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Stave Off Memory Issues as You Age

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine recently released a white

paper report about protecting your memory as you age. Research indicates

that when we reach the age of 40, our mental and cognitive powers may be

reduced.

Sometimes our health, safety, work and even relationships may be affected

by issues regarding memory and mental acuity. As we venture into our 50s

and beyond, we may notice a marked difference in our recall abilities – such

as names and dates.

More than 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s Disease and are or will

become incapable of living alone. Dementia may also occur – not as

debilitating as Alzheimer’s, but just as devastating.

There are ways to protect your memory as you age. Staying in good health

helps as does exercise and a good diet plan. If you take care of yourself and

your memory, you greatly increase your chances of living a full and gracious

life.

Protecting Your Memory as You Age We all know that keeping our bodies fit can help to keep us healthy as we

age, but there are exercises that we should engage in to keep our brains

healthy too. If you’re a student, you’re going to study hard so you can pass

the test.

Likewise, you’ll want to exercise your brain to keep your mind sharp and

boost your brainpower as you age. Here are a few tips and ideas to enhance

and preserve your memory and brain performance as you grow older

Empower Your Brain with a Good Diet Plan

Just as a racecar needs fuel to perform at the highest level, so does your

brain need healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, plus

healthy fats and protein.

Complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal and lentils can

make a difference to your memory’s health. You should avoid simple

carbohydrates such as sugar and refined grains.

Reduce Stress in Your Life

Stress is the brain’s worst enemy. It can destroy your brain cells and severely

damage the part of the brain that’s responsible for new memories and

memory retrieval.

Meditation is one of the best stress-busters life has to offer. It can eliminate

stress by reducing depression, chronic pain, high blood pressure and

anxiety.

Studies show that those who meditate on a regular basis show an increased

thickness in the cerebral cortex, which increases mental sharpness.

Exercise and Sleep to Stimulate and Rest Your Brain

Athletes make hard training and getting enough sleep part of a regimen to

stay in shape. Aging is like training for a marathon – exercise your body and

you’ll exercise your brain.

Resting your brain is also important because it can’t work to its capacity

unless it has proper rest. Notice that your critical thinking and creativity are

diminished when you don’t get enough sleep.

Laugh

Simple, but so very important to the health of your body and brain. Scientific

studies show that laughter reaches out to multiple parts of your brain –

especially those that are vital to creativity and learning.

Laugh as often as you can – at yourself, alone and with others. Observe how

little children play and laugh and strive to emulate them. Take life less

seriously and your brain and attitude toward life will benefit.

Exercise Your Brain Power

Giving your brain a workout can help preserve your brainpower. Simple

exercises like taking another route home from work, needlework, games and

reading various types of books can challenge your spatial-temporal

reasoning, coordination and creativity.

Constantly try new activities, no matter how challenging they may be. Get

out of your comfort zone and have fun with what you’re doing. The brain’s

main requirement for good health is that “you use it or you lose it.”

Develop Relationships

Healthy relationships can boost your memory level tenfold. Hanging out with

friends, enjoying a fun movie or games is enjoyable and keeps you from

feeling isolated.

Humans are naturally social and those with the most active social lives

experience much slower memory decline than those who are mostly isolated.

Volunteer, join one or more clubs – or rescue a pet for companionship.

Mnemonic clues can help you pinpoint memories by associating the memory

with a word, phrase or visual image. For example, you might visualize the

image of a glass of cold iced tea to remember a hot summer day at the beach

with your family.

Learn all you can about how to preserve your memory as you age. The more

you know, the better able you’ll be to choose activities, diet and a lifestyle

that will keep your brain active and young for as long as possible.

How to Identify Memory Issues Have you ever picked up the phone to call someone and realize that you’ve

forgotten the number even though you’ve called it almost every day for

years? (Of course, with one-button speed dial, you can easily forget the

number.)

Or, you may start to introduce an old friend to a group of people and forget

his or her name. These are called “senior moments,” and are disconcerting

when it happens.

There are many reasons that you may be suffering from memory loss which

include blood clots, depression, blood pressure and depression. If you’re

concerned about some memory loss symptoms you should see your doctor

for tests.

Here are some ways to identify certain types of memory loss:

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Losing possessions, forgetting to attend appointments and failing to

communicate as well as others may be a sign that your memory is impaired,

but you can still take care of yourself.

Your doctor may recommend tests to be sure that your MCI isn’t a precursor

to the more serious problem of Alzheimer ’s disease.

• Vascular Dementia – This type of memory loss may cause serious

problems, much like Alzheimer’s disease. It is caused by small strokes

or variations in the brain’s blood supply. Treatment for Vascular

Dementia might include controlling high blood pressure, high

cholesterol, getting diabetes under control and stopping smoking.

• Alzheimer’s Disease – The most serious form of memory loss in

seniors, Alzheimer’s disease usually begins slowly, but becomes more

serious as brain cells die. Every day activities such as driving, thinking

clearly and taking care of themselves may become more difficult and

the person who suffers from the disease may need to be in a nursing

home to have their needs taken care of.

• Medical Conditions – Certain conditions such as depression, bad

diet, too much alcohol, smoking or reacting to medications may cause

memory problems. Thyroid, kidney and liver problems may also cause

memory impairment. The memory problems usually disappear after the

medical condition is addressed.

• Emotional Issues – Worry, sadness, loneliness and boredom can

cause forgetfulness and confusion. A counselor should be able to help

you work through these issues. Learning new skills, spending time with

loved ones and friends and joining in activities that keep your body and

mind active can and do wonders for some emotional issues.

There are online tests you can take to see where you score in regards to

memory loss – but, if you’re really worried about your memory, be sure and

see your physician for a complete health checkup.

A brain scan can show problem areas in your brain and you and your doctor

can discuss the best treatment for your memory loss issues.

Keep Depression at Bay

Depression becomes more prevalent as we age. Loss of loved ones,

spouses and friends, changes in lifestyle such as work and home can all

come into play and cause depression as we grow older.

There are so many things that can cause a person to become depressed

that it sometimes takes a professional to help us through it. There are also

many levels and degrees of depression – from situational depression over a

recent incident to chemical depression caused by changes in the brain.

There are things we can do to keep depression at bay, such as socializing,

going to the doctor for regular checkups, exercising to release natural,

depression fighting endorphins and adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Chronic depression can greatly affect how we age and what maladies may

descend upon us. Many physical ailments come about or are worsened due

to a depressed emotional state.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

It’s important for you to know the signs and symptoms of depression so that

you can do something to combat it before it affects your lifestyle and your

health. Depression may cause you to have increased difficulty concentrating

or remembering things.

Depression may also keep you from socializing, coping with life’s problems,

sleeping well and even affect your cognitive abilities. Everyone has ups and

downs, but when you feel despair constantly and it won’t go away, you may

be depressed.

Here are some major warning signs that you may be depressed rather than

experiencing a downswing in mood:

• Change in Sleep Patterns – Insomnia or oversleeping (hypersomnia)

that doesn’t seem to go away may indicate clinical depression.

• Trouble Concentrating – Inability to focus on a task at hand or being

unable to make simple decisions can be symptoms of depression.

• Irritability and Anger – Being unusually short-tempered or

experiencing out-of-character aggressiveness may also be a sign that

you’re depressed.

• Feelings of Helplessness or Hopelessness – Feeling that life is

bleak and there’s no hope for the future can be depression rearing its

ugly head.

• Negative Thoughts Consume Your Life – One sign of depression is

that no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get the negative

thoughts out of your mind to the point that it affects your lifestyle.

• Voracious Appetite or Loss of Appetite – Depression may affect

how you eat, including severe loss of appetite or eating so much that

you’re gaining unwanted weight.

Signs and symptoms of depression vary according to the individual, but if

you have many of the above symptoms and they seem to be interfering with

your life, you should seek help immediately.

Preventing Depression as You Age Depression isn’t a normal part of aging, but aging can bring on symptoms of

depression – even to having suicidal thoughts. As older adults face loss of

independence, severe health problems and bereavement, it’s important to

recognize depression and quickly address it before it controls you.

Treatment may come in the form of anti-depressants if nothing else seems

to work, but there are more natural ways for older adults to beat depression

and enjoy life, no matter how difficult it may be to face life’s changes and

challenges.

Social support is especially helpful for depression in older adults. Adapting

to lifestyle changes and building emotional skills are also important if a

person is to successfully face and overcome the devastating power of

depression.

Ways that you can fight depression as you age include adapting a healthy

diet and exercise regimen, but there are also other methods that will help

you keep depression at bay, including:

Check Medications

Your medications may actually be causing your depression or contributing to

its overall effect. Pain medications, hormones and cancer medications can

all be culprits contributing to depression.

Active Social Life

Visiting or receiving visits from family and friends during the week can help

lessen depression as we age. Joining a club or engaging in activities you

enjoy can also help tremendously.

Yoga, Meditation and Tai Chi

These are some of the best activities targeting the negative thoughts that

come with aging and depression. They’re also good exercises to keep the

body healthy and moving.

Hobbies

Taking up a hobby that keeps you busy and focused is an extremely healthy

way to combat depression. Mental challenges of a new hobby or activity also

help to ward off dementia.

Therapy

Sometimes we just need an empathetic ear to listen to us. You can usually

work through your feelings of depression by spending time with a therapist

who’s educated in helping with aging issues.

If you’re overwhelmed by thoughts of depression, ask for help. It may be that

your thoughts as you age are becoming negative and depressing – but this

may be based on misplaced perception rather than the reality of your

situation.

Reaching out and having a strong support system can help you realize a

speedy recovery and enjoy life in your later years. Don’t isolate yourself from

others, even if you feel like withdrawing and being alone.

Depression and Suicidal Thoughts Depression can be a breeding ground for suicidal thoughts. The

hopelessness and fear that comes with aging can sometimes be so

depressing that suicide can seem like a valid option.

If you’re thinking suicidal thoughts, know that it’s a serious symptom

of depression and seek help immediately!

Some serious warning signs of suicidal depression are:

• Thinking or speaking about harming yourself

• Hopelessness and helplessness

• Giving away possessions and a sudden preoccupation with getting

affairs in order

• Reckless behavior

If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the above feelings, reach out for

help or express concern and get help for the person involved. Most of all

don’t panic. You can fight and win the depression and thoughts of suicide

that accompany it.

Anti-depressants may help, but lifestyle changes are longer lasting and have

a more positive effect on the real causes of the depression. Building the right

emotional skills can help successfully combat much of the perceived

downside to aging.

Getting Out of “The Black Hole” Depression is often described as living in a black hole. While it’s happening

to you, you’re sad and may have feelings of impending doom. It may also

take the form of anger or aggressiveness – leading to reckless behavior.

It’s normal to feel sad and have mood swings once in a while, but if these

feelings are taking over your life and are unrelenting, it’s time to make some

changes in your lifestyle and possibly seek help.

Risk factors of chronic depression include increased pain such as back,

muscles, stomach and headaches. The pain is very real and it is difficult to

know whether its source is physical or a result of depression-related

thoughts.

If you believe that depression is causing the pain and if you’re making poor

lifestyle choices, in relationships and other areas of your life, it’s probably

time to seek professional help.

A professional therapist can help you get out of the black hole and assist you

in making the lifestyle choices you need to live a healthy and active life as

you age.