Memory loss: between age and disease

As the years pass we all start to suffer everyday oversights. It takes us longer to learn something, do not find the name of an actor, the more easily we lose the glasses or not remember where we parked the car the day before.

They are generally mild problems of poor memory more serious problems, such as Alzheimer's. In fact, about 40% of healthy people over 65 suffer everyday oversights in what is known as "loss or alteration of age-related memory".

Only a small percentage of these people will suffer in the future some form of dementia, which already affected the memory of most severe, and where other higher cortical functions are altered: the language, judgment, calculation, orientation, emotional control, etc..

Therefore, mild memory loss associated with age should not worry more than other common signs of aging, not so different from presbyopia or presbycusis. Still, we can see a specialist to find out for sure.

There are different ways to prevent memory disorders:

• Promoting a healthy lifestyle: doing exercise, reducing stress and avoiding snuff and excessive alcohol consumption.
• Sleep hygiene: adequate amount of sleep is essential for proper consolidation of memories.
• Maintain mental activity: read or consider intellectual challenges, learning languages, doing crosswords and puzzles ...
• Foster social ties.
• Maintain regular contact with your doctor or specialist to control and reduce cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure.

It is important to remember that the brain is like a muscle, and as such, we must use it to keep in shape.