Health Care Steps You Must Take to Protect Memory

Common sense health care needs for people with memory loss include all the standard preventive care such as prostate/mammogram screenings, flu shots, annual physicals and blood pressure checks–and the following:

Hearing Evaluation

Hearing loss is very common in patients who have impaired memory. People with memory loss have access to a limited set of facts and so often have a difficult time making sense of the world around them. Hearing loss makes it even more difficult to understand and retain what is being said. Hearing loss can significantly aggravate memory loss. Accordingly, it is important to ensure that hearing is adequate, through a professional audiological exam. Just as the person who learns they need glasses for the first time is astonished to see the world come into clarity when they place the lenses over their eyes, never before having realized what they were missing, the person who has insufficient hearing may not recognize that the sounds around them could be more clear.

Regular Vision Care

Balance problems are common in people with memory loss, too. The potential for falls increases, as a result. It is important to protect vision to reduce the risk of falling. Vision testing may on some occasions lead to identifying other medical conditions, as well, that may be treatable and result in improved cognitive functioning. Impaired vision may occur in conjunction with the progression of a neurological disease such as Alzheimer’s Disease, or it may occur on its own as a result of the natural aging process and “wear and tear.” Maintaining optimal vision is one of the easiest things that can be done to protect well-being, and support the body processes that feed our brains with the information that we process.

Regular Dental Care

A growing body of doctors and scientists believe that maintaining good oral hygiene can prevent memory loss! Researchers have recently discovered links between memory loss and gum disease. The National Institutes of Health has granted $1.3 Million of funding to a research team at West Virginia University to continue studies into whether gum disease is connected to poor memory in old age. Dr Bei Wu of the University of North Carolina and Dr Richard Crout of the University of West Virginia will lead the study, continuing a program to test oral health and memory in 273 people aged 70. Interest in the results is worldwide. The British Dental Health Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving public oral health through education and impartial dental advice, is following the results closely. According to its website, members of the public can contact the Dental Helpline for free and impartial expert advice at 0845 063 1188 from Monday to Friday. According to Dr. Katherine S. Bencze, M.D., a well-respected neurologist in Tampa, Florida, “dental problems such as decaying or loose teeth or ill fitting dentures may impact nutritional status, increase cardiovascular disease, and compromise overall health.”

Abstain from the use of Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol impacts the central nervous system with a slowing, depressant effect, causing memory loss, depression and/or anxiety, and other mental disorders. The confusion, sense of disinhibition and increased incidence of falls associated with alcohol over-use is well known. Who isn’t familiar with the image of the “drunk”? Alcohol in any amount impacts the central nervous system with the same processes, even in lesser consumption, and even if the effects aren’t readily visible. Individuals with impaired memory need all neurons firing correctly, to the fullest extent possible. Alcohol, which “depresses” the central nervous system and cognitive functioning, is a poor choice of beverage consumption for anyone who is seeking to sustain optimal cognitive functioning and memory.

Select a Diet High in Brain Nourishing Nutrients.

Fish, fish fish. You are tired of hearing it. But foods that are good for the memory include fish high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, such as salmon, herring, trout and sardines. Fruits and vegetables, especially green leafy and brightly colored vegetables, whole grains, and nuts provide essential nutrients, too. Vegetable oils such as olive oil are beneficial, too, providing monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants which protect against heart disease by controlling LDL (”bad”) cholesterol and increasing HDL (”good cholesterol). So bake your fish fish fish crusted in pecans or grilled in olive oil with spinach and red peppers. You can learn to prepare and enjoy this as much as the foods you may have previously loved, but should avoid, to protect and sustain your memory. Limit or “just say no” to foods that are high in fat.

Adequate Sleep.

The connection between sleep and memory is well-documented. Many scientific studies have demonstrated that performance is tied to sleep. The consolidation of newly acquired information into memory occurs during sleep. Sleep deprivation impairs retrieval function- the process whereby information is recalled. Further, sleep disturbance is a common phenomenon in the caregivers of older adults with memory loss. A November 2009 study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health determined that caregivers reported worse physical functioning with shorter sleep durations. So how much sleep is enough? According to researchers at the University of California, San Diego, people who routinely sleep only six to seven hours on average have a longer life expectancy than those who get eight hours or more a night. In a six year study of 1.1 million adults, Daniel F. Kripke, M.D. and his colleagues found that subjects who slept seven hours a night lived the longest — and that people who sleep eight hours or more are likely to die at a younger age than those who sleep less. (The Archives of General Psychiatry, Feb 15, 2002). Still, conventional wisdom holds that sleep needs are individual. To preserve optimal cognitive functioning and memory, strive for the amount of sleep that achieves waking with a “rested and refreshed” feeling. Several research studies related to sleep apnea show that quality of sleep is as important as quantity. If you may have sleep apnea, seek medical assistance immediately–especially if you are concerned with protecting your memory.

Exercise

Exercise stimulates all of the physiological processes of the body and mind. Improved oxygen flow to the brain can support optimal memory and cognitive functioning, as well as improve sleep and boost the cardiovascular functioning that is tied to brain functioning. It has been demonstrated that even a twenty minute walk once a day can improve memory.