Dealing with Memory Loss

We all forget things now and then in our daily life. How many times it happens to us to not be able to find the keys or forget to pick up the dry cleaning. This kind of memory loss is rather normal when it is limited to small elements as the one described before. However as we start to age the memory loss we deal with may be more significant and more serious for the long-term health of individuals. The good news is that memory loss is not an inevitable part of aging. There are things you can do to help avoid getting to a point where memory loss affects your day-to-day life. It is never too late to start and by taking care of your brain health, you can fight memory loss.

There is a difference between normal memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Forgetting where you leave things or forgetting an appointment is considered normal and not a part of dementia. Dementia starts to become a concern once it starts to affect your ability to function. When it starts to disrupt your work, hobbies or family relationships you may be seeing the signs of early onset dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Some memory loss can be reversible. Some common things that can cause memory loss that are side effects of medication, depression, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, alcohol abuse and dehydration. If you are experiencing a memory loss that came on quick and out of nowhere it is probably more likely one of these scenarios. Memory loss associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s comes about more gradually over time.

You can do a lot to keep your mind healthy though, which will help you prevent memory loss later in life or even improve your current capacity to store, process and remember new information. In many ways a memory is kept healthy the same way you keep the rest of your body healthy. You need to exercise, be social, do brain training, eat healthy foods, manage your stress and get plenty of rest. The idea behind keeping a healthy brain is to regularly and constantly challenges it. The brain learns through new experiences and the more you can challenge it with new items, the better it will be.

Also doing activities to keep the mind sharp is a great way to stave off memory loss. Our brain is the healthiest when it is being stimulated often. Doing activities that challenge your brain to think and learn will keeps your mind in top operating condition. There are many things you can do to challenge your mind including brain training, reading and learning something new. You should spend at least a few minutes each day building your brain to stave off memory loss later in life.

Many people neglect their mind when they are thinking about staying healthy. The brain though is one of our most important organs and controls so much of our body function, which is why keeping it healthy, is essential and one of the best ways to keep memory loss at bay.