Improve Working Memory In 10 Minutes Per Day April 25, 2010 2 Comments
Your working memory is where you store information for a short time. The average healthy adult can store about seven pieces of information in the working memory. As you get older, you should try to find some ways to improve working memory each day. Here are some suggestions that you can use, to do it in less than 10 minutes each day.
You could try feeding your brain some good supplements. This will take much less than 10 minutes because it only involves swallowing a pill. Go down to the local drug store or department store and pick up an Omega-3 supplement. Omega-3 has many health benefits. It will work to regulate your immune system, improve your overall heart health and also work to improve working memory in healthy adults. The best way to absorb Omega-3 is through a fish oil supplement.
You could also try adding antioxidants to your diet to improve working memory. You can find antioxidants in fresh fruits and many vegetables. Or you could take a concentrated fruit supplement like a maqui berry drink. These antioxidants are special molecules that fight off free radicals in your body and hae been shown to fight cancer. But a side benefit is that they prevent other molecules from oxidizing and damaging surrounding cells. You don’t want molecules oxidizing to damage your memory, so you should eat some fresh fruit each day.
You should also spend more time talking with people. Decades of research has shown time and time again that people who keep an active social life enjoy a more healthy memory than others who spend most of their time alone.
You can improve working memory until you are in tip top shape. Don’t forget that it is also extremely important to just keep your mind working all day long. Don’t just chill out in front of the television or computer all day long and expect to have a superior memory – you have to work for it.
Two Common Test For Dementia April 23, 2010 5 Comments
Dementia is a group of conditions that can sometimes be a part of the aging process. If you have notice that a loved one has started acting a little strange, began saying strange things or they just aren’t themselves anymore, then you should seek the help of a doctor who may perform one or more tests for dementia.
It is common for a blood sample to be taken before any tests for dementia are administered. This is used to rule out other possible causes of strange behavior. Different chemical deficiencies can often the be the reason behind adults acting ‘funny’. Commonly, irregular levels of potassium or magnesium can cause someone to act a bit strange.
Once other causes have been ruled out, the doctor may perform a memory field test. They may tell the patient to remember three random things. For instance, they may ask a patient to remember: football, bedspreads and televisions. Then they will conduct a series of short questions that will have nothing to do with dementia. After a few questions they will then ask the patient to recall the three things that they were asked to remember.
If they have trouble remembering all three things, it does not automatically mean that they are suffering from dementia. There are all kinds of reasons that an elderly person may have an episode of memory loss. So, they would most likely perform one of the other more intense tests for dementia – possibly a CAT scan. A CAT scan will allow doctors to see inside of the patients head so they can conduct further observations of the brain.
It is important to seek out qualified professionals to perform tests for dementia. If you have a feeling like a loved one may be suffering from the condition, you should not wait to check up on the possibility, because dementia shares many of the same symptoms as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Memory Loss, Menopause and Anxiety – Is This Normal? April 20, 2010 11 Comments
As women age, they will naturally enter a state referred to as menopause. The menstrual cycle will start to change and diminish and many women are confused by what is happening to them. There is often a fear that menopause is a sign that you are elderly and your mind will start to diminish. Let’s examine how memory loss, menopause and anxiety all fit together.
Women can begin to experience symptoms of menopause as early as 40 or as late 60. There is a good chance that most women have not experienced a change in their body since puberty, so the experience is – in many ways – completely new to them. Not knowing exactly how your body is changing and not having control over those changes often leads many women to feel mild anxiety problems.
Getting older is sometimes hard to deal with. When an observable change occurs, like the changes that occur during menopause, women can enter a slight depression. There was recently a study conducted at the University of Rochester’s Memory Disorders Clinic which found that many women overstate the problems that they experience during menopause, including memory loss. Menopause can have a big effect on the hormones that a woman feels, and if anxiety strikes it is difficult to feel positive. The study found that the women were not purposely lying about their memory loss, but they actually felt like their mind was not as sharp as it use to be. However, according to testing their minds were just as sharp as when they entered menopause.
So, if you are about to enter menopause, there is little chance that you should worry about memory loss. Menopause is a totally natural process and with the help of medication from your doctor, you may be able to control some of the common symptoms.