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Always speak very clearly to older people

DEAR HELOISE: As people age, their speech starts to slur. Consonants soften; voices become monotone. The guttural parts of sound lessen. Speaking clearly to compensate for the loss of these vocal characteristics is very helpful to older folks with tinnitus and ordinary hearing loss. (This was explained to me by an acoustical engineer.) — Andy G., in Youngstown, New York DEAR HELOISE: I very much related to the reader who wrote about enunciation. I often get people who know that I’m partially deaf and feel like they have to talk really loud, and I often tell them it’s not ...

One shot or two?

NEW YORK — Preteens may soon have something to celebrate: Medical experts are discussing the possibility that one dose of a life-saving cancer vaccine, instead of two, may be enough to protect them. U.S. vaccination recommendations have become splintered in the past year, with federal ...

Stop-smoking drug can trigger behavior changes

Q. I noticed vile words coming out of my mouth after a week on the stop-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix). I had many “Did I really just say that?” moments. I turned into a mean, angry person on this drug. I decided to go cold turkey instead and went on anti-anxiety meds for three days. That worked for me, and I’ve been totally smoke-free for 18 years now. A. We have received more than a thousand comments about this medication. Some people have been very pleased with their results. For example, Steve said, “Took Chantix; quit smoking. No issues. Wonder drug.” Others, like ...

DEAR ANNIE: Always follow cellphone etiquette in public

DEAR ANNIE: I’m starting to wonder if headphones have gone out of style. Last week, I was sitting in a doctor’s waiting room when a woman across from me put her phone on speaker and had a very loud, very personal conversation for nearly 20 minutes. Everyone in the room could hear about her sister, her husband and what sounded like an argument over money. No one said anything, but several of us exchanged looks. A few days later, I was at the nail salon hoping for a little peace and quiet, and another customer was watching videos at full volume. Between the music, the commentary and ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE:Let them eat cake — all year

DEAR HELOISE: In regard to Jim R.’s office birthday system, I worked at a place that only had 12 employees. On the first working day in January, a small piece of paper with everyone’s name, birthday and favorite flavor of cake went into a bowl. Everyone would then draw a name, and you were responsible for that person’s cake and card. It was the same concept as Jim’s office; you only had to bring one cake and card once a year, but you got to eat many different flavors of cake all year long. There were a few that were store-bought, but most were homemade since many employees were ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Woman mourns Mad Cow victim

DEAR DR. ROACH: Have you ever discussed prion disease in your column? It afflicts one in 1 million people, swiftly kills its victims in a matter of days, and is incurable. People commonly know it as “mad cow disease.” I recently lost a great friend to a prion disease, and she truly was one in a million. It’s a nightmare to endure. -- R. ANSWER: There are three different prions that affect humans, with various ways in which a person can acquire the disease. Of these, the most common is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which I assume is what you’re talking about. The most ...