 5:2, 10:9). Obviously, both series of points are saying 
the same thing, but it seems to me that ultimately we need to 
come to an understanding that we need to be saved. God’s 
love doesn’t mean much if you don’t know what He sent His 
Son to save you from. Unfortunately in our post-modern 
society we’ve gotten so far away from this concept that it is 
quite foreign to us. 

 In a nutshell, we are not “good people.” Of course many 
of us are moral, kind, and even selflessly compassionate, but 
we are not good compared to God, and that is the difference 
that matters. I heard this same pastor describe our sinful 
nature in the following way, a bird does not become a bird 
when it starts to fly, nor does a fish become a fish when it 
starts to swim. A bird flies because it is a bird and a fish 
swims because it is a fish. That is its nature. We sin because 
we are sinners. We do not become sinners when we sin, it 
was already hard wired into us. That is a reality many in our 
society do not accept.

 The Bible teaches that we are doomed to judgment due to 
our sin, since any sin, no matter how small, separates us from 
God who is sinless and perfect. God could have just left us 
to our fate, but in His love He got His hands messy for us. 
Christianity is fundamentally different from all other world 
religions. In Christianity, you bring absolutely nothing to the 
table. You can’t earn your salvation or add to it in any way. 
Jesus paid it all, which leaves no room for boasting on anyone’s 
part. Second, in Christianity, God reaches out to humans to 
initiate the relationship. Every other religion teaches that man 
strains toward the divine, but Christianity is the only one that 
teaches that God longs for relationship with us.

 I especially like the way one of my favorite Christian 
authors, Nabeel Qureshi, put it when he was explaining 
God’s coming into the world to a nonbeliever. He asked her 
to imagine that her daughter had fallen into a pit of mud and 
was choking and about to die. He then asked what she would 
do in this situation. She said that of course she would jump 
in the mud and save her. He then proposed that she was on 
her way to a wedding and was dressed in her finest clothes, 
would she still jump in and get dirty? Yes, of course! What 
if she could send someone else into the mud so she wouldn’t 
have to go? No, she would treat her daughter better than 
anyone else would, she would go herself. 

 And that is what God did for us. God in the person of 
Jesus Christ left heaven to come down and “get messy” in our 
world because we were dying and unable to save ourselves. 
The gods in all other world religions are removed from the 
complications of life on earth, but the God of the Bible takes 
an active, personal role in the lives of His children. He did 
not wait until we got ourselves straightened out, until we 
reached enlightenment. Even while we were still fighting 
against Him, God sent Jesus to die in our place. Knowing, 
too, that many would not accept His offer of salvation, He 
still paid the price for their souls.

 That is the message of Easter. God has accomplished for 
us what we could never do on our own. The Bible describes 
faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of 
things not seen.” Our faith in Jesus is not a light, airy feeling 
or hypothesis. It is solid because it is based upon His word, 
which will never pass away. This life on earth is not all there 
is. We will all face death and after that it will be too late to 
change your destiny. The most important decision of your 
life is what you will do with Jesus. There is no neutrality. 
To not make a decision is still a decision not to accept the 
only lifeline God has provided for you. I hope and pray 
that you will seriously consider God’s offer of salvation in 
Jesus. Do not put it off. This moment is a gift and there is no 
guarantee that you will get another chance. Today is the day 
of salvation!

 If you choose to accept Jesus as your Savior you can pray 
this prayer and He will come into your heart and give you 
peace with God --today and forever!

 “Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask 
for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose 
from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come 
into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my 
Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com