How To Choose The Best Hearing Aid?

Hearing is a very sensitive sense that unfortunately tends to fade over the years. Similarly, those who work on construction sites or perhaps in the world of music, could suffer damage to the hearing system if they do not use the necessary precautions.

For both of these cases, a common solution would be to buy a hearing aid. Although it is always best to consult a specialist before starting to use one, there are several models to choose from on the online market.

In this guide we aim to illustrate which are the main characteristics to look for in a product.

Types of Hearing Aid Devices for the Elderly

Hearing amplifiers for the elderly or disabled fall into two categories:

• Pre-set templates
• Medical

Each of this typology has its own specific characteristics. Let’s see them briefly together.

1. Pre-set acoustic amplifiers for seniors

These appliances are sold without any adaptation either further assistance and are therefore defined as “ready to use”. They can offer limited help for people with hearing difficulties in environments that require a lot of hearing effort.

They are not medical products and therefore are not a suitable solution for those who have a significant limitation to perceiving sounds. In particular, they cannot be adapted to a hearing loss that changes or worsens and is therefore bound to lose its value in a short period of time.

2. Medical hearing amplifiers for the elderly

The second category is a medical hearing aid device which is the ideal solution for people with serious hearing problems. Finding the right device is the task of the qualified hearing care professional, who analyzes hearing impairment with a test and prescribes the most suitable solution for the patient.

If you experience a medical problem, the professional recommends a visit to an otologist. In the case of hearing loss, however, he recommends the most suitable hearing aid.

The latter is individually adapted and can be re-adjusted in the event of a change in hearing loss. The hearing care professional then regularly assists the client and keeps him updated with all the news.

How To Choose The Best Hearing Aid?

1. Invisible or in plain sight

One of the most important differences to be aware of when buying a hearing aid is its visibility. The most common model has the classic headset shape that rests on the ear, while there are other types that are inserted into the auricle and remain “invisible” to inattentive glances.

The former may not be the best for those who care about aesthetics or are simply ashamed of walking around with a hearing aid. In fact, their shape is quite conspicuous, so if you often go out of the house, they may not be the most suitable. On the other hand, these types of hearing aids have the convenience of having all the controls, i.e., those for adjusting the volume and turning them on or off, within easy reach.

The invisible ones are certainly more comfortable to carry in crowded situations, but they may not have great versatility in the controls and are also more expensive than their counterparts.

2. Battery

Since most hearing aids operate on rechargeable batteries, it is a good idea to check the duration and the type of charger needed. The models of the best brand should have a battery capable of lasting at least a week so as not to be forced to recharge it after each use.

Probably the quality of the hearing aid battery could increase the price of the product, but to save money you can buy a model with a battery that lasts a day. Although it may seem short, such a period of time is more than enough since at night or when the device is not worn it can be kept charged, ready for use.

Usually, the power supplies are supplied with the product, although it is always advisable to check the seller’s card to make sure.

3. Performance

We assume that hearing aids sold online do not match the quality of those custom made by various specialized medical companies. Before concluding any purchase, it is always good to ask your doctor for an opinion because otherwise you risk buying the wrong product and wasting your money.

That said, hearing aid performance can vary based on the model and hearing sensitivity of the user. It is important that the product amplifies the noises, but does not make them excessively loud and cause the opposite effect to that desired.

The volume adjustment function is certainly a good option to look for, as it allows you to adapt it to the situation in which you are. Comfort also has its part, so it might be useful to look for a model that comes with silicone plugs of different sizes that can be adapted to different ears.

Conclusion

In modern hearing aids, sounds are not simply amplified, but rather processed to exactly match different types of hearing loss. In this way, even those with severe hearing loss can experience an extremely natural listening sensation again. Furthermore, we avoid subjecting the healthy areas of the ear to unnecessary stress, since only certain sounds and frequencies are appropriately amplified. A modern hearing aid therefore integrates like a mosaic tile into the profile of the wearer’s ear.

How Can Tight Muscles Result in Backpain?

Even if you are not an athlete and resist strenuous activities, it is difficult to escape backpain. Spending a big part of days crouched in front of laptops/computers and smartphones has resulted in backpain for a huge chunk of the tech-savvy generation. And the sad part is that this pain is not temporary.

Apart from sitting for long hours, backpain can also result from a variety of causes like- poor mattress, unhealthy postures, dehydration, and sudden strenuous physical activities. Popping in quick off-the-counter painkillers may provide temporary relief but you will soon find the backpain returning. So what is the permanent solution to the reoccurring backpain? The answer might lie in knowing how tight muscles result in backpain and getting to the root cause to eliminate the constant pain.

Reason For Tight Muscles

Back muscle pain can express itself in a variety of symptoms, like cramps, short bouts of pain, constant discomfort, spasms, and stiffness. And this is the direct result of the tightness of muscles in your back. The muscle tissue in the back is made up of cells that provide flexibility to the muscles for movement. The cells make up the muscle fibers that supply the back area with blood and keep it oxygenated.

These muscle fibers are also connected to the nervous system from where they get the signals of stimuli responses. When the muscle fibers in the back suffer from any damage or discomfort, they get tensed to prevent further damage. This causes a loss of regular blood supply and sends pain impulses to the brain. Simply put, tight muscles in the back cause pain as a cry for help. You need to get to the root cause of the issue and eliminate the cause of the muscle discomfort.

What To Do?

If the muscle pain is bearable and does not require professional help, multiple self-care remedies will ease out the pain significantly.

1. Stretches

Sparing a few minutes every day to stretch your back muscle might work wonders for relieving your pain. You will not only feel energetic for the entire day but also gain more endurance. You can try a variety of Yoga poses to begin relaxing your back muscles. Exercises like- hip circles, prayer pose, knees to chest, pelvic thrusts, and legs up the wall can relax your muscles and make them stronger.

2. Pain Killers

Exercising and stretching your back muscles is an effective method but will not work magically to ease out sudden pain bursts. If the pain causes a lot of discomforts then you need to pop in some off the counter painkillers. You can purchase pain relief ointments or pain killers like Ibuprofen for instant pain relief(Consult with Doctor First). Although these would relieve you from pain in a short period, the results would never be long-lasting. For permanent relief solutions, you might have to exercise and visit a chiropractor if the pain persists for a long time.

3. Pain Relief Patches

If you have reoccurring backpain because of long working hours then consuming pain killers every day is not a very healthy solution. In this case, you can go for pain relief patches like Signal Relief. It uses neuro capacitive coupling technology that provides pain relief without any side effects. And because no drug consumption is involved you can use this patch for the entire day without having to worry about its impact. You just have to stick the patch to the area where you have pain sensations, spasms, and stiffness and you will feel the relief in a few minutes. Although it is not a permanent solution to muscle discomforts, it is effective and involves no side effects. You can read more here Signal Relief review. 

4. Home Remedies

Before going to the doctor or consuming pain killers you can also try some home remedies that might relieve you from the backpain. Try hot and cold therapy that relaxes the muscles and consequently provide pain relief. Apply the hot bag to the area where you have the sensation of pain and gently massage with your fingers. This will relax your muscles then apply the bag of ice on the area for numbing the pain.

Conclusion

The above-listed remedies should work on your backpain and if the backpain persists then visit your doctor. Backpain and the tightening of muscles may also result from a range of serious issues like- arthritis, sciatica, infections, and other abnormalities. Therefore, do not take your backpain lightly because the discomfort may increase manifold with time causing a lot of inconveniences.

Best Android Smartwatches of 2020 to Buy in 2021

Smartwatches are quickly gaining popularity amongst the masses because of the functionality and features they offer. Not to mention they look stylish and are far more fashionable than the traditional watches. Smartwatches are a perfect amalgamation of fitness trackers and smartphones. With easy management of notifications and health tracking, it has become one of the smartest gadgets to own.

 Now, if you are looking to buy a smartwatch there are myriad options available in the market. But here comes the catch if you own an android device or smartphone- because the smartwatches have to be synced up with the smartphones, the Apple smartwatches will be of no use if you own an Android smartphone.  But worry not, because there are multiple android smartwatches that are equally good as the Apple ones.

Here is the list of the best android smartwatches to look out for this year:

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

This is the closest match for the Apple smartwatches, a perfect alternative for android users. The OS is not Google run but operates on Samsung’s Tizen. It works perfectly well with the iPhones as well and you will just have to download the Samsung Galaxy Wear app.

This smartwatch comes in 41mm and 45mm case sizes for different wrist sizes and charges wirelessly. The display is easy with a list of icons under the menu option. The watch offers a range of fitness tracking options including step count, heart rate monitoring, and blood oxygen readings amongst others. The battery will last up to two days with careful usage and one entire day with constant use.  It has an IP68 water resistance rating and the material is of high-quality stainless steel with Gorilla Glass covering. It also comes with an additional rotating bezel on the side for easy maneuvering through the OS.  

Fitbit Versa 3

This is another excellent option for android users if your main focus is on fitness. This smartwatch offers a range of fitness tracking measurements including heart rate monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, guided exercises and breathing, GPS, and various workout modes. It has an AMOLED screen and excellent battery life. The battery can last for about six days or more.

Fitbit also offers programs like Health Coaching and you can buy a subscription to dig in deeper to maintain your fitness and health. The OS might be not as advanced as Samsung’s Tizen but it is also not power-hungry which means you get excellent battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

This smartwatch from Samsung provides excellent fitness tracking measurement tools as compared to other Galaxy Watches and therefore the branding includes ‘Active’. It is water-resistant and hence suitable for water activities like swimming. It has an excellent battery life and requires charging only on alternate days with full usage.

It automatically tracks sleep, has a GPS tracker amongst other fitness tracking measurements like heart rate monitor, blood oxygen readings, step counts, etc. It comes in two sizes as well- 40mm and 44mm suitable for different wrist sizes. It boasts of a myriad of other useful features such as Samsung Pay, Spotify amongst others.

TicWatch Pro 3

TicWatch Pro 3 is increasingly gaining market preference because of its Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset. It is combined with 1GB RAM and 8GB of storage because of which the OS is pretty smooth.  The display is big enough with 47x48x12.2mm dimensions and is the slimmest TicWatch Pro to date.

The battery life is fairly good too and can last for up to 3 days without requiring a charge. It has a dual-screen system with a smooth touchscreen and AMOLED display. It has an IP68 water resistance rating along with a host of fitness features like heart rate monitor, blood oxygen readings, exercise, and workout plans amongst others. The technology defeats all the other smartwatches with its advanced processor and therefore will definitely last longer than other smartwatches.

Oshenwatch Luxe

If you do not want to shell out big bucks for getting the features that are almost universal across all the smartwatches then OshenWatch Luxe is the best option out there for both Android and Apple users. It is a variant of the popular OshenWatch smartwatches. It comes with a 1.5 HD IPS, 240X240 touchscreen with IP68 water resistance rating.  It is available in three colors- black, brown, and gray to suit the different styles.

The battery life is excellent and can last for about 15 days on standby. Amongst the fitness tracking measurements, it has a heart rate monitor, calorie intake, step counts, blood pressure and blood oxygen readings, GPS, etc. The management of notifications and calls is easy and it even has a ‘find my phone’ feature. You can read Oshenwatch Luxe review here – https://theviraltech.com/oshenwatch-luxe-review/.

Conclusion

No doubt Apple rules the market when it comes to smartwatches but the android users need not lose hearts because the above-mentioned devices are a good match to the Apple ones. These watches are a great alternative for Android users and provide excellent features for daily use.

Essential Training for Your Dog

If you are a dog owner, you might be wondering how to train your dog correctly. Well, there are multiple methods you can go about this very case which depends on your dog’s behavior and your preferences.

Dogs can be trained to do a lot of different things. The most common of those include house training, leash training and social training.

House Training

House training includes making them understand where to pee and poo, when is food time, when to sleep and so on. House training dogs, or any animal for that matter is quite easy. You simply must keep an eye on them during their initial days at your home. If they want to poo, you must understand their body language and lead them to their litter tray or outside into your garden. If they are hungry, they have nobody to ask but you. Therefore, you need to figure out what they want and provide it until they understand how everything works. House training dogs does not take time and once they know, they will follow.

Leash Training

Leash training dogs is a bit of a chore. It can get a few times for the dog to adjust to the leash and what it means. Slowly, if you put on their leash and take them out for a walk, they will happily accept and wear the leash whenever you want them to.

Social Training

Social training a dog is the most difficult of them all. If your dog is particularly naughty, it can get even worse. There are certain ways you can go about doing that though. If you dog is scared of visitors and such, give the dog time to adjust and ask some wiling participants to go and pet your dog so it understands not to be scared of them. If the dog is a little too energetic around visitors, you might start by not encouraging that kind of behavior. Dogs tend to continue when they are rewarded of their actions and discouraging their behavior acts as a sort of barrier for their emotions to come out. Active dogs that bark often during visits from other people can get a hassle to deal with, you can use BarxBuddy to calm them down a tad though. BarxBuddy is a device that emits a high-frequency sound that distracts dogs quite effectively. You can sound BarxBuddy whenever your dog is misbehaving, and they will know to stop doing that.

10 Tips for Keeping the Heat at Home

With the temperatures falling, it is not always easy to keep the heat in your home. After relighting the boiler, radiator and fireplace, we try to have a good temperature in our house. But how can you reduce your electricity bill while saving energy?

What temperature in my house?

To keep your house warm, start by heating each room well. Indeed, the heat is not the same in the bedroom as in the living room, for reasons of comfort, but also, in order to save energy. In this way, according to the Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), by having the right temperature in the rooms, you could reduce your consumption by 7%.

In the bedroom, keep the temperature at 17 degree Celsius, in the bathroom 22 degree Celsius when you are inside and 17 degree Celsius the rest of the time. Finally, in the living room, 19 degree Celsius is sufficient during the day and 16 degree Celsius at night.

10 tips for keeping the heat at home

During the day, open the shutters to let in the sun

By leaving your shutters open during the day, you bring in the UV rays and thus heat the different rooms of the house. Even when the outside temperatures are low, you can heat your interior. In addition, if you are facing south, you benefit from more light.

At night, close the curtains and shutters

Unlike, at night, close the shutters and curtains so as not to lose the heat of the room.

Decorate with rugs

Up to 10% of the heat from the fireplace can be lost through the floor. Rugs are great for insulating the floor and warming up the decor of a room.

Decorate the walls

Walls can cool the house if they are in contact with the outdoors. To reduce heat loss, install tables, shelves filled with liras, mirrors, etc. You thus avoid drops in temperature.

Insulate the front door

The front door is in direct contact with the outside, the hall of the building or an unheated corridor. This is why, in order to avoid heat loss, we insulate the front door. Add a curtain to cover it, place a dog on the ground to prevent air from passing.

Close the doors

To successfully heat a room quickly, close the doors.

Optimize heating efficiency

To increase heating efficiency, keep radiators and heat sources clear. A piece of furniture in front of a radiator blocks the heat, it is not distributed in the room. You can add an insulating film behind your radiators to return the heat to the room.

Heat some rooms only

During the winter, it is not useful to heat the rooms that you do not use every day, such as the guest room, the pantry, etc. Close the doors and turn off the heating, you save money in this way. energy in your home.

You can also opt for a portable heater to heat your room. One such heater is EcoHeat that comes with 3 different heating speeds and an oscillating fan to effectively and efficiently heat up a room. Read this comprehensive Eco Heat review here to know everything about this useful device.

Humidify the air

In the house, the humidity of the air helps to transport and diffuse heat better. This way, if your room is slightly humid, you will be warmer. To do this, you can buy a humidifier.

Move the furniture

Your furniture may be covering the radiator and therefore absorbing heat. So that it can diffuse, make sure that no furniture is badly positioned against a heat source.

Conclusion

Do you want to save energy and reduce your bill while keeping the heat in your home? It’s easy! Just follow the tips we’ve mentioned above.

Best Guide to Have Good Body Posture

Having a good posture says a lot about you from a distance. You might be brilliant and incredible, but speaking strictly as a first impression, slouching is not considered very appealing. Posture is so much more than just standing straight and looking your best. It includes physical form and your capacity to be flexible. Yes, you heard that right. A stiff posture speaks a lot about you.

Posture is also about holding your own weight. Making sure you hold your body in the right manner can have you prevent injury, prevent back aches and even severe health issues. Posture has a lot to do with your physical and mental form than you think.

Kinds of Posture

Posture is how you maintain and hold your physical form. There are two kinds of posture, dynamic and static. Dynamic includes posture while moving, walking, running and other physical activity like jumping and bending over. Static posture is when you are sitting or standing and even sleeping. Believe it or not, fixing static posture is a much more difficult task than you might think.

The key is to have proper dynamic and static posture, but you have to start working on your static posture first. While sitting, or standing or sleeping, you might position your spine. Your spine has natural curves, and their integrity must be maintained. If you have frequent back aches during sleeping, invest in a better mattress. If you have trouble sitting down, get an ergonomic chair. Bottom line make the changes that help your posture and maintains that natural spinal curve.

How Bad Posture effects your Health?

There are plenty of ways poor posture can affect your wellbeing. This includes basic pains and aches but can even transform into severe medical conditions. If you are not careful, bad posture can lead to,

1. Wearing away of spine, making it fragile and prone to injury
2. Misalignment of musculoskeletal system
3. Decreasing flexibility
4. Constant neck and back aches
5. Negatively affecting balance
6. Cause severe medical conditions

How to improve bad posture?

There are plenty of ways you can start of your journey towards proper posture. To improve posture,

1. Be mindful of how you walk/sit/run/sleep: Simply making sure your posture is right and starting to make the changes then and there can seriously affect your posture in a positive way.
2. Exercise: Getting plenty of activity during the day can automatically help you fix your posture. The right kind of exercise also makes you flexible. If you have back ache and such, do not get into weight training. That makes your body quite stiff.
3. Maintain healthy weight: Keeping your weight in check is an effective way to make sure you can carry it with ease. This maintains the integrity of your movements and therefore, your posture.
4. Wear comfortable shoes: Comfortable shoes might not be considered that highly, but let me tell you, they matter a tonne. You need to make sure you have a comfortable pair of shoes to work with. If you already have a shoe but are not comfortable enough then you can use products like Soul Insole to make them comfortable. Have a look at Soul Insole review to better understand how it can helps.
5. Switch sitting positions often: While sitting, make sure you keep changing your position to avoid your body getting stiff.
6. Stretch and take plenty walks: You also should stretch each time you feel an ache show up. Walking during breaks is also a good habit to take into consideration.
7. Support your back: Again, while sitting, consider supporting your back and making sure it is straight at most times. Get an ergonomic chair to provide additional body support.

So, that is what you can do to get a good posture. Remember, your posture speaks a lot about your physical form and mental capacities. Good luck!