Neurologist Warning: Common Post Walk Habits Raise Dementia Risk

The prevention of dementia and post walk has a strong relationship with many of us failing to capture the relationship. As little as 35 minutes of moderate/vigorous exercise per week is linked to a reduction in the risk of developing dementia in four years by 41 percent. Moreover, one can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia by 38 and 28 percent respectively with the help of exercise.

Nevertheless, some activities that we involve ourselves in after our walks may be really making the difference with these benefits. The area of the brain that is specifically affected by physical activity is the part of the brain that manages the short-term memory, the hippocampus. In spite of these protective influences, it is estimated that about 40 percent of the risk of dementia can be altered by lifestyle.

Indeed, a neurologist in Michigan warns that the usual activities followed after walks might cause severe health complications. Individuals who work out in their lifetime tend to have fewer issues with their cognition despite the presence of the major Alzheimer-related indicators in their brains. In this article, we will discuss the effect that apparently harmless post-walk routines may have on raising your risk of dementia and what you can do to keep your brain healthy and yet still benefit to your health with regular walking.

Neurologist warns against massage gun use after Post walk

There is an alarming post-walking behavior that the medical experts have pointed out that might nullify the cognitive gains of exercise. In their warnings on the application of massage guns on the neck post-walking, neurologists refer to significant dangers posed to the health of the brain.

Why Neck Arteries Are Vulnerable Post Walk

There are very important blood vessels in the neck that is very susceptible after any form of physical exercise. When exercising, blood flow rises up to cover the need of oxygen, and thus impacts the carotid and vertebral arteries, which deliver blood to the brain. Such vessels are highly prone to injury in case they are handled following the exercise since they do not have enough muscle protection in some parts.

Vascular neurologist Dr. Jose M. Morales states that the neck arteries are like the layers of an onion and are easily damaged due to pushing, or manipulation. In addition, hyperextension and rotation of the neck- moves that commonly happen when using the massage gun are the main sources of injury to these vessels.

How Massage Guns Can Trigger Arterial Dissection Post Walk

Massage guns may lead to the dissection of cervical arteries- a tearing on the wall of the blood vessel to separate its layers. This condition occurs when vibration passing through massage guns passes through those susceptible areas of the neck where the muscles and bones cover the least.

In a case report in 2022, a 27-year-old woman reported that she had a vertebral artery dissection following the use of a handheld massage gun on her neck at least three weeks previously. She had headaches, pain in the neck, and gradually deteriorating dizziness and went to the emergency. The other one was a 43-year-old lady who was diagnosed by her own treatment with the same condition after self-administered massage gun to the neck and head with severe neck and headache pain.

Post Walk Habits Affect Stroke Risk from Dislodged Arterial Plaques

Most shocking perhaps is that the massage guns have the ability of breaking the arterial clots especially in the older people who might have accumulated the arterial clogs through their high blood pressure and cholesterol. These plaques may find their way into the brain and also lead to ischemic strokes once dislodged.

Recently there was a case study that involved a 79-year-old male, who developed left upper extremity weakness following the use of a handheld neck massager. His right internal carotid artery bulb was ruptured with stenotic atherosclerotic plaque, and acute infarcts in the right middle cerebral artery could be seen by imaging.

There is a recommendation against massage gun use in any part of the neck. Rather, they propose milder options such as a manual massage, heat pads, ice packs, or mild stretches.

Doctor links loud music after walks to dementia risk

Neurologists have found another post-walking effect that may be antagonistic to the brain-protecting effects of exercise. According to recent studies, hearing loss by listening to loud music with headphones following a walk may substantially enhance the risk of dementia by damaging hearing.

How hearing loss strains cognitive function

Hearing impairment has proven to be perhaps the greatest contributor to dementia among all the risk factors that are known. This relation has numerous channels. To begin with, auditory impairment requires the brain to strain in processing the auditory signal at the expense of memory and processing. This additional cognitive strain taxes the brain over time.

Besides, hearing impairment leads to physical alterations of the brain structure. Research has reported that age-related hearing loss in adults has been associated with a faster pace of change in the brain and diminished volume in the temporal cortex, hippocampus and other vital parts. This is followed by faster atrophy of parts of the brain, which is caused by a lack of auditory stimulation.

Decibel levels that damage hearing

Sound safety is related to the amount and time. So, the sounds of 70 dBA and less are usually safe, and the sounds over 85 dBA may harm hearing. Sounds that occur after walking are usually in the unsafe range:

•             Music through headphones: up to 112 dBA (maximum output of some MP3 players)

•             Typical conversation: 60-70 dBA

•             Traffic noise: 88 dBA

•             Nightclub music: 100 dBA (safe for only 15 minutes)

The danger is many times greater with volume- every 3 dBA sound level doubles the risk and the time safe exposure is reduced by half. So there is an immediate problem with listening to loud music right after walks when most people tend to turn it up to fight the fatigue they experience after workouts.

Connection between hearing aids and dementia prevention

It is worth mentioning that hearing loss can be addressed to prevent cognitive decline. Recent studies have shown that among individuals at higher risk of developing dementia, hearing aids that are properly fitted will lessen the risk of cognitive impairment when compared to individuals at the highest risk who did not wear hearing aids during the same period.

A randomized controlled trial established that there was small, but significant improvement in cognitive performance amongst hearing aid users. Similarly, hearing aids restore sound to parts of the brain that have been overlooked as a result of hearing loss. By this process the hearing protection maintains the cognitive gains of walking and other body activities.

Finally, hearing loss is an important consideration in sustaining the health benefits of routine exercise such as walking on the brain.

Expert explains dangers of holding in sneezes post walk habits

Sneezing after exercise, in fact, is a protective mechanism, but it is instinctive to most of us to suppress it. This frequent practice following walks may negatively affect brain health promotion through physical activity according to the medical experts.

Internal pressure spikes during sneezing

Sneezes produce supernormal power- this is the mucus which is thrown at a rate of about 100 miles an hour. This provides an equivalent pressure of 1 psi as compared to only 0.03 psi with heavy breathing. At the time of suppression this force is magnified many times, ranging between 5 and 24 times greater than the sneeze. This extra pressure may be extremely risky after walking, when breathing rates are high and there is an increased circulation.

Risks of brain hemorrhage and ruptured eardrums

Sneezing puts a strain on the tubes which run between your ears and nose. This has the potential to tear apart the ear drum resulting in pain and possible hearing loss. Worse still, the great pressure has the power to tear brain aneurysms- a disease that afflicts about one in 50 Americans. In rare cases, rupture of the throat has also been reported and causes excruciating pain and aphasia.

Why letting a sneeze out is safer

Considering such dangers, it is a unanimized recommendation of the experts to leave sneezes to take place naturally. When you feel the need to clean up after your walk, instead of pinching your nose or closing your mouth cover your mouth with a tissue. This not only maintains your breathing health but also your brain-based advantages of physical exercise, and finally helps you to make your best attempt at minimizing dementia by simply walking.

Netizens and experts react to risky post walk habits

Recent social media coverage on post-walk behavior has pointed to some threatening habits that can neutralize the benefits of exercise on the brain. Healthcare providers on platforms are issuing dire warnings on some of the recovery options.

Chiropractors using massage guns on necks

Medical professionals are becoming more worried about chiropractors and other people who apply percussive therapy devices to their necks. In a viral Tik Tok PSA, user Sophie Dolce recounted a blunt warning that was issued by her doctor: “Don’t you ever put a massage gun on your neck, ever again. This was alerted by Dolce getting great pain and a lump in her neck after self-administered massage guns treatment. Her doctor observed that it would prevent the blood circulation to your brain.

Personal stories of post-treatment complications

The serious outcomes of this seemingly harmless practice are reported in case reports more and more. A 27-year-old female developed a dissection in the vertebral artery following the repeated use of a massage gun, which caused her headache, neck pain and a slowly increasing dizziness. In line with this, a 43-year-old female patient came with a complaint of terrible headache and neck pain and was eventually diagnosed with the same. Worst of all was a 49-year-old who developed blood clots in her carotid arteries after having a neck massager and began to have weakness of her legs and speech issues.

Other neurologists add horse riding and smoking to the list

On top of massage guns, neurologists have found other post-walk behaviors that can undermine the cognitive gains of exercising. These involve the activities which cause the sudden movements of the neck or withhold oxygen supply to the brain and may hamper the protective effects of walking against dementia.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed some of the apparently harmless after-walk routines that could be sabotaging the considerable brain health benefits that exercise offers. Although walking alone provides impressive dementia prevention benefits (lowering risk by up to 41 percent), some recovery routines could actually cause a higher risk of cognitive decline.

Massage guns used on the neck are some of the most dangerous. These machines are able to cause arterial dissection, rupture of plaques and eventually stroke by their vibrations that are so strong against the weak blood vessels of the neck. Nor do headphones improve the hearing that researchers have come to view as a significant risk factor of dementia due to cranking music up. Also, sneezing after exercise causes very perilous interior pressure bursts that could cause brain bleeding or ear drum ruptures.

The overwhelming majority of those who are not aware that these habits negate the protective effects of walking on the hippocampus and overall wellbeing of the brain as a whole. Luckily, there are easy substitutes, such as using heat packs in place of massage guns, keeping the volume of headphones at moderate levels, and letting sneezes run their course with tissues covering the face.

Certainly, the connections between the physical activity and the health of the brain are complicated. Even though we can change about 40 percent of risk factors of dementia by our lifestyle decisions, we need to be careful not only of our exercise habits but also our post-exercise ones. The only way to ensure that walking actually provides its claimed cognitive benefits is to take these warnings seriously so that walking, rather than recovery practices, increases the risk of dementia.

These are some of the things you should remember next time you are through with your walk to achieve smarter post-exercise decisions. It is not only what you do that matters to your brain health but what you do afterwards.

Key Points

Although walking has been identified to lower dementia risk by more than 41 percent, some post-walk behaviors are hazardous to the cognitive benefits of walking.

O never use a massage gun on your neck, it can get inside the arteries, and dislodge the plaques, and cause strokes, and can cause strokes by injuring weak blood vessels.

• Limit headphone volume to less than 85 decibels – Loud music hurts hearing, just as it is now known to be the biggest risk factor in dementia to modify.

• Sneezing after exercising: – It is not safe to hold sneezes back – they produce dangerous peak pressure that can create a hole in the ear drum or lead to brain-shedding.

• Select less injurious healing techniques – Replace percussive instruments with heat pads or gentle stretching or manual massage on your neck region.

• Do what you can to protect your hearing to save your mind – Hearing loss causes the brain to overwork, and the effects of hearing loss increase the rate of cognitive decline and atrophy of the brain.

Reminder: It is equally important what you do after your walk as much as the exercise itself to stay healthy over time and prevent dementia.

FAQs

Q1. What is the effect of post walk on risk of dementia?

Exercise such as walking can go a long way in preventing the development of dementia. Research indicates that moderate to rigorous exercise lasting 35 minutes a week is related to a 41 percent reduced risk of dementia in four years.

Q2. What makes massage guns dangerous to apply to the neck following a walk?

Massaging the neck after walking with massage guns can be risky since it can result in dissection of arteries, dislodging of arterial plaques, and subsequent strokes. The neck arteries are especially susceptible after an activity and the hard vibrations of the massage guns may harm such blood vessels.

Q3. What is the impact of listening to loud music after a walk on the health of the brain?

Dementia risk may be promoted by listening to loud music using headphones after a walk that damages hearing. Hearing loss has been now viewed as a significant cause of dementia since it puts pressure on the brain and in some cases there may be physical changes in the brain structure.

Q4. Is it dangerous to sneeze in after exercise?

Yes, it is bad to suppress sneezes after exercising. It causes life-threatening spikes in internal pressure which can result into ruptured ear drums or in rare instances brain hemorrhages. Sneezes are better left to pass out of their own accord with a piece of paper.

Q5. What can be used as safer alternatives to post-walk recovery?

Rather than applying massage guns to the neck, the post-walk recovery can be performed with the use of heat pads, ice packs, mild stretches, or manual massage. It is also necessary to maintain a moderate volume on the headphones and sneezes to happen normally and to cover them using tissues.

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