Healthy Living
Memory Lapses Fix Your . . .
By Sylvia Booth Hubbard
WHY YOU FORGET Age: Mild memory loss is common as we age, usually starting in our 50s. What we interpret as memory loss is often just a slowing in how long it takes our brains to retrieve information.
Medications: Reactions to drugs, such as blood pressure meds, pain medications, and sedatives, can mimic the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. People taking multiple drugs are more at risk.
Depression: The abnormal brain function that causes depression starts in the same area of the brain that is important for memory, and can cause you to be forgetful.
WHAT TO DO
Exercise your brain: Play mentally challenging games, learn a new hobby, or study a new language.
Exercise your body: Seniors who exercise regularly tend to stay mentally sharp and are typically more agile, which helps to prevent stumbles. Even minor falls that cause head injuries can impact your memory.
Control stress and anxiety: They release the hormone cortisol, which disrupts the function of neurotransmitters and affects memory processes. Take breaks, turn off the phone, go for a walk, or talk to a supportive friend.
Sleep: Get six to eight hours every night. Your brain can’t properly process information if you don’t get enough rest.
Don’t smoke: Smokers’ memories aren’t as good as those
Cut out booze: In addition to causing serious mental impairment, alcohol can cause memory problems by interacting with medicines.
Supplement: Vitamin B-12 boosts nerve cells that are vital to brain function, yet defi ciencies are common in seniors. B vitamins, along with vitamins C and E, may help protect against memory loss, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, ginseng, and Ginkgo biloba.
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS Seek help: Make an appointment with your doctor immediately if you have a sudden loss of memory, if memory lapses become more frequent, or if lapses begin interfering with your everyday life. Such lapses could indicate Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
SOURCES: National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, Medical News Today,
AnxietyGuru.net,
CNN.com,
MedHelp.org
of nonsmokers, and smoking also raises the risk of memory-destroying strokes and hypertension.
Eat healthfully: Fruits and vegetables are the sources of many nutrients that protect the brain from age-related diseases.
ILLUSTRATION/DAMION HENDRICKS/STAFF ARTIST
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