These 11 simple items can improve your health.
There are lots of ways to improve or maintain your health, whether it’s trying the latest diet or launching a new exercise routine. Many of us can also utilize at least one of the many items designed to keep us healthy from head to toe. There are a “plethora of relatively simple devices for monitoring and protecting one’s health,” says Christopher Cousins, a physical therapist in the District of Columbia. Here are 11 items that can help protect your health:
Sleeping masks
A small amount of light can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. If you have a significant other who uses a cellphone or laptop in bed, or live in an urban area where city lights can stream through your window at night, you might consider using a sleep mask to block out all light, which will allow you to sleep better. Sleep masks, often made of silk, a polyester blend or memory foam, are easy to use and typically cost between $7 and $15.
Polarized sunglasses
The lens and cornea of your eyes, which are both transparent, filter ultraviolet rays from the sun but can also be damaged by those rays. UV rays can cause eyelid cancers and cataracts. Polarized sunglasses protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Such eyewear can be purchased for $5 a pair from a street vendor to about $1,000 a pair for a designer label. In 2014, on behalf of “Good Morning America,” Dennis Fong, a clinical faculty member at the School of Optometry at the University of California, Berkeley, studied inexpensive and pricey polarized eyewear and found the inexpensive eyewear performed just as well as the designer sunglasses in blocking UV rays.
Earplugs
Exposure to excessively loud noise created by such things as pneumatic drills, chainsaws, snowmobiles, sandblasters and gunfire at a firing range can harm the nerve endings in your inner ear, damaging your hearing. Inexpensive earplugs typically made of silicone or foam can help protect your ears. Such items range in price from about $30 for two pairs of silicone earplugs to about $3 for several pairs of the foam ones. Earplugs for swimming, which are generally a little less expensive, can help prevent ear infections, Cousins says.
Mouthguards
In the U.S., more than 30 million people suffer from bruxism, a condition in which people grind their teeth while sleeping. Such grinding can wear them down to the point that crowns, root canals, bridges, implants and partial dentures are needed. Grinding can also cause teeth to loosen or fracture. Over-the-counter mouthguards are available for about $15 to $160. You typically boil the mouthguard, cool it, then place it over your top row of teeth. Dentists can create a custom-fitted thermoplastic mouthguard for about $300 to $500, which some insurance plans will cover, says Matthew Messina, a dentist based in the Cleveland area.
Elbow sleeves
People suffering from arthritis or tendinitis of the elbow can wear neoprene sleeves to help increase their mobility. These sleeves, which cost between about $7 and $68 per unit, produce a light compressive effect and increase the temperature around the elbow, which improves circulation, Cousins says. The compression increases the lubrication qualities of the elbow’s joints. Some sleeves are more expensive because they’re thicker, have perforations or contain materials such as copper that the manufacturer claims make them superior.
Fitbit
The Fitbit — a band that fits on your wrist and tracks your physical activity for the day — can help you reach and maintain your fitness goals. The basic Fitbit, which costs about $80 to $150, will track your daily steps, the length you’ve traveled and how many calories you’ve burned. A study in the journal BMC Public Health found that having a step goal and being able to immediately see results helped overweight and obese middle-aged women move more.
Back braces
About 31 million U.S. residents suffer from back pain at any given time, according to the American Chiropractic Association. Some of them could be helped by back braces that provide support for the lower and middle back. Some back braces fit around your waist and are secured with Velcro. Others have straps that go over your shoulders. Most cost between $25 and $130. Back braces create compression within the torso, which provides support to the back; plus, they make the wearer more aware of his or her posture, Cousins says.
Thigh sleeves
These sleeves work much like the ones for elbows — compressing, supporting and stabilizing the quad and hamstring muscles, Cousins says. Thigh sleeves warm the quad and hamstring areas, which alleviates stiffness and soreness and helps promote healthy blood circulation. These items cost about $9 to $30 per sleeve.
Knee sleeves
These are not the same as knee braces, which are designed to provide support and prevent damage from a previous injury from getting worse. Knee sleeves, like elbow and thigh sleeves, provide compression that promotes blood flow and reduces pain, Cousins says. They are particularly useful for people who have arthritic or swollen knee joints; the increased blood flow the sleeves promote helps reduce swelling. These items cost about $14 to $70 per sleeve.
Compression socks
People who have poor blood circulation in their feet from such conditions as varicose veins can benefit from compression socks, which are tighter than typical socks and help blood move up the legs, which reduces swelling. Compression socks cost about $12 a pair to $33 for several pairs. People who have foot problems associated with diabetes can buy specially padded socks for around $12 to $45 a pair. Diabetics are susceptible to bruises, cuts and blisters on their feet, and padded socks provide more protection than typical socks, Cousins says.
Orthotics
People with foot problems such as plantar fasciitis, caused by strains in the ligament that supports your arch and can cause heel pain, can benefit from sturdy orthotics (or insoles), which provide greater arch support and padding, Cousins says. These orthotics typically go for about $75 a pair, though custom-fitted insoles can cost up to about $500, which some insurers will partially cover. People with the condition can also decrease inflammation and pain by massaging the sole of their foot with a frozen water bottle, says Dr. Ken Jung, a foot and ankle surgeon at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.
More from U.S. News
13 Fun Sports That Burn Calories
10 Healthy Habits of the ‘Naturally’ Thin
6 Common Myths and Misconceptions About Diabetes
11 Items That Help Protect Your Health originally appeared on usnews.com
