#triggered the yapping alarm I can’t believe this

[orbitfalls]

I've come seeking revenge mwahaha

FMK cygnus, alphard, druella

EM NOOOOOOO

This is a terrible thing to do to me because like. NONE of these options feel right I don’t wanna fuck marry OR KILLL any of them SHJSHSJSHJS these are my sickly children that I keep in a glass jar and feed one corn chip a day like. I don’t wanna fmk them I wanna take samples of their hair and study it under a microscope??????

BUT IF I MUST (deep sigh)

We’re talking UV here btw as always

Okay shit so I’m marrying Alphard I think. To me he’s a very free spirit and I feel like that trait would be reflected in a marriage with him for sure. It would be the least restrictive thing ever we would just be best friends and travel the world together and fuck shit up. And then when he’s losing a game of cards to a group of foreigners in some random port town in the Caribbean he improvises the most outrageous travel stories while i fight not to laugh as I pickpocket his opponents. Then he frowns and claims that His Wife sadly is waiting for him back on the ship while maintaining dead eye contact with me over the shoulders. and then we run off together and steal their boat

Uhmm okay so out of these three Cygnus is my favourite for sure and I’m taking this opportunity to kill him. I think I deserve it actually as a treat yk what I’m saying. This man is the scum of this earth and I would absolutely cherish the opportunity to gently shove him off his beloved Backyard Cliff. Yet I have a feeling he’d come back to haunt me??? I would never be able to look at waves the same way ever again yk. That might not be so good if I’m marrying Alphard. Also I feel like I might miss him a little he’s just a little guy

Fucking druella. This one I feel pretty neutral about actually bc to me she’s hard to get a grasp on as a character? It might be just my lack of writing her, but to me she will always be more of an echo than a woman. She’s the afterthought, she’s the mother whose death began the story, she’s the body whose ashes were spread in the waves. To me she’s not as much of a character as she is. well. a force of irony? The waves that haunt Cygnus, the insanity that haunts bellatrix, the death that haunts narcissa, the echo that haunts andromeda. I fuck with that tho for sure yes

[diyunho]

The Joker X Reader - “Ghost Driver”

When The Joker says you’re his, it means you’re essential to him because he needs your services for his own gain; it literally has zero affectionate connotations. Turbo is The King’s Ghost Driver and although she’s a legend, her life is far from perfect.

Part 2

“Where’s all your stuff?!” Frost asks since the apartment is pretty much empty.

“Gave it to Adam,” you sulk. “He wouldn’t sign the divorce papers so I gave in; I don’t even care… I’m glad he’s out of here.”

Jonny gazes at you in silence, a million words rushing through his mind and The Joker’s henchman can’t articulate anything close to what he would like to vociferate besides foolish small talk:

“How are you holding up?”

“Not sure… I don’t even know what the hell happened to us…It used to be so great and then he started making comments about my weight, gossiping with his friends behind my back, then cheated… I couldn’t handle it,” Y/N confesses although Frost is already acquainted with the dreadful story of her crumbled marriage.

“Not what the hell happened to us,” he decides to underline his personal opinion. “I think the question should be what the hell happened to him: you didn’t do anything wrong. And I believe you look perfect,” he mumbles the last sentence.

“What was that?” you search the fridge for his favorite soda.

“Nothing... nothing…”

“Here you go,” you offer the cold Fanta to a distraught companion.

“Thanks, Y/N. Here’s the money for tonight,” he gives you the envelope. “As usually, half now , half after the job is done.”

“OK,” you accept the terms without issues because it’s how The Clown Prince of Crime pays for your services. “Jonny, why is there an extra thousand dollars in here?!”

“Ummm…” the man tries to find a reasonable explanation yet Y/N can’t accept his strategy.

“Should I text Mister Joker and thank him for the bonus?”

“Nope,” he bites on his lip.

“I appreciate it,” you return the extra cash to Frost. ”I’m fine. Really.”

“Well…” he takes the bills and stashes them in his wallet, “… let me know if you need anything, alright?”

“I promise I will, “ you smile. “I swear on my Turbo honor,” the joke makes him smile also.

“Hey Y/N… I was thinking… maybe one of these days, if you feel like it, we could… and it’s entirely up to you, no pressure… maybe you would want to… ”

Frost’s phone keeps ringing and he retrieves from his suit’s pocket, annoyed about the interruption.

“It’s Audra,” he huffs while declining the call.

“Might be important,” you sort of urge him to answer.

“Meh, I doubt it. She will chew my ears off regarding our relationship that ended 3 months ago. I’m not interested,” he strolls towards the exit due to another pressing matter he has to attend. “I have to go, Mister Joker has a meeting soon; I’ll see you later, Y/N.”

“See you,” you wave and lock the door when your cell alerts of an incoming text from The Joker.

Downloading two pictures… Pictures?!

“Oh…my… God…!” you hold your breath when the first image depicts a totally naked King of Gotham reflected in the mirror at his gym and squeal when the second one shows a close up of his mid-section.

“Oh my God!” you burst out laughing as you admire the unexpected missive. “Heeeelllo Mister Joker,” you mutter and actual phrases pop up on your screen.

“I sent these to the wrong number, Y/N. Ignore and erase them!”

“Of course, sir!” you immediately reply with no intention of doing it for the moment.

Why?

The hilarious error shook you up from apathy and it’s worth saving those pics for a bit longer since you can’t remember the last time something got your attention after the messy divorce.

***************

11:49 PM

The Joker is the first one to get in the car next to you, firmly clutching to his suitcase full of diamonds freshly stolen from “Diamond Emporium” store on Glissan Avenue. You notice the other goons sneaking to the cars deliberately positioned around nearby streets for tonight’s robbery. How come J doesn’t go with them?

The dilemma is simple:

The green haired menace typically arrives with his regular crew when he plans heists but has Y/N pick him up after the job is done.

“Hi Mister Joker,” you greet your employer.

“Hey,” he acknowledges your presence. “Did you delete the pictures?” The Joker gets straight to the point.

“Yes,” you lie and tell the truth in the same time: you erased the whole body image but kept the close up one for future reference.

“Good. What did you think?” the hasty interrogation prompts a careful chosen response.

“You look very…,” and you pause in order to find the correct term since a tiny mistake could set him off. “… Healthy, Mister Joker.”

“I do,” he huffs quite pleased with your statement.

You wish to add more but Frost and the new hire squeeze in the back seat awaiting orders.

“You’re in luck kid,” Jonny places a box filled with precious gems at his feet. “Your first assignment and you get to meet Turbo.”

The young man opens his mouth in amazement as you move the fingers from your right hand in the air instead of a proper introduction.

“You’re Turbo?! I thought you’re a guy!” Nick blurs out and Frost punches him in the head, displeased with the observation.

“Sounds empty,” you growl while The Clown snorts.

“My Ghost Driver A GUY??!! Ha-ha-ha-ha!” the unnerving, screechy noises make the newbie shrivel up. “Turbo, A GUY!” he continues to amuse himself before giving Nick a psychotic glare.

“I’m…I’m so sorry, I meant no disrespect,” he nervously stutters especially since J called you “his”.

The poor bastard’s oblivious about what the label implies in The Clown’s universe: when The Joker says you’re his, it means you’re essential to him because he needs your services for his own gain; it literally has zero affectionate connotations.

“Where the fuck did you find this buffoon?” you chew on your gum, irritated.

“He’s Richard’s nephew,” Jonny sucks on his teeth.

“Uncle Panda is infinitely smarter,” Y/N barks at the revelation.

“I’m truly sorry,” Nick apologizes again and you cut him off.

“Save it!... … I hear sirens,” you slowly inhale and The King calmly articulates:

“I forgot to mention I accidentally triggered the silent alarm.”

Translation: he did it on purpose.

You snicker at the first lights blinking in the distance, excited to have some fun after stressing so much in the past weeks. The vehicles belonging to the gang scatter in different directions as you step on the gas pedal, accelerating towards the numerous police cars answering to the 10-64 code.

“That’s my girl!” J cracks his neck, already hyped at the adrenaline rush burning his veins: The Ghost Driver is perfect to offer him what he craves and she always delivers.

That’s why Turbo is his.

************

4:37 AM

“Hi…Mister…Mister Joker…” you attempt to talk without slurring.

“It’s Ella,” his girlfriend snarls.

“Why…where is he?” you guzzle down half of glass of wine, adamant in having a chat with your boss.

“Well, after you two had a merry time being chased by cops all over town, he came home and now he’s sorting out the diamonds,” the woman bitterly reports.

“I wanna talk to him,” you sniffle and drink some more alcohol.

“You just saw him. I’m sure it can wait until tomorrow.”

“I’m sure it can’t!” you shout. “I just received important information he’d be i…interested in,” you finally make it through the whole sentence.

Ella stomps in the living room, vexed at your behavior.

“It’s Turbo,” she shoves the phone in his fingers. “The bitch is wasted!”

“What did you call me?!” the appalled Y/N is about to burst when The Joker’s deep voice resonates I her ear.  

“Yeah?”

“Sir,” you correct your bitter tone. “I h-have very important news!”

“I’m listening,” J ignores his woman as she cusses you out.

“I have to tell you in person, sir. Let’s go on a date and I’ll reveal the entire shocking...”

“Huh?!”

“I have crucial information…”

“Quit repeating yourself!” The Joker interrupts. “You’re not making any sense. Go to sleep and we’ll catch up after you sober up.”

“But I wanna go on date Mister Joker,” you gulp the rest of the wine and prepare for a fourth round.

“Why, because I look healthy?” J mocks and Ella sighs, not understanding the odd conversation she’s witnessing. “… …. … Hello?”

A loud thud, then dialing tone at the other end of the line.

“I think she passed out,” The King of Gotham concludes, not particularly worried at the sudden halt of your monologue.

***************

3 Days Later

The late meeting is almost done: the buyers already purchased the diamonds J had for sale, among them your ex-husband Adam that has a small crowd gathered next to him; he’s supposedly famous for his crappy attitude enjoyed by jerks sharing the same ludicrous humor.

“You know I’m sensible when it comes to challenges and I couldn’t grasp why she doesn’t want my help in shedding a few pounds. What’s the harm in that?! I love curves but sometimes I don’t, ya’ know?” he winks and the group laughs.

The Joker is arranging money in duffle bags, his concentration diverted by the impromptu comedic performance. What the heck are they yapping about?

Frost is certainly in a foul mood: J can guess his trusted henchman is worked up since the usual chilled Jonny can’t control his anger.

“What’s wrong with being voluptuous, hm?” he addresses Adam and it clicks for The Joker: this is about Y/N.

“Nothing at all,” he smirks and the laughter around the room dies out because not too many dare screwing with Jonny Frost. “I was merely emphasizing that if a woman can’t lose weight, she’s doomed. Y/N lost me, how is she going to get another stud if she…”

“Perhaps she’s not interested in pieces of shit; definitely had her share!” Frost grumbles at the absurd remarks.

The Joker has no clue about what’s going on, yet he won’t deny today’s entertainment is far from boring.

“Give me a break!” Adam scoffs. “Who’d sniff her tail if she refuses to get skinnier? Ooohhh, wait a minute, we might have an admirer,” he arrogantly slides your cell out of his coat. “I was browsing her pictures and what do you know? A gentleman sent Y/N a picture of his junk three days ago. I am deeply sorry, my bad. She does have somebody sniffing her tail. What kind of loser sends images of his dangling goodies to another dude’s wife?!” 

“Ex-wife!” Jonny sneers whilst J’s calculation leads to an easy verdict: you kept one pic.

“Whose junk is this?! Is it yours?” your estranged spouse accuses Frost without any evidence.

“It’s my junk,” The Joker’s serene revelation makes everyone freeze: they have no idea how to react at the puzzling escalation of events.

Is he bluffing?!

“I wasn’t aware I require permission in order to text whatever I desire to whomever I want.”

Awkward silence and Frost approaches Adam, boiling with indignation.

“Why do you have Y/N’s phone?”

Your husband doesn’t have a chance to justify his action: Jonny’s punch throws him to the ground, immediately followed by his unsettling ultimatum.  

“You son of a bitch, what did you do to her?”

Your former husband gets on his elbow ready to attack when The King’s stern inquiry stops his motion:

“WHERE.IS.MY.TURBO?”

****************

After 1 hour

Frost lifts you higher in his arms while you keep wheezing, trying to regain control.

“I’m sorry…I attacked you,” the weakened Y/N whispers. “I thought you were Adam...”

After being abducted and left to starve for the last 3 days, you had one clear purpose: to kill the guy that did it. Adam surely crossed the line with his despicable plan of making you lose weight: he creeped in your apartment, kidnapped you and took you to his home where you were chained in the cellar until Jonny found you. The basement was dark and you couldn’t see, that’s why you used whatever strength you had left in order to attack the individual responsible for your misfortune.

Turned out it was actually a rescue party although Frost is now the proud owner of a beautiful bump courtesy of Y/N.

“No problem,” Jonny takes you to his SUV, carefully laying you down in the passenger’s seat. “How’s your head?” he wipes the dried blood on your cheeks since Adam knocked you out unconscious while you were talking to The Joker after the heist.

“I’m OK,” you start crying, mostly mad at yourself for being such an easy prey, yet you didn’t see it coming.

“You know… It’s OK not to be OK,” Frost opens a bottle of water and gives it to you. “I’ll take you home, you can take a shower and I’ll have the doctor come for an emergency evaluation. Are you hungry?”

“I’m so hungry,” tears stream down your face and Jonny has a great proposal.

“I’ll order some food and if you want me to I can stay with you. After you feel better, we could… and it’s entirely up to you, no pressure… maybe you would want to…”

The Joker rolls his eyes, deciding to emerge from the shadows.

“Wow, this is painful to watch. Frost believes he’s still in high school: basically he’s asking you on a date. There, done. No need to beat around the bush. Jesus!” J scolds about a subject he shouldn’t mess with. “I have a heist next week, you better be good to go by then!” he gestures at the confused duo. “If you’ll excuse me, I have my own date to honor. We’re done here, yes?”

“Yes sir,” Jonny replies for both, unwilling to split hairs with The Joker and his obnoxious aberrations. “Here’s your cell,” he returns the item to you and you snatch it, relieved. You seem to have an outburst of energy as you unlock the secured folder.

“Where’s Adam?”

“I don’t know, we had an altercation at the warehouse then he scrammed,” Frost reports, ogling a strange looking Y/N typing on her phone.

“He won’t be able to hide,” you grin and send the attachment to The Joker.

*************

“We’ll be late for dinner,” Ella kisses The Clown. “I’m not a 100% positive why we had to waste precious time and come for her,” she pouts and drags him after her towards their vehicle.

J’s phone chimes and he stops in his tracks, not expecting a message from you seconds after the encounter.

“Mister Joker, you were very generous to share pictures with me.

Allow me to do the same.

Your Turbo.”

Imagines downloading and he’s not sure what to do when pics appear one by one: frames taken by the private investigator you hired to follow Adam when you suspected he was cheating. The bastard was diligent, but he was eventually caught in the act three days ago.

Who’s the woman he’s with?

The Joker’s Queen.

“What’s wrong?” she frowns at the visible switch in his temper.

The Clown ruthlessly slams Ella against the hood while her cell also receives a text from Y/N:

“Who’s the bitch now?”

 Also read: MASTERLIST

You can also follow me on Wattpad and Ao3 under the same blog name: DiYunho.

[agent-yolk-writes]

Friends Like You and Us - Venom!Reader - Ch. 5

Successfully (hopefully) queued at the stroke of midnight to bring you the latest chapter of some spider shenanigans. Fresh off the back of AO3!

In this episode: The gang throws spaghetti at the wall until something sticks, Noir enjoys playing with the remote, you have a breakdown for five minutes, and your aunt really needs to get her shit together for important business trips.

I also made a master list! Anyone new who wants to start or the veterans who want to revisit that one part in that one chapter!

AO3 Version | Masterlist

”Welcome to the first, and hopefully only, Spider-Persons conference. First off, I would like to thank (First Name) for hosting us and fixing up drinks with what they had to work with. Our main objective tonight: get everyone back to their proper universes before we don’t feel so good anymore…” Ham eccentrically led the charge of the brainstorm session. He managed to clap the lights off and pulled down a projector screen out of nowhere, the screen flashing crude images of the four of you finding a potential solution with lines and circles everywhere. It almost looked like what football coaches had to look at. Staring down on all of you squeezed on the couch he added, ”...any ideas?” Before clapping the lights back on, shooting the screen back from where it came.

Not risking what damage you might’ve inflicted on your phone, you pursued what you were looking for on your laptop while being squished to the side of the couch. It’s loading speeds left something to be desired, but it’s still functional and you can’t complain. Venom does about the heat, but that’s out of your control.

Over the horizon of your screen, you could see Peni, seated in the middle, pulling a projection of your New York out of nowhere and zoomed in on your current location. You weren’t really paying attention to what she was saying as she played around with the map. You were internally arguing with your backseat navigator on where you say the post last, only to find out the mods did indeed removed it from the search bar. Now you’re left in a predicament.

Try finding news archives.

Oh...Oh yea...No wonder I keep you around.

Where was he when you had to take the SATs?

He was right. Spider-Man’s death was the national news! There were so many news choppers around that it almost risked the two of you being forced apart by sound alone. Because of that, as well as the risk of you getting caught, you didn’t feel it was safe enough to investigate it yourself. Thanks to the media, you didn’t have to do the heavy lifting.

“You thinking it could be Osbird?” You heard Ham ask.

“Osbird? Ain’t it supposed to be Osborn?” Noir questioned.

“(First Name)!” Peni calls to you. “Does the Green Goblin exist in this universe?”

Didn’t he...

Died with Spider-Man.

“...Exist

ed

. I think he got killed in the same explosion.” You mentally high fives your companion for being a database for most things super. Good thing your universes are very similar.

Still, that doesn’t help your allies as your enhanced ears heard Ham cursing under his breath.

To alleviate some of the pain you added, “...If it helps, I think he was working for this guy named Wilson Fisk.”

“Kingpin…” Everyone else said at the same time. “What in the Sam hell is he scheming?” Noir grimly added. Glancing at the Wikipedia page for him, apparently he has more money than god. Of course he would be living in NYC. That’s where all the corrupt billionaires live!

You wouldn't happen to know him, right?

Never met him.

Well, there goes your first potential lead. The first news article that pops up is Fisk sending his condolences to the aunt of Spider-Man, May Parker, as well as his wife Mary Jane. He released a sympathetic statement relating what it’s like to lose someone close. A jump to his Wiki states that he had a wife and son that were killed during a high-speed car crash. There were rumors for a while about the wife being the one in the speeding car, but all whispers were quickly squashed before the sun could rise the next day. Money really is an effective superpower these days.

Another article tells you that he’s been heavily involved in Alchemax, a business he acquired a few years ago. His main advisor and the one who looks after the company while he’s away is Doctor Olivia Octavius, a woman with the frizziest hair ever. You vaguely recall watching a documentary she was the main star in during your science class, but you didn’t really absorb what she was saying.

Your fingers rubbed your eyes to relieve some strain. It felt like listening to Hannah yapping non-stop about any villain Spider-man even looked at during lunch. Ever since this whole series of wacky events dragged you into this mess, you have just the right about of knowledge on at least the most popular, infamous really, supervillains.

“Welcome back to Inside Edition-” The new voice almost triggered your fight or flight responses if you didn’t look up and see that the television was on playing tonight’s Inside Edition. Wait, you didn’t turn it on. Looking to your left, you realized it was the only other person left on the couch with you and, thus, the closest one to the table with the remotes.

Squinting at Noir with tired eyes, you asked, “What are you doing?”

The monochrome detective was fixated on gripping the device in various locations. “Interesting...it doesn’t have wires, and yet it calls the huge black mirror to awake. It doesn’t run on steam or heat, not to mention it’s so tiny.” Surely they had batteries back then, right?

“Yea. That’s what remotes are.” You commented. “They were made so we don’t have to get up every time to change the channel. You can even change the volume to hear better...the long ones with the plus and minus on it.”

“And please do.” Ham waved his hand to get both of your attention. “I think something important is coming up.” You didn’t even have to question him as the television had the collapsed remnants of Spider-Man’s final stand being narrated by a blonde woman you can’t piece the name of.

“While the world still mourns the loss of Spider-Man, many are still trying to pick up the pieces of his final moments to paint a picture. Tonight, Insider Edition has gained exclusive footage from one of the first helicopters on sight of the explosion. What you’re about to see is graphic and may upset some viewers. Take a look-”

The camera switched to a shaky camera arriving on the scene. For a few seconds, you could see the East River and the Williamsburg Bridge that connects Manhattan and Brooklyn before it forces the viewers to focus on a trail of smoke coming from a crater.

“What used to be one of Wilson Fisk’s many investments is now up in smoke. There’s no word yet if there are any other casualties in the explosion. It is rumored that this building was used to hold scientific research and experimentations in the medical field. We tried contacting Fisk for a comment, but he has yet to respond.”

It cuts to another angle, and you could see a blur hiding away something red and blue. The original cameraman holding it let out a gasp and said something expletive. “We censored this for the viewers at home, but it was here that the camera crew noticed the body of Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man, unmoving-”

The feeling in your stomach only got worse as the newsreel goes on. You felt upset to point of nausea. You wanted to tear your eyes away from all this sad news but at the same time, you don’t. You were there when the news broke out, you were at his funeral hiding behind one of the church’s spirals as his widow encouraged others wearing his mask that they too can be a hero. You could still remember the bile burning your throat that night, muttering ‘what-ifs’ to yourself as if you were the cause of his death.

You’ve only paid attention to him because he was your solstice to your new powers, but he’s now gone, leaving the two of you in the dark. You should be over this, but for some reason, you’re not.

“I-We’re going to bed. Goodnight.” With a slam of your laptop, you didn’t give them time to react before you slammed the door to your room shut and placing your desk chair under the knob as a security measure. You needed to be alone right now.

If it wasn’t for your companion supporting your body, you would’ve slammed your head on the bed frame. You were that much of a wreck that Venom had to assume control to get you safely on the bed.

“Talk to me, (First Name).” He rarely calls you by your name.

“I-I…” You got distracted with the tears streaming down your face. “I’m scared. It...It’s all coming crashing down on m-me now.” You grabbed the nearest pillow and stuffed your face in it. While anyone else couldn’t comprehend the muffled wailing through the pillow, Venom could hear you perfectly. “I don’t wanna do this! I never did!” After sobbing in silence for what could’ve been minutes, you let go of it to hug your knees. “Last month I thought about pursuing a career in journalism. How can I do that now? Now that I have a bugged alien in my system tearing me apart with him! Explain that to me, Venom!” You’re trying so hard not to alarm your compatriots outside your door, but you’re too exhausted emotionally at this point to properly check yourself at this point.

You could feel Venom’s tendrils wiping away your tears. His inky forehead bumps into yours like a cat. “(First Name), look at us. Breathe.” His voice rumbles something comforting in your chest. You couldn’t help but close your eyes and breathe alongside him. “That’s it…”

The room was quiet except for your synced breathing and the occasional sniffling. More minutes have passed and already you feel better than earlier.

“I...I’m sorry, Vee.” You whispered. “Everything just...happened, all at once. You, the other Spiders...I think this is what they call ‘imposter syndrome’ kicking in, I dunno.” Forcing out a laugh to ease the tension, you continued. “I just...felt out of place, having to put wool over our eyes to believe we’re sheep too. I hope we don’t have to suffer any longer. If everything works out, I don’t think anyone would have a clue about you...about us.”

Your symbiote friend curled himself around the pillow you were still latching onto. While it doesn’t feel like a genuine embrace, it’s the best thing you can work with.

“Do...Do you think tomorrow will be a better day?” You whisper.

“...I don’t know.” You’re not surprised at that answer. “We’re in a deep bond, we can’t lie to you even if we tried.”

“Do...Do you think it’ll affect whenever we find a way back to your home? The whole bonding thing?”

“...”

“...Vee?” You remembered him explaining about bonding briefly, when you had nightmares from his previous hosts. Symbiotes don’t really exist in this universe, so there’s no real documentation or even a tabloid piece about it.

“It's hard to say for certain. At this rate, we might die if this ’Kingpin’ lead gives us nothing to work on.”

”Yeah...That’s true.” You agreed, letting out a deep sigh. “But he has influence all over the place. He could hide anything if he waves enough money under someone’s nose.”

“Then we’ll eat them. Simple as that.” Venmo’s enthusiasm made you chuckle a bit.

“Well try not to eat their hands if there’s a fingerprint lock.”

“No promises. Now sleep.”

“Yeah yeah…” You snuggled deeper into your hugging pillow. “Night, Vee. Tomorrow’s gonna be better, I hope.”

“Goodnight, (First Name).” With that, you closed your eyes. If you went to sleep any later, you would’ve caught a conversation of two certain spiders from outside and something about a goober.

~

Outside of your room, the others were fixated on what came on after seeing the remnants of the explosion.

“Social media is blowing up over this mystery figure seen all across Manhattan. Blink and you’ll miss it, but it looks like there’s already someone taking the shape of Spider-Man!” It was a set of shaky pictures and so-called ‘tweets’ of people freaking out.

“On person tweeted quote, “Some nightmare version of Spider-Man just passed my window, i think that’s my sleep paralysis demon #fml.” Another reported saying quote, “I think I saw it ate the local drug dealer whole. gross. to think i had to witness vore at four in the morning. stay classy, nyc.””

“Our sources at PDNY say that this mysterious person, if it even is a person, is not believed to be involved in Spider-Man’s death. However, they are a person of interest in multiple disappearance cases involving convicted felons that have been released from prison ranging from drug dealers to serial killers.”

“PDNY reminds everyone that if they see something, say something.”

The trio looked at each other, an unspoken question is trying to be answered. Ham was the only one who looked at the door where you entered for the night before passing air through his lips.

“Pfft, there’s no way.” He says to Peni and Noir. “I mean, what are the chances? They’re too nice and they’re housing us. If they were harboring a murderous symbiote, they would’ve told by now...right? Right?”

~

A surprise pair of glitching and convulsions woke you up earlier that day. Not wanting to feel sick by getting up immediately, you just lied there and drifted up for two hours or so before a series of knocks jolted your sleep away.

“Rise and shine, kid!” Noir yelled.

“We got a mission!” Peni added enthusiastically. A mission? This early? A glance on your phone, however, says it’s almost 10 in the morning. So much for going to school.

You pushed your upper body off the bed with a groan. Venom pushes himself back under your body and into your ‘pajamas’.

“Mmmf...it’s too early for hero stuff..” You grumble, wiping off any remnants of sleep. “Don’t heroes have...unions, or whatever?” Was among the other incoherent grumbles as you washed up and got ready for the day.

Finishing your wakeup routine in the bathroom, you were immediately greeted with your three inter-dimensional companions bustling around as much as they can in such a small apartment. SP//dr’s hanging out on the fire escape ladder, but his visor is lighting up inside so you can barely make out Peni hard at work with something. Noir’s holding the remote, continuously surfing channels and not really stopping at all even at the channels that play classic black and white film. Ham is...stacking a tower from whatever he can find on the fridge. You pray he didn’t see the unopened package of black forest ham you know that’s in there.

Of course, Ham was the first one to notice you staring at him. “What? I’m a growing pig.” Before you could even answer that, he slides the leaning tower of breakfast into his mouth in a single bite. You couldn’t help but be impressed yet slightly jealous.

The mech’s visor slides open and out pops out Peni. “Good morning! Sorry we didn’t wake you up earlier, but the phone rang.” She explains.

“Did you...answer it?” You asked with an eyebrow popped up.

“Well…” She looks down, pushing her pointer fingers together like she’s hiding something she broke. “We tried, buuut...we couldn’t figure out how to actually answer it.”

You looked over at the home phone. It wasn’t anything special, just a wireless phone that you had to press a button in order to answer an incoming call. “...You don’t have cordless phones in your home universe?”

“Everything’s at my fingertips, so I don’t need one at home.” Was her defense.

“Mine has a sleek new design that looks like a candlestick.” Noir turned his head to add in.

You looked over at Ham. “And what’s your excuse?”

“...In my defense, we have cans with a string between them. Reception’s a hit or miss these days.” You shouldn’t be surprised at his answer, but it still doesn’t stop the double facepalm you gave yourself. Peering back to the phone, you noticed that there’s a blinking light indicating someone left a voice message. As you walked over to play it, part of you prayed it wasn’t the school asking for your unexcused whereabouts.

“You have, one, new message.” Don’t be school, don’t be school... “Hi, sweetie! It’s your aunt!” Oh, thank god. “I hope you’re doing okay on your own, but I need your help with something. I...accidentally forgot to send out a file on my work computer, and I need it for an important meeting tomorrow. Would you be a dear and head over to my office? There should be like multiple post-it notes with the file name as a reminder for me to send it.” Mary laughed as her own forgetfulness. “Your visitor pass should still be working, so use that to get in. I’m sure the guards will enjoy seeing your lovely face again. Try not to stumble onto Alchemax’s floor this time. Call back soon, love you~”

“End of message. To delete the message…”

You look back over at the trio sheepishly. “Oh, yea...forgot my aunt works in a pharmaceutical building that neighbors an Alchemax branch...Hahaaa, that’s soo weird…Now what?”

You could hear Venom sighing inside your head. Funny how things seem to go together right when you need it.

[a-writing-bear]

[PruCan] Chapter 2: Soft-Spoken Calling, They Want Their Shyness Back

Ao3 Link:

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11159997/chapters/24905436

This Has been cross-posted onto FF & Ao3 under Aliases: BearBooper

You can read this Fic on tumblr under ‘Keep Reading’

Previous Chapter    Next Chapter

Fandom: Hetalia Axis Powers

Main Pairing: Gilbert Beilschmidt & Matthew Williams (Prussia & Canada)

AU:  College AU - Art Student Matthew and Media/Film Student Gilbert

Age Rating/Mature:  Teen And Up Audiences (12+ due to mentions of mature themes as well as swearing)

Trigger Warnings: None in this chapter (Future addiction to mention themes such as addiction, rape etc.)

Finding a hook-up was never hard. Gilbert knew how to wave and woo any guy and gal (granted he needed to actually try). Night after night, a beautiful girl, a dashing lad – it didn’t matter. Putting it simply, the way the white-haired devil seduced people was effective and singular. It was not a ‘series’ of escapades; the word ‘series’ describe the concept of continuation...what Gilbert did was not continuations, not one after another (Oh he most definitely did NOT share his lays). They were separate events to him. After a tom-foolery of sorts, it would be a good morning and goodbye; a prompt push out of the door to say the least.

It was ‘fuck’ then ‘wish them luck.’

He would carry on the next day, carrying himself in such a prideful manner one could wonder how so many looked forward to being in bed with someone like that. If anyone asked Gilbert if the evenings of a stranger after stranger got boring, he would confidently shrug the question aside with ‘the philosophy of a player’. The thought of falling in love, further than a silly high school crush, was absurd. Devotion to another human being? A sudden feeling of glee towards another human being? A day when he would experience all that seemed too far to even acknowledge.

And yet here he was, locked in staring into purple irises from a boy he had only just met. Heart panging and brain whizzing without reason or sense. Breathe. Think. Breathe, why is it so hard to breathe? Think? What order was it again? It felt breathlessly confusing.

“G-Gilbert could you like let go?” a heat rose to his face and he backed away quickly and let go of a sprig of strawberry blonde hair. A soundless sigh of relief was released by Matthew, and a flustered motion of twiddling fingers accompanied the timid look the shorter boy wore. Bathing in the seemingly, weird comfortable silence that engulfed the room the taller of the two proposed to get to know each other:

“Would you like to chill here? - I mean- like if you have nothing to do. I see you like my posters and stuff.”

Gilbert watched the reaction carefully, searching for any hatred or disgust to appear, he was aware of what reputation he had.

“eh? I’ve got art coursework and I’m sorta- I’m behind on it.”

Art coursework? Considering Matthew’s brother was a mathematical prodigy and science ‘fanatic’ (Gilbert really meant ‘geek’ but that sounded rude) he found it slightly alarming to hear that the student here was in the art stream…’although that does explain his slightly dishevelled look in that paint-covered shirt’. Gilbert found himself wanting to learn more and before he could stop himself he let it slip,

“Do you want to paint in here?”

In reality, Gilbert didn’t like studying alone. As much as he enjoyed his editing and planning scenes for his media course, it was draining sitting in a room cooped up alone. Hence why he relied on loud music to occupy his fleeting thoughts. The study hall and common room had been crowded with the varsity sports teams who were watching the campus’ big play-offs this week and the noise had been maliciously distracting. The study hall bred conversations too inane for his liking; snippets of people’s personal lives too irrelevant for Gilbert to sit through. On top of that, if needing a good environment meant travelling into the student-habitat known as the library (a place of late night coffee addicts struggling to complete 4 months of work) then he would rather fail the semester.

He had noticed the unsure reaction of the artist and gulped as the boy opened his mouth to reply:

“Well- My art stuff is already setup and messy in my room…I can’t really bring it here. Would- would you like to sit in my room? I…don’t mind.”

Gilbert’s face light up with happiness (relief as well- though he wouldn’t admit to it.), he took his laptop and charger along with a portfolio that he swore weighed more than Ludwig when he was a child and followed Matthew into the neighbours’ room. Most of the people here were the first-years, a close-knit community that, 4 out of 5 times, respected and trusted each other’s personal space so they both waltzed in carelessly not looking to shut out anyone and left the door gaping out open.

Matthew motioned for Gilbert to sit down in front of his desk. Gingerly he place his laptop down and ducked down to plug in his worn out charger. As he reclined in the Canadian’s chair he witnessed a genius in the works of what Gilbert could only describe as pure emotion splayed out on a too-small-for-it’s-worth canvas.

For a few moments, the artist had pondered whether he had made another wrongful decision inviting the albino into his safe space – thinking about it more ‘I don’t usually do this huh.’ One step within his room the thoughts seemed to melt away as he looked longingly to his painting, engrossed in the pursuit to add more paint onto the canvas Matthew didn’t notice the audience-like attention his guest was giving him.  Beautiful hues of red a green were doused carefully onto the illustration of springtime bliss. “eh- I would prefer something more autumn-y or…winter.” He mused to himself and mulled over the idea of painting something for his dorm after this fairly boring assignment is finished.

“Why autumn or winter?”

He was jolted out of his caged thoughts from that question, did he say that out loud?

“I-err I don’t particularly like this piece, it’s not the best. I personally like winter landscapes mor-“

A loud gasp hit Matthew’s ears and the Albino had screeched out as if utterly bewildered by the earlier comment,

“You don’t like it?! It’s really... really good- Better than what I could ever do! I’ve been trying to find someone who could draw a scene like that for ages!” The artist’s cheeks had flamed up in such overwhelming embarrassment (and a tiny smidge of smug pride) that he almost lost the latter of what Gilbert had blurted out.

Scene? Oh. Gilbert must be a media student….-actually no wonder he seems familiar...was he that guy that sometimes appeared mysteriously near Feli and his Ludwig? – On the odd chance the departments had overlapping projects it wasn’t uncommon to find media students mingling with his fellow artists. Incidentally, he recalled about a month ago, he was commissioned by that smaller Finnish fellow (“O-Oh No I’m not Swedish, Berwald just hangs around a lot.”) to help apply face paint for a strange music video in a probably-Nordic language (I wonder if Tino did get an A for that project).

“Scene for what?”

He had obviously caught those red eyes off guard, then as if a light switch had been flicked the boy’s grin grew wide.

“An Animation! Wanna see the storyboard? I’ve been looking for an animator, seeing as my drawing skills can be described as the equivalent of a…What was that saying…um...? A fish trying to climb a tree…”

It wasn’t like Matthew was trying to be rude, however, he had tuned out Gilbert after the silver haired student had turned his heavy overloaded binder of paper for show. The page was full. It looked overly detailed, annotated words scribbled over the crudely but clearly illustrated panels of what seemed to be a short story of a young boy? As he leant down closer to investigate the piece he noticed the smaller details scrawled in between the panels like ‘Screen transition – autumn’ or ‘Redo panel, reframe’. With such a thorough and comprehensive plan, any animator would know exactly what the director would want from them. ‘Honestly, if only the people who commissioned him would give him details like that – I’m looking at you Tino’

“…Actually just realised what that fish quote meant...man that’s really smart I guess, can’t believe I…”

Oh. Gilbert was still yapping. His lavender eyes scoped up and down the page and he hummed in approval of the chatterbox’s work. He was staring so close to the page that the Canadian could feel his glasses slipping off…

“…..Hey! I should hire you to be my animator!”

Matthew had glanced so quickly at Gilbert in that moment that his glasses had slanted in the movement. This is going to be a long semester.

[sportsandfitnessinfo]

New Post has been published on http://fitnessandhealthpros.com/fitness/whats-that-ear-health-dietary-and-lifestyle-choices-that-preserve-it/

“What’s That?” Ear Health: Dietary and Lifestyle Choices that Preserve It

Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that.

Research indicates that an estimated 1 in 5 folks have some form of hearing loss. This rate increases to 1 in 3 for age 65 and over, but some estimates put hearing loss great enough to impair communication even higher for the upper decades at around 40%. Perhaps even more alarming, close to 15% of American kids have some form of hearing loss. In teenagers, prevalence has jumped from 15% in 1994 to almost 20% in 2006. Unfortunately, that hearing difficulty will often go undiagnosed.

Hearing loss is, in fact, the third most common health condition in the country, right on the heels of arthritis and heart disease. And it’s getting worse. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of Americans with hearing loss has doubled, mirroring a worldwide increase of 44% over that same period.

But it’s not all about hearing. What about ear health? Our ears perform plenty more functions than just auditory reception. Let’s not forget that the ears are instrumental in influencing our emotions and state of mind, maintaining our sense of balance, and regulating pressure.

From what meagre stats are available on ear health, we know that close to 16,000 older Americans were killed in falls in 2005. We also know that nearly half of those deaths were balance-related. And that a whopping third of the population report vestibular symptoms (inner ear-related balance issues). Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes tinnitus, vertigo and hear loss, affects an estimated 615,000 Americans. That’s enough in the way of statistics to indicate that substandard ear health has broad implications for overall health.

Noise Annoys: Let Natural Sound Abound

There’s plenty of mechanisms by which our bodies recognize stress. One such mechanism that often gets overlooked is our ears. At a very basic, primitive level, the sounds registered by our ears dramatically impact our emotions. Birdsong, in particular, and trickling water relax our minds and alleviate stress, while the neighbor’s yapping dog or traffic noise from the street rile us up. This lines up with what we know about the all-important vagus nerve, which plays an influential role in how our bodies control inflammation…and which just so happens to have a few tendrils in your ears.

Along with all the conveniences of the modern world, the Grok-friendly natural sounds of the past have slowly been replaced by anthropogenic noise. Cars, planes, trains, incessant chatter… noise constantly surrounds us, and while it may fade into the background, research shows that it’s slowly but surely contributing to chronic stress.

A 2014 literature review of the effects of noise on health noted that it disturbs sleep (duh), increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and impairs cognitive performance.

And by triggering stress and the subsequent release of adrenaline, noise can create a negative feedback loop which worsens the health of your ears. Elevated levels of adrenaline lower blood circulation in the peripheral areas of the body, one of which just so happens to be the ears. With chronic stress, the tiny hairs inside your ear canals become starved of blood and the nutrients it provides. The result is a gradual die-off of these auditory hairs, which of course can lead to permanently impaired hearing. This means that noises that might not directly damage your ears can still harm your hearing.

On the brighter side, nature is the best antidote. Getting away from the urban jungle and immersing ourselves in the sounds of nature has been shown to reduce our perception of pain. A similar therapeutic effect is highlighted by this 2003 study, which modeled the stress-buffering effect that “nearby nature” had on schoolchildren. Unsurprisingly, researchers found that “the impact of life stress was lower among children with high levels of nearby nature than among those with little nearby nature.” The science behind restorative natural sound is largely rooted in evolutionary principle. Our inherent blueprints expect the subtle “aural diet” of our ancestors rather than the bombastic range of noises we feed it today.

Hearing Loss: More to It Than Many Believe

I’ll start with the obvious: if your ears are exposed to loud noises, you may suffer from temporary hearing loss. But newish research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that it may not be over even after the concert’s over. According to the study, “acoustic overexposures causing moderate, but completely reversible, threshold elevation leave cochlear sensory cells intact, but cause acute loss of afferent nerve terminals and delayed degeneration of the cochlear nerve.” This means that going to a one-off music concert, for example, might set in motion a degenerative process which can damage your hearing permanently. Scary stuff.

And as the research into hearing loss begins to accumulate, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that ear health is intrinsically tied into your overall health. For starters, smoking has been directly linked to hearing loss. A 2007 study found that newborns who were exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb had a significantly lower hearing sensitivity than those who weren’t. Obviously, if you’re a Primal lifer you’ve long ago washed your hands of the Marlboros, but second-hand smoke is always a risk to pregnant mothers, no matter how healthy they are. Yet another reason to distance yourself from those noxious clouds…

Another sobering fact—there’s also plenty of evidence showing that diabetes can contribute to hearing loss. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine examined medical records from 53,461 non-diabetic patients and compared them 12,575 age-matched diabetic patients. They found that sensorineural hearing loss was more common in the diabetic patients, and that this hearing loss impact increased with elevated diabetes severity. Other studies have found much the same correlation, with some indications noting that perception of higher sound frequencies might be the first to go.

The Role of Diet for Hearing

Yes, as with everything else, what you eat (or don’t eat) affects your ear health. Apparently, restricting calories is the new big thing in the ear world. A recent Swedish study proved that rats placed on a 70% dietary restriction showed reduced age-related degenerative shrinking of their inner ear tissues. This resulted in significantly improved hearing function over non-calorie restricted littermates.

For those of us interested in less extreme measures, there are other promising dietary strategies to consider. Multiple studies have shown that a diet rich in the vitamins A, C, E and magnesium can prevent hearing loss by minimizing inflammation and increasing blood flow to the inner ear. Crucially, however, none of these vitamins or magnesium alone were effective in reducing hearing loss or sensory cell death: only when applied synergistically did they provide the protective effect (kind of like the A Team of the hearing world). Specifically, their collective effect helped to protect the ear against the negative feedback degenerative hearing damage I discussed earlier.

And there’s plenty more research where that came from. This study used sound frequency testing and a semi-quantitative questionnaire to establish what impact intakes of certain vitamins and minerals exhibited on hearing health. Vitamins A and E showed the most promise, with vitamin A correlating with a 47% lower risk of hearing loss and vitamin E a 14% lower risk. I like those odds but, again, believe that synergy matters.

The role of magnesium in hearing protection has received particular attention in the literature, and the results continue to be positive. If you’ve got hearing problems and haven’t already invested in the formidable healing powers of quality magnesium supplementation, now might be the time.

So while the rest of the world waits for the development of wondrous oral drugs that capitalize on these findings, here’s an insider’s tip: you can get a head start by simply eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. Nothing new there, right? Dark leafy greens for magnesium, avocados for vitamin E, liver for vitamin A, and any number of fruit and vegetables for vitamin C. A comprehensive multi can’t hurt either.

Unpacking the Mystery of Tinnitus

Then there’s tinnitus, the frustrating ringing ear condition that regularly affects an estimated 15% of Americans. As far as causes go, the list is long. In addition to noise exposure, tinnitus can develop as a result of excessive ear wax buildup, medications like aspirin and antibiotics, middle ear infections, and aging. Tinnitus occurs when hair cells in the ear’s cochlea are damaged or destroyed, meaning there are any number of pathways by which someone can develop this condition. I have a friend who’s suffered from tinnitus over the past 5 years due to multiple concussions. Ding your head enough times, and your ears may pay the price. There’s even suggestions that certain folks may be genetically predisposed to developing tinnitus, but that research isn’t conclusive.

And despite our growing knowledge of the causes of tinnitus, it’s on the rise. As the urban population grows, so, too, does the percentage of the population exposed to that anthropocentric din I highlighted earlier. Concerts are just as big and loud if not more so than they were a couple decades ago. We have more and noisier machines in our lives than ever before.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Those same hearing-protective steps I talked about earlier can also be applied to tinnitus. Concentrating on nutrient-dense foods that provide ample levels of vitamins A, C and E, and perhaps supplementing with magnesium oil, should help to prevent those hairs in your cochlea from sustaining significant damage. Continuing the diet theme, there’s preliminary evidence to suggest that zinc depletion may play a role, and that moderate to high caffeine intake per day has beneficial effect. Probably not a great idea to go crazy on the coffee, however, particularly if you’re sensitive to it.

And, not suprisingly, Inflammation is almost undoubtedly at play here as well, verified by a strong association between hypertension and tinnitus. Reducing inflammatory food intake and minimizing stress should therefore go a long way towards lowering your risk of tinnitus. Similarly, vagal nerve stimulation, which uses small electrical pulses to stimulate an anti-inflammatory feedback in the vagus, shows a lot of promise in treatment for tinnitus.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have you or those you love experienced any of the above conditions? Are you taking any special steps to preserve your hearing and ear health? Have you heard about other medical treatments or lifestyle interventions? Have a good end to your week.

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#Choices, #Dietary, #Health, #Lifestyle, #Preserve, #That”, #What’S #Fitness

[cristinajourdanqp]

“What’s That?” Ear Health: Dietary and Lifestyle Choices that Preserve It

Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that.

Research indicates that an estimated 1 in 5 folks have some form of hearing loss. This rate increases to 1 in 3 for age 65 and over, but some estimates put hearing loss great enough to impair communication even higher for the upper decades at around 40%. Perhaps even more alarming, close to 15% of American kids have some form of hearing loss. In teenagers, prevalence has jumped from 15% in 1994 to almost 20% in 2006. Unfortunately, that hearing difficulty will often go undiagnosed.

Hearing loss is, in fact, the third most common health condition in the country, right on the heels of arthritis and heart disease. And it’s getting worse. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of Americans with hearing loss has doubled, mirroring a worldwide increase of 44% over that same period.

But it’s not all about hearing. What about ear health? Our ears perform plenty more functions than just auditory reception. Let’s not forget that the ears are instrumental in influencing our emotions and state of mind, maintaining our sense of balance, and regulating pressure.

From what meagre stats are available on ear health, we know that close to 16,000 older Americans were killed in falls in 2005. We also know that nearly half of those deaths were balance-related. And that a whopping third of the population report vestibular symptoms (inner ear-related balance issues). Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes tinnitus, vertigo and hear loss, affects an estimated 615,000 Americans. That’s enough in the way of statistics to indicate that substandard ear health has broad implications for overall health.

Noise Annoys: Let Natural Sound Abound

There’s plenty of mechanisms by which our bodies recognize stress. One such mechanism that often gets overlooked is our ears. At a very basic, primitive level, the sounds registered by our ears dramatically impact our emotions. Birdsong, in particular, and trickling water relax our minds and alleviate stress, while the neighbor’s yapping dog or traffic noise from the street rile us up. This lines up with what we know about the all-important vagus nerve, which plays an influential role in how our bodies control inflammation…and which just so happens to have a few tendrils in your ears.

Along with all the conveniences of the modern world, the Grok-friendly natural sounds of the past have slowly been replaced by anthropogenic noise. Cars, planes, trains, incessant chatter… noise constantly surrounds us, and while it may fade into the background, research shows that it’s slowly but surely contributing to chronic stress.

A 2014 literature review of the effects of noise on health noted that it disturbs sleep (duh), increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and impairs cognitive performance.

And by triggering stress and the subsequent release of adrenaline, noise can create a negative feedback loop which worsens the health of your ears. Elevated levels of adrenaline lower blood circulation in the peripheral areas of the body, one of which just so happens to be the ears. With chronic stress, the tiny hairs inside your ear canals become starved of blood and the nutrients it provides. The result is a gradual die-off of these auditory hairs, which of course can lead to permanently impaired hearing. This means that noises that might not directly damage your ears can still harm your hearing.

On the brighter side, nature is the best antidote. Getting away from the urban jungle and immersing ourselves in the sounds of nature has been shown to reduce our perception of pain. A similar therapeutic effect is highlighted by this 2003 study, which modeled the stress-buffering effect that “nearby nature” had on schoolchildren. Unsurprisingly, researchers found that “the impact of life stress was lower among children with high levels of nearby nature than among those with little nearby nature.” The science behind restorative natural sound is largely rooted in evolutionary principle. Our inherent blueprints expect the subtle “aural diet” of our ancestors rather than the bombastic range of noises we feed it today.

Hearing Loss: More to It Than Many Believe

I’ll start with the obvious: if your ears are exposed to loud noises, you may suffer from temporary hearing loss. But newish research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that it may not be over even after the concert’s over. According to the study, “acoustic overexposures causing moderate, but completely reversible, threshold elevation leave cochlear sensory cells intact, but cause acute loss of afferent nerve terminals and delayed degeneration of the cochlear nerve.” This means that going to a one-off music concert, for example, might set in motion a degenerative process which can damage your hearing permanently. Scary stuff.

And as the research into hearing loss begins to accumulate, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that ear health is intrinsically tied into your overall health. For starters, smoking has been directly linked to hearing loss. A 2007 study found that newborns who were exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb had a significantly lower hearing sensitivity than those who weren’t. Obviously, if you’re a Primal lifer you’ve long ago washed your hands of the Marlboros, but second-hand smoke is always a risk to pregnant mothers, no matter how healthy they are. Yet another reason to distance yourself from those noxious clouds…

Another sobering fact—there’s also plenty of evidence showing that diabetes can contribute to hearing loss. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine examined medical records from 53,461 non-diabetic patients and compared them 12,575 age-matched diabetic patients. They found that sensorineural hearing loss was more common in the diabetic patients, and that this hearing loss impact increased with elevated diabetes severity. Other studies have found much the same correlation, with some indications noting that perception of higher sound frequencies might be the first to go.

The Role of Diet for Hearing

Yes, as with everything else, what you eat (or don’t eat) affects your ear health. Apparently, restricting calories is the new big thing in the ear world. A recent Swedish study proved that rats placed on a 70% dietary restriction showed reduced age-related degenerative shrinking of their inner ear tissues. This resulted in significantly improved hearing function over non-calorie restricted littermates.

For those of us interested in less extreme measures, there are other promising dietary strategies to consider. Multiple studies have shown that a diet rich in the vitamins A, C, E and magnesium can prevent hearing loss by minimizing inflammation and increasing blood flow to the inner ear. Crucially, however, none of these vitamins or magnesium alone were effective in reducing hearing loss or sensory cell death: only when applied synergistically did they provide the protective effect (kind of like the A Team of the hearing world). Specifically, their collective effect helped to protect the ear against the negative feedback degenerative hearing damage I discussed earlier.

And there’s plenty more research where that came from. This study used sound frequency testing and a semi-quantitative questionnaire to establish what impact intakes of certain vitamins and minerals exhibited on hearing health. Vitamins A and E showed the most promise, with vitamin A correlating with a 47% lower risk of hearing loss and vitamin E a 14% lower risk. I like those odds but, again, believe that synergy matters.

The role of magnesium in hearing protection has received particular attention in the literature, and the results continue to be positive. If you’ve got hearing problems and haven’t already invested in the formidable healing powers of quality magnesium supplementation, now might be the time.

So while the rest of the world waits for the development of wondrous oral drugs that capitalize on these findings, here’s an insider’s tip: you can get a head start by simply eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. Nothing new there, right? Dark leafy greens for magnesium, avocados for vitamin E, liver for vitamin A, and any number of fruit and vegetables for vitamin C. A comprehensive multi can’t hurt either.

Unpacking the Mystery of Tinnitus

Then there’s tinnitus, the frustrating ringing ear condition that regularly affects an estimated 15% of Americans. As far as causes go, the list is long. In addition to noise exposure, tinnitus can develop as a result of excessive ear wax buildup, medications like aspirin and antibiotics, middle ear infections, and aging. Tinnitus occurs when hair cells in the ear’s cochlea are damaged or destroyed, meaning there are any number of pathways by which someone can develop this condition. I have a friend who’s suffered from tinnitus over the past 5 years due to multiple concussions. Ding your head enough times, and your ears may pay the price. There’s even suggestions that certain folks may be genetically predisposed to developing tinnitus, but that research isn’t conclusive.

And despite our growing knowledge of the causes of tinnitus, it’s on the rise. As the urban population grows, so, too, does the percentage of the population exposed to that anthropocentric din I highlighted earlier. Concerts are just as big and loud if not more so than they were a couple decades ago. We have more and noisier machines in our lives than ever before.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Those same hearing-protective steps I talked about earlier can also be applied to tinnitus. Concentrating on nutrient-dense foods that provide ample levels of vitamins A, C and E, and perhaps supplementing with magnesium oil, should help to prevent those hairs in your cochlea from sustaining significant damage. Continuing the diet theme, there’s preliminary evidence to suggest that zinc depletion may play a role, and that moderate to high caffeine intake per day has beneficial effect. Probably not a great idea to go crazy on the coffee, however, particularly if you’re sensitive to it.

And, not suprisingly, Inflammation is almost undoubtedly at play here as well, verified by a strong association between hypertension and tinnitus. Reducing inflammatory food intake and minimizing stress should therefore go a long way towards lowering your risk of tinnitus. Similarly, vagal nerve stimulation, which uses small electrical pulses to stimulate an anti-inflammatory feedback in the vagus, shows a lot of promise in treatment for tinnitus.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have you or those you love experienced any of the above conditions? Are you taking any special steps to preserve your hearing and ear health? Have you heard about other medical treatments or lifestyle interventions? Have a good end to your week.

[fishermariawo]

“What’s That?” Ear Health: Dietary and Lifestyle Choices that Preserve It

Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that.

Research indicates that an estimated 1 in 5 folks have some form of hearing loss. This rate increases to 1 in 3 for age 65 and over, but some estimates put hearing loss great enough to impair communication even higher for the upper decades at around 40%. Perhaps even more alarming, close to 15% of American kids have some form of hearing loss. In teenagers, prevalence has jumped from 15% in 1994 to almost 20% in 2006. Unfortunately, that hearing difficulty will often go undiagnosed.

Hearing loss is, in fact, the third most common health condition in the country, right on the heels of arthritis and heart disease. And it’s getting worse. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of Americans with hearing loss has doubled, mirroring a worldwide increase of 44% over that same period.

But it’s not all about hearing. What about ear health? Our ears perform plenty more functions than just auditory reception. Let’s not forget that the ears are instrumental in influencing our emotions and state of mind, maintaining our sense of balance, and regulating pressure.

From what meagre stats are available on ear health, we know that close to 16,000 older Americans were killed in falls in 2005. We also know that nearly half of those deaths were balance-related. And that a whopping third of the population report vestibular symptoms (inner ear-related balance issues). Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes tinnitus, vertigo and hear loss, affects an estimated 615,000 Americans. That’s enough in the way of statistics to indicate that substandard ear health has broad implications for overall health.

Noise Annoys: Let Natural Sound Abound

There’s plenty of mechanisms by which our bodies recognize stress. One such mechanism that often gets overlooked is our ears. At a very basic, primitive level, the sounds registered by our ears dramatically impact our emotions. Birdsong, in particular, and trickling water relax our minds and alleviate stress, while the neighbor’s yapping dog or traffic noise from the street rile us up. This lines up with what we know about the all-important vagus nerve, which plays an influential role in how our bodies control inflammation…and which just so happens to have a few tendrils in your ears.

Along with all the conveniences of the modern world, the Grok-friendly natural sounds of the past have slowly been replaced by anthropogenic noise. Cars, planes, trains, incessant chatter… noise constantly surrounds us, and while it may fade into the background, research shows that it’s slowly but surely contributing to chronic stress.

A 2014 literature review of the effects of noise on health noted that it disturbs sleep (duh), increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and impairs cognitive performance.

And by triggering stress and the subsequent release of adrenaline, noise can create a negative feedback loop which worsens the health of your ears. Elevated levels of adrenaline lower blood circulation in the peripheral areas of the body, one of which just so happens to be the ears. With chronic stress, the tiny hairs inside your ear canals become starved of blood and the nutrients it provides. The result is a gradual die-off of these auditory hairs, which of course can lead to permanently impaired hearing. This means that noises that might not directly damage your ears can still harm your hearing.

On the brighter side, nature is the best antidote. Getting away from the urban jungle and immersing ourselves in the sounds of nature has been shown to reduce our perception of pain. A similar therapeutic effect is highlighted by this 2003 study, which modeled the stress-buffering effect that “nearby nature” had on schoolchildren. Unsurprisingly, researchers found that “the impact of life stress was lower among children with high levels of nearby nature than among those with little nearby nature.” The science behind restorative natural sound is largely rooted in evolutionary principle. Our inherent blueprints expect the subtle “aural diet” of our ancestors rather than the bombastic range of noises we feed it today.

Hearing Loss: More to It Than Many Believe

I’ll start with the obvious: if your ears are exposed to loud noises, you may suffer from temporary hearing loss. But newish research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that it may not be over even after the concert’s over. According to the study, “acoustic overexposures causing moderate, but completely reversible, threshold elevation leave cochlear sensory cells intact, but cause acute loss of afferent nerve terminals and delayed degeneration of the cochlear nerve.” This means that going to a one-off music concert, for example, might set in motion a degenerative process which can damage your hearing permanently. Scary stuff.

And as the research into hearing loss begins to accumulate, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that ear health is intrinsically tied into your overall health. For starters, smoking has been directly linked to hearing loss. A 2007 study found that newborns who were exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb had a significantly lower hearing sensitivity than those who weren’t. Obviously, if you’re a Primal lifer you’ve long ago washed your hands of the Marlboros, but second-hand smoke is always a risk to pregnant mothers, no matter how healthy they are. Yet another reason to distance yourself from those noxious clouds…

Another sobering fact—there’s also plenty of evidence showing that diabetes can contribute to hearing loss. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine examined medical records from 53,461 non-diabetic patients and compared them 12,575 age-matched diabetic patients. They found that sensorineural hearing loss was more common in the diabetic patients, and that this hearing loss impact increased with elevated diabetes severity. Other studies have found much the same correlation, with some indications noting that perception of higher sound frequencies might be the first to go.

The Role of Diet for Hearing

Yes, as with everything else, what you eat (or don’t eat) affects your ear health. Apparently, restricting calories is the new big thing in the ear world. A recent Swedish study proved that rats placed on a 70% dietary restriction showed reduced age-related degenerative shrinking of their inner ear tissues. This resulted in significantly improved hearing function over non-calorie restricted littermates.

For those of us interested in less extreme measures, there are other promising dietary strategies to consider. Multiple studies have shown that a diet rich in the vitamins A, C, E and magnesium can prevent hearing loss by minimizing inflammation and increasing blood flow to the inner ear. Crucially, however, none of these vitamins or magnesium alone were effective in reducing hearing loss or sensory cell death: only when applied synergistically did they provide the protective effect (kind of like the A Team of the hearing world). Specifically, their collective effect helped to protect the ear against the negative feedback degenerative hearing damage I discussed earlier.

And there’s plenty more research where that came from. This study used sound frequency testing and a semi-quantitative questionnaire to establish what impact intakes of certain vitamins and minerals exhibited on hearing health. Vitamins A and E showed the most promise, with vitamin A correlating with a 47% lower risk of hearing loss and vitamin E a 14% lower risk. I like those odds but, again, believe that synergy matters.

The role of magnesium in hearing protection has received particular attention in the literature, and the results continue to be positive. If you’ve got hearing problems and haven’t already invested in the formidable healing powers of quality magnesium supplementation, now might be the time.

So while the rest of the world waits for the development of wondrous oral drugs that capitalize on these findings, here’s an insider’s tip: you can get a head start by simply eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. Nothing new there, right? Dark leafy greens for magnesium, avocados for vitamin E, liver for vitamin A, and any number of fruit and vegetables for vitamin C. A comprehensive multi can’t hurt either.

Unpacking the Mystery of Tinnitus

Then there’s tinnitus, the frustrating ringing ear condition that regularly affects an estimated 15% of Americans. As far as causes go, the list is long. In addition to noise exposure, tinnitus can develop as a result of excessive ear wax buildup, medications like aspirin and antibiotics, middle ear infections, and aging. Tinnitus occurs when hair cells in the ear’s cochlea are damaged or destroyed, meaning there are any number of pathways by which someone can develop this condition. I have a friend who’s suffered from tinnitus over the past 5 years due to multiple concussions. Ding your head enough times, and your ears may pay the price. There’s even suggestions that certain folks may be genetically predisposed to developing tinnitus, but that research isn’t conclusive.

And despite our growing knowledge of the causes of tinnitus, it’s on the rise. As the urban population grows, so, too, does the percentage of the population exposed to that anthropocentric din I highlighted earlier. Concerts are just as big and loud if not more so than they were a couple decades ago. We have more and noisier machines in our lives than ever before.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Those same hearing-protective steps I talked about earlier can also be applied to tinnitus. Concentrating on nutrient-dense foods that provide ample levels of vitamins A, C and E, and perhaps supplementing with magnesium oil, should help to prevent those hairs in your cochlea from sustaining significant damage. Continuing the diet theme, there’s preliminary evidence to suggest that zinc depletion may play a role, and that moderate to high caffeine intake per day has beneficial effect. Probably not a great idea to go crazy on the coffee, however, particularly if you’re sensitive to it.

And, not suprisingly, Inflammation is almost undoubtedly at play here as well, verified by a strong association between hypertension and tinnitus. Reducing inflammatory food intake and minimizing stress should therefore go a long way towards lowering your risk of tinnitus. Similarly, vagal nerve stimulation, which uses small electrical pulses to stimulate an anti-inflammatory feedback in the vagus, shows a lot of promise in treatment for tinnitus.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have you or those you love experienced any of the above conditions? Are you taking any special steps to preserve your hearing and ear health? Have you heard about other medical treatments or lifestyle interventions? Have a good end to your week.

[watsonrodriquezie]

“What’s That?” Ear Health: Dietary and Lifestyle Choices that Preserve It

Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that.

Research indicates that an estimated 1 in 5 folks have some form of hearing loss. This rate increases to 1 in 3 for age 65 and over, but some estimates put hearing loss great enough to impair communication even higher for the upper decades at around 40%. Perhaps even more alarming, close to 15% of American kids have some form of hearing loss. In teenagers, prevalence has jumped from 15% in 1994 to almost 20% in 2006. Unfortunately, that hearing difficulty will often go undiagnosed.

Hearing loss is, in fact, the third most common health condition in the country, right on the heels of arthritis and heart disease. And it’s getting worse. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of Americans with hearing loss has doubled, mirroring a worldwide increase of 44% over that same period.

But it’s not all about hearing. What about ear health? Our ears perform plenty more functions than just auditory reception. Let’s not forget that the ears are instrumental in influencing our emotions and state of mind, maintaining our sense of balance, and regulating pressure.

From what meagre stats are available on ear health, we know that close to 16,000 older Americans were killed in falls in 2005. We also know that nearly half of those deaths were balance-related. And that a whopping third of the population report vestibular symptoms (inner ear-related balance issues). Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes tinnitus, vertigo and hear loss, affects an estimated 615,000 Americans. That’s enough in the way of statistics to indicate that substandard ear health has broad implications for overall health.

Noise Annoys: Let Natural Sound Abound

There’s plenty of mechanisms by which our bodies recognize stress. One such mechanism that often gets overlooked is our ears. At a very basic, primitive level, the sounds registered by our ears dramatically impact our emotions. Birdsong, in particular, and trickling water relax our minds and alleviate stress, while the neighbor’s yapping dog or traffic noise from the street rile us up. This lines up with what we know about the all-important vagus nerve, which plays an influential role in how our bodies control inflammation…and which just so happens to have a few tendrils in your ears.

Along with all the conveniences of the modern world, the Grok-friendly natural sounds of the past have slowly been replaced by anthropogenic noise. Cars, planes, trains, incessant chatter… noise constantly surrounds us, and while it may fade into the background, research shows that it’s slowly but surely contributing to chronic stress.

A 2014 literature review of the effects of noise on health noted that it disturbs sleep (duh), increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and impairs cognitive performance.

And by triggering stress and the subsequent release of adrenaline, noise can create a negative feedback loop which worsens the health of your ears. Elevated levels of adrenaline lower blood circulation in the peripheral areas of the body, one of which just so happens to be the ears. With chronic stress, the tiny hairs inside your ear canals become starved of blood and the nutrients it provides. The result is a gradual die-off of these auditory hairs, which of course can lead to permanently impaired hearing. This means that noises that might not directly damage your ears can still harm your hearing.

On the brighter side, nature is the best antidote. Getting away from the urban jungle and immersing ourselves in the sounds of nature has been shown to reduce our perception of pain. A similar therapeutic effect is highlighted by this 2003 study, which modeled the stress-buffering effect that “nearby nature” had on schoolchildren. Unsurprisingly, researchers found that “the impact of life stress was lower among children with high levels of nearby nature than among those with little nearby nature.” The science behind restorative natural sound is largely rooted in evolutionary principle. Our inherent blueprints expect the subtle “aural diet” of our ancestors rather than the bombastic range of noises we feed it today.

Hearing Loss: More to It Than Many Believe

I’ll start with the obvious: if your ears are exposed to loud noises, you may suffer from temporary hearing loss. But newish research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that it may not be over even after the concert’s over. According to the study, “acoustic overexposures causing moderate, but completely reversible, threshold elevation leave cochlear sensory cells intact, but cause acute loss of afferent nerve terminals and delayed degeneration of the cochlear nerve.” This means that going to a one-off music concert, for example, might set in motion a degenerative process which can damage your hearing permanently. Scary stuff.

And as the research into hearing loss begins to accumulate, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that ear health is intrinsically tied into your overall health. For starters, smoking has been directly linked to hearing loss. A 2007 study found that newborns who were exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb had a significantly lower hearing sensitivity than those who weren’t. Obviously, if you’re a Primal lifer you’ve long ago washed your hands of the Marlboros, but second-hand smoke is always a risk to pregnant mothers, no matter how healthy they are. Yet another reason to distance yourself from those noxious clouds…

Another sobering fact—there’s also plenty of evidence showing that diabetes can contribute to hearing loss. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine examined medical records from 53,461 non-diabetic patients and compared them 12,575 age-matched diabetic patients. They found that sensorineural hearing loss was more common in the diabetic patients, and that this hearing loss impact increased with elevated diabetes severity. Other studies have found much the same correlation, with some indications noting that perception of higher sound frequencies might be the first to go.

The Role of Diet for Hearing

Yes, as with everything else, what you eat (or don’t eat) affects your ear health. Apparently, restricting calories is the new big thing in the ear world. A recent Swedish study proved that rats placed on a 70% dietary restriction showed reduced age-related degenerative shrinking of their inner ear tissues. This resulted in significantly improved hearing function over non-calorie restricted littermates.

For those of us interested in less extreme measures, there are other promising dietary strategies to consider. Multiple studies have shown that a diet rich in the vitamins A, C, E and magnesium can prevent hearing loss by minimizing inflammation and increasing blood flow to the inner ear. Crucially, however, none of these vitamins or magnesium alone were effective in reducing hearing loss or sensory cell death: only when applied synergistically did they provide the protective effect (kind of like the A Team of the hearing world). Specifically, their collective effect helped to protect the ear against the negative feedback degenerative hearing damage I discussed earlier.

And there’s plenty more research where that came from. This study used sound frequency testing and a semi-quantitative questionnaire to establish what impact intakes of certain vitamins and minerals exhibited on hearing health. Vitamins A and E showed the most promise, with vitamin A correlating with a 47% lower risk of hearing loss and vitamin E a 14% lower risk. I like those odds but, again, believe that synergy matters.

The role of magnesium in hearing protection has received particular attention in the literature, and the results continue to be positive. If you’ve got hearing problems and haven’t already invested in the formidable healing powers of quality magnesium supplementation, now might be the time.

So while the rest of the world waits for the development of wondrous oral drugs that capitalize on these findings, here’s an insider’s tip: you can get a head start by simply eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. Nothing new there, right? Dark leafy greens for magnesium, avocados for vitamin E, liver for vitamin A, and any number of fruit and vegetables for vitamin C. A comprehensive multi can’t hurt either.

Unpacking the Mystery of Tinnitus

Then there’s tinnitus, the frustrating ringing ear condition that regularly affects an estimated 15% of Americans. As far as causes go, the list is long. In addition to noise exposure, tinnitus can develop as a result of excessive ear wax buildup, medications like aspirin and antibiotics, middle ear infections, and aging. Tinnitus occurs when hair cells in the ear’s cochlea are damaged or destroyed, meaning there are any number of pathways by which someone can develop this condition. I have a friend who’s suffered from tinnitus over the past 5 years due to multiple concussions. Ding your head enough times, and your ears may pay the price. There’s even suggestions that certain folks may be genetically predisposed to developing tinnitus, but that research isn’t conclusive.

And despite our growing knowledge of the causes of tinnitus, it’s on the rise. As the urban population grows, so, too, does the percentage of the population exposed to that anthropocentric din I highlighted earlier. Concerts are just as big and loud if not more so than they were a couple decades ago. We have more and noisier machines in our lives than ever before.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Those same hearing-protective steps I talked about earlier can also be applied to tinnitus. Concentrating on nutrient-dense foods that provide ample levels of vitamins A, C and E, and perhaps supplementing with magnesium oil, should help to prevent those hairs in your cochlea from sustaining significant damage. Continuing the diet theme, there’s preliminary evidence to suggest that zinc depletion may play a role, and that moderate to high caffeine intake per day has beneficial effect. Probably not a great idea to go crazy on the coffee, however, particularly if you’re sensitive to it.

And, not suprisingly, Inflammation is almost undoubtedly at play here as well, verified by a strong association between hypertension and tinnitus. Reducing inflammatory food intake and minimizing stress should therefore go a long way towards lowering your risk of tinnitus. Similarly, vagal nerve stimulation, which uses small electrical pulses to stimulate an anti-inflammatory feedback in the vagus, shows a lot of promise in treatment for tinnitus.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have you or those you love experienced any of the above conditions? Are you taking any special steps to preserve your hearing and ear health? Have you heard about other medical treatments or lifestyle interventions? Have a good end to your week.

[milenasanchezmk]

“What’s That?” Ear Health: Dietary and Lifestyle Choices that Preserve It

Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that.

Research indicates that an estimated 1 in 5 folks have some form of hearing loss. This rate increases to 1 in 3 for age 65 and over, but some estimates put hearing loss great enough to impair communication even higher for the upper decades at around 40%. Perhaps even more alarming, close to 15% of American kids have some form of hearing loss. In teenagers, prevalence has jumped from 15% in 1994 to almost 20% in 2006. Unfortunately, that hearing difficulty will often go undiagnosed.

Hearing loss is, in fact, the third most common health condition in the country, right on the heels of arthritis and heart disease. And it’s getting worse. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of Americans with hearing loss has doubled, mirroring a worldwide increase of 44% over that same period.

But it’s not all about hearing. What about ear health? Our ears perform plenty more functions than just auditory reception. Let’s not forget that the ears are instrumental in influencing our emotions and state of mind, maintaining our sense of balance, and regulating pressure.

From what meagre stats are available on ear health, we know that close to 16,000 older Americans were killed in falls in 2005. We also know that nearly half of those deaths were balance-related. And that a whopping third of the population report vestibular symptoms (inner ear-related balance issues). Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes tinnitus, vertigo and hear loss, affects an estimated 615,000 Americans. That’s enough in the way of statistics to indicate that substandard ear health has broad implications for overall health.

Noise Annoys: Let Natural Sound Abound

There’s plenty of mechanisms by which our bodies recognize stress. One such mechanism that often gets overlooked is our ears. At a very basic, primitive level, the sounds registered by our ears dramatically impact our emotions. Birdsong, in particular, and trickling water relax our minds and alleviate stress, while the neighbor’s yapping dog or traffic noise from the street rile us up. This lines up with what we know about the all-important vagus nerve, which plays an influential role in how our bodies control inflammation…and which just so happens to have a few tendrils in your ears.

Along with all the conveniences of the modern world, the Grok-friendly natural sounds of the past have slowly been replaced by anthropogenic noise. Cars, planes, trains, incessant chatter… noise constantly surrounds us, and while it may fade into the background, research shows that it’s slowly but surely contributing to chronic stress.

A 2014 literature review of the effects of noise on health noted that it disturbs sleep (duh), increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and impairs cognitive performance.

And by triggering stress and the subsequent release of adrenaline, noise can create a negative feedback loop which worsens the health of your ears. Elevated levels of adrenaline lower blood circulation in the peripheral areas of the body, one of which just so happens to be the ears. With chronic stress, the tiny hairs inside your ear canals become starved of blood and the nutrients it provides. The result is a gradual die-off of these auditory hairs, which of course can lead to permanently impaired hearing. This means that noises that might not directly damage your ears can still harm your hearing.

On the brighter side, nature is the best antidote. Getting away from the urban jungle and immersing ourselves in the sounds of nature has been shown to reduce our perception of pain. A similar therapeutic effect is highlighted by this 2003 study, which modeled the stress-buffering effect that “nearby nature” had on schoolchildren. Unsurprisingly, researchers found that “the impact of life stress was lower among children with high levels of nearby nature than among those with little nearby nature.” The science behind restorative natural sound is largely rooted in evolutionary principle. Our inherent blueprints expect the subtle “aural diet” of our ancestors rather than the bombastic range of noises we feed it today.

Hearing Loss: More to It Than Many Believe

I’ll start with the obvious: if your ears are exposed to loud noises, you may suffer from temporary hearing loss. But newish research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that it may not be over even after the concert’s over. According to the study, “acoustic overexposures causing moderate, but completely reversible, threshold elevation leave cochlear sensory cells intact, but cause acute loss of afferent nerve terminals and delayed degeneration of the cochlear nerve.” This means that going to a one-off music concert, for example, might set in motion a degenerative process which can damage your hearing permanently. Scary stuff.

And as the research into hearing loss begins to accumulate, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that ear health is intrinsically tied into your overall health. For starters, smoking has been directly linked to hearing loss. A 2007 study found that newborns who were exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb had a significantly lower hearing sensitivity than those who weren’t. Obviously, if you’re a Primal lifer you’ve long ago washed your hands of the Marlboros, but second-hand smoke is always a risk to pregnant mothers, no matter how healthy they are. Yet another reason to distance yourself from those noxious clouds…

Another sobering fact—there’s also plenty of evidence showing that diabetes can contribute to hearing loss. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine examined medical records from 53,461 non-diabetic patients and compared them 12,575 age-matched diabetic patients. They found that sensorineural hearing loss was more common in the diabetic patients, and that this hearing loss impact increased with elevated diabetes severity. Other studies have found much the same correlation, with some indications noting that perception of higher sound frequencies might be the first to go.

The Role of Diet for Hearing

Yes, as with everything else, what you eat (or don’t eat) affects your ear health. Apparently, restricting calories is the new big thing in the ear world. A recent Swedish study proved that rats placed on a 70% dietary restriction showed reduced age-related degenerative shrinking of their inner ear tissues. This resulted in significantly improved hearing function over non-calorie restricted littermates.

For those of us interested in less extreme measures, there are other promising dietary strategies to consider. Multiple studies have shown that a diet rich in the vitamins A, C, E and magnesium can prevent hearing loss by minimizing inflammation and increasing blood flow to the inner ear. Crucially, however, none of these vitamins or magnesium alone were effective in reducing hearing loss or sensory cell death: only when applied synergistically did they provide the protective effect (kind of like the A Team of the hearing world). Specifically, their collective effect helped to protect the ear against the negative feedback degenerative hearing damage I discussed earlier.

And there’s plenty more research where that came from. This study used sound frequency testing and a semi-quantitative questionnaire to establish what impact intakes of certain vitamins and minerals exhibited on hearing health. Vitamins A and E showed the most promise, with vitamin A correlating with a 47% lower risk of hearing loss and vitamin E a 14% lower risk. I like those odds but, again, believe that synergy matters.

The role of magnesium in hearing protection has received particular attention in the literature, and the results continue to be positive. If you’ve got hearing problems and haven’t already invested in the formidable healing powers of quality magnesium supplementation, now might be the time.

So while the rest of the world waits for the development of wondrous oral drugs that capitalize on these findings, here’s an insider’s tip: you can get a head start by simply eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. Nothing new there, right? Dark leafy greens for magnesium, avocados for vitamin E, liver for vitamin A, and any number of fruit and vegetables for vitamin C. A comprehensive multi can’t hurt either.

Unpacking the Mystery of Tinnitus

Then there’s tinnitus, the frustrating ringing ear condition that regularly affects an estimated 15% of Americans. As far as causes go, the list is long. In addition to noise exposure, tinnitus can develop as a result of excessive ear wax buildup, medications like aspirin and antibiotics, middle ear infections, and aging. Tinnitus occurs when hair cells in the ear’s cochlea are damaged or destroyed, meaning there are any number of pathways by which someone can develop this condition. I have a friend who’s suffered from tinnitus over the past 5 years due to multiple concussions. Ding your head enough times, and your ears may pay the price. There’s even suggestions that certain folks may be genetically predisposed to developing tinnitus, but that research isn’t conclusive.

And despite our growing knowledge of the causes of tinnitus, it’s on the rise. As the urban population grows, so, too, does the percentage of the population exposed to that anthropocentric din I highlighted earlier. Concerts are just as big and loud if not more so than they were a couple decades ago. We have more and noisier machines in our lives than ever before.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Those same hearing-protective steps I talked about earlier can also be applied to tinnitus. Concentrating on nutrient-dense foods that provide ample levels of vitamins A, C and E, and perhaps supplementing with magnesium oil, should help to prevent those hairs in your cochlea from sustaining significant damage. Continuing the diet theme, there’s preliminary evidence to suggest that zinc depletion may play a role, and that moderate to high caffeine intake per day has beneficial effect. Probably not a great idea to go crazy on the coffee, however, particularly if you’re sensitive to it.

And, not suprisingly, Inflammation is almost undoubtedly at play here as well, verified by a strong association between hypertension and tinnitus. Reducing inflammatory food intake and minimizing stress should therefore go a long way towards lowering your risk of tinnitus. Similarly, vagal nerve stimulation, which uses small electrical pulses to stimulate an anti-inflammatory feedback in the vagus, shows a lot of promise in treatment for tinnitus.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have you or those you love experienced any of the above conditions? Are you taking any special steps to preserve your hearing and ear health? Have you heard about other medical treatments or lifestyle interventions? Have a good end to your week.