Yesterday I rambled on about forgetting what day of the week it was — memory lapses can be frustrating, but most of the time they aren’t cause for concern. When I was doing extensive research for yesterday’s blog, it became clear that age-related memory changes are not the same thing as dementia.
As you grow older, you experience physiological changes that can cause glitches in brain functions. It takes longer to learn and recall information. This slowing of your mental process is often thought of as memory loss but in actuality, it just takes longer to remember. We’ve all misplaced items, forgotten a phone number or gone into a room and wondered what you went there for. But in most cases, the information will come to mind. If you don”t recall the information after a period of time that’s a possible sign of dementia.
The brain is capable of producing new brain cells at any age, so memory loss isn’t an inevitable result of aging. However, just like you have exercise to keep up muscle strength, you have to use your brain to keep it functioning at its best. The old saying “use it or lose it” seems to apply here.
I read an article that listed the types of memory lapses that are considered a normal part of the aging process — not a sign of serious mental deterioration. Some of them are:
Occasionally forgetting where you left things (keys, glasses, etc.)
Forgetting names of acquaintances or calling someone by the wrong name
Occasionally forgetting an appointment
Walking into a room and forgetting why you entered
Becoming easily distracted — having trouble remembering what you’ve just read
Not quite being able to retrieve information you have “on the tip of your tongue”
Most “experts” agree that we should all do mental exercises to make our brains work better. They agree that the more pleasurable the activity is to you, the more powerful its effect will be on your brain. Some examples of these types of “exercises” are:
Play games you aren’t already familiar with that involve strategy
Get in the habit of learning new things — take a course in an unfamiliar subject that interests you
Improve how well you do existing activities.
Take on a project that involves design and planning
Well so much for blogging about memory — on to bigger and better things next time… although I’m a little concerned about my memory. My dad suffered from short term memory loss — I hope it doesn’t run in the family because my dad had it too…..
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