Worried because you searched a half hour before finding your reading glasses or car keys? Concerned that it took a couple minutes to remember the name of the familiar-looking woman who said hello to you in the restaurant?
You probably don't have much to worry about, says George Grossberg, M.D., an internationally recognized Alzheimer's disease researcher and director of geriatric psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. As annoying as it may be, temporary "tip of the tongue" forgetfulness is one of the changes that happens as we age.
"We tend to let things that are unimportant to us slide," Dr. Grossberg says. "We forget for the moment and it's frustrating. But if the information comes back to us later when we really think about it, we have an annoying little problem that isn't particularly serious.
"If, on the other hand, the information is important to us, isn't there when we want it and doesn't ever come back to us, that's a more serious problem. The person who has Alzheimer's disease and misplaces her reading glasses probably won't even remember that she needs them to see. She knows the man next to her is familiar, but can't remember that he's her grandson and his name is Mark."
Sometimes people become forgetful because they're on sensory overload.
"In our society, we're all on chronic systems overload. We're multi-tasking -- talking on our cell phones, listening for beepers to go off, walking into a store to shop," he says. "It's very easy for certain things to get lost in the shuffle. That's not Alzheimer's disease."
So how do you know if you have a serious problem, and is there anything your can do to bolster your memory? Dr. Grossberg offers this recipe for brain health:
* Try to figure out what is causing your forgetfulness. Did you make a wrong turn while driving while you were talking on a cell phone and listening to the radio? Maybe you're trying to do too many things at once and need to put down the phone or turn off the tunes.
* Exercise your body. Along with improving your cardio-vascular health, exercise increases your "feel-good" endorphins, which improves your mood and prevents depression. Depression causes cognitive impairment and is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
* Exercise your mind. Research shows mental challenge can help rewire connections in the brain, which enhance its activity and make it more resistant to diseases. So find a new hobby, learn to play chess, use your left hand if you're right-handed, study a foreign language or Calculus.
* Take care of yourself. Controlling risk factors for cardio-vascular disease such as high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol and obesity may help decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
* Get a good night's sleep. Not getting enough deep, restful sleep causes cognitive impairment later in life. Besides, if you're sleep deprived, you won't think clearly and are more likely to forget now. Find out why you're not sleeping if that's a problem.
* Feed your brain. Some research shows antioxidant vitamins have protective powers against Alzheimer's disease. The B vitamins, particularly B12, and folate are very important in how brain cells function. Take a supplement if necessary.
* Check your meds. Sometimes medications -- prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs -- can cause memory or concentration problems, which you should discuss with your doctor.
Dr. Grossberg says the key to whether you should be concerned about your forgetfulness is how it affects your ability to function. "The time to worry is when the changes you experience affect your ability to function on a day-to-day basis. If forgetfulness is of such a frequency and magnitude that it is interferes with your ability to do your job, for example, you should see a doctor."
Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first M.D. degree west of the Mississippi River. Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a pioneer in geriatric medicine, organ transplantation, chronic disease prevention, cardiovascular disease, neurosciences and vaccine research, among others. The School of Medicine trains physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health services on a local, national and international level.
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