Dementia Or Just Common Forgetfulness

By Jamee Gunther


Have you perhaps walked into the dead center of the room and stood there for a few seconds wanting to remember why you walked into that room? You know you went in there for a reason, but for the life of you, you are unable to remember why. Or, spent a couple of minutes attempting to find your sunglasses only to find them on top of your head? These little bouts of forgetfulness are normal. But, memory loss is not an inevitable part of getting old. With regards to memory loss, you should really know what is normal and when to be concerned.

Step one in staying mentally sharp as you age is to know about the difference between normal forgetfulness that is possible to be a result of stress or additional factors and serious memory problems. Forgetfulness you'll find is a common complaint among older adults. Have you ever forget a particular item the last time you traveled to store? Have you ever forget to return a friend's telephone call? Perhaps you forget your recent doctor's appointment? Don't be concerned - this is often normal.

Memory lapses can certainly be annoying, but a lot of of the time they aren't reason to be concerned. Age related memory changes are not the same thing as dementia. Just as we grow old we experience physiological changes that could cause faults in our own memory. It takes longer to recall information and learn things. We oftentimes mistake this slowing for actual memory loss. But, if we give ourselves time, we can easily usually recall the content we're hunting for.

Some signs that what you are experiencing is merely normal aging may be a person complains of memory loss, but provides considerable detail regarding incidents of forgetfulness; the individual is more concerned about alleged forgetfulness than close family members are; recent memory for events, affairs, and conversations ordinarily are not impaired; occasional word-finding difficulties; individuals doesn't get lost in familiar territory and may possibly need to pause momentarily to remember their way. Our brain is capable of producing new brain cells at any age. Just as with muscle strength, you have to use or it lose it. Your habits, health habits, and routines tend to have a huge impact on the wellness of your brain. Whatever your age, there are plenty of actions you can take to enhance the brain power and stop memory loss. Normal forgetfulness is not really a progressive thing and isn't disabling. These such memory problems are likely to be as a result of stress, fatigue, being sick, distracted, or overloaded. Some growth in forgetfulness appears to be a normal product of getting older and is the result of normal changes in the brain that begin around the age of 50.

Some things that can be done stay clear of normal memory lapses include learning memory-enhancing techniques, reducing stress, and improving organizational techniques (i.e., noting appointments, attaining a designated location for keys or sunglasses). It is essential to regularly challenge the brain - - it truly is like lifting weights to develop muscle - - here we are building brain power. Try learning a different computer program, or, in case you aren't computer savvy, try taking computer classes. Crossword puzzle are another brain challenging thing and are generally fun also. Experts say that these types of activities help build synapses (the small gaps between neurons that aid in them to be able to communicate with one another).

With dementia, memory loss is severe enough to disrupt someone's every day activities, as well as socially and at work. By far the most known type of dementia is called Alzheimer's disease. However, there are many different types, including front temporal lobar degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies, and vascular dementia (which is because of multiple strokes that interrupt blood flow to the brain). With dementia, multiple type of thinking is affected. Additionally memory, one or more of the following also is impaired: personality, abstract thinking, judgment, use of language, the ability to perform complex physical tasks or the ability to recognize objects or people.




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