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Memory Loss
February 17, 2009 |
A lot of people often forget where they put their keys or if they turned off the
coffee pot but doctors say for many of us that’s normal.
Dr. Michael Raab is a geriatrician with Lee Memorial Health System. He says, “In
a normal brain, most of the time people forgetting things is because people weren’t
paying attention when they did them. There are a lot of things that you can do automatically
without thinking about it.”
Simply paying attention to what’s happening around you and focusing on it can help
boost your brain’s ability to remember. “It takes about eight seconds of focus for
the hippocampus to take some incoming information and turn it into something that
goes into a memory part of your brain where it’s remembered,” says Dr. Raab. Research
has shown that the hippocampus area of the brain is responsible for converting information
into long-term memory. Repeated use of the specialized nerve networks in the hippocampus
enhances memory storage. Reasoning exercises such as putting together a jigsaw puzzle
and sudoku can help. “Almost anything you can do to keep your mind sharp is going
to help because if nothing else, you’re building more reserve so you can strengthen
a healthy brain and then if it does get attacked by a disease then it will be at
least starting from a healthier strong point,” adds Dr. Raab.
Frequent memory loss could indicate something more serious, like Alzheimer’s disease
so it’s important to discuss any concerns with your physician.
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