Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine
Do you feel like you’re constantly forgetting things: names, items on the grocery list, mailing a bill?
Forgetfulness is a natural part of aging that we often attribute to stress or pass off with a joke that Dad is “having a senior moment.” But sometimes forgetting can be the sign of more serious issues, like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain that results in impaired memory and thinking. A 2006 MetLife Foundation survey found that those aged 55 and older feared Alzheimer’s second only to cancer. And for good reason! By age 85, half of us will develop Alzheimer’s.
SIU Neuropsychologist Ronald Zec, PhD, associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine, gives some tips to keep your brain healthy:
1. Social interaction – stay connected, tell stories and share memories with others.
2. Sleep – a rested mind is able to react and remember more clearly.
3. Exercise – What’s good for the heart is good for the brain.
4. Cognitive Activity – use it or lose it. Crossword puzzles, reading and learning new skills keep the mind active and healthy.
5. Give up the toxins – smoking and alcohol negatively affect the body and the brain.
If someone you know is suffering from serious memory problems and needs help, contact your family physician or call the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield at 1-800-342-5748.
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