Everyone experiences hearing loss from time to time: ear wax, ear infections, and the ear-popping sensation that bothers air passengers during takeoff are common causes of temporary hearing loss. And a mild degree of permanent hearing impairment is an inevitable part of the aging process. But for over 29 million Americans, the problem is more serious. Major hearing loss becomes more common with increasing age, particularly after age 65, and men are 5.5 times more likely than women to have hearing loss that makes communication difficult. Fortunately, modern medical care can help.

How you hear The ear is divided into ...

 

Your brother plays tennis every weekend, and your son hits the gym three times a week. Your wife walks every day, and your daughter takes yoga and dance. You putter in the yard and enjoy a round of golf now and then, but you've finally decided to get serious about exercise.

To put good intentions into action, you need a goal. How much exercise do you need? Ask the U.S. Surgeon General, the Institute of Medicine, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine, and you're likely to get four different answers. But don't let that ...

Many American boys worship Bob the Builder, and many of their fathers and grandfathers retain the impulse to perform household chores by themselves. It's an admirable ideal, but one study tells us that it's not always such a good idea, particularly for older gents. In this age group, household activities are strongly linked to falling.

Falling is a common problem, and it's often very serious. In one study, some 18% of well-functioning older men reported falling at least once during the course of a year. Falls account for about 5% of hospitalizations in the elderly, and they are responsible for ...

Q. I just reviewed your article on PSA testing. After talking with my wife, I've decided to skip the PSA test when I go for my annual physical next month. But your article doesn't say much about rectal exams. Should I skip that also?

A. It's a good question. We didn't have much to say about the digital rectal exam (DRE) because we were focusing on studies that don't tell us much about the DRE. The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial tested the combination of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and DRE and found that the pair did ...