Memory lapses
/ Courtesy: NBC News
If you can't remember where you parked your car or you forget your pin number, you're not alone. But are these mental meltdowns okay or cause for concern?
Many of us have so-called senior moments from time to time. You walk into a room to get something and then you forget what you went in for or you can't seem to remember your own Social Security number. "These are very common. They happen to all human beings at all ages and all cultures," said Dr. Mijail Serruya, a neurologist.
They are more common as we age, but Dr. Serruya says most often it's not a simple memory problem. "A lot of the people that come into my clinic have concerns about memory and with careful evaluation it turns out their problem is not really memory per se but inattention," said Dr. Serruya.
There are things you can do to help improve your focus and your memory. "Establishing those good healthy sleep habits and exercise habits are probably the two most important things any human being can do to improve their memory, attention, mood, not to mention all the other parts of their body," said Dr. Serruya. He says social interaction is just as important too. "Although it seems strange you have to do them as if they're just as important as any medicine but human beings need social engagement."
But when should red flags be raised? "The place where it crosses over from normal aging to something else more concerning is when it's happening more persistently on an everyday basis or is getting in the way of day to day function," Dr. Serruya said.
In older people, Alzheimer's disease and strokes are the most common culprits. "If it's a younger person, I'm gonna think more about concussions including ones they may not even be aware that they had," said Dr. Serruya.
Memory changes alone are usually not an emergency, but if they're accompanied by anything else like a facial droop, slurred speech or muscle weakness, you should go to an emergency room immediately.
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Information courtesy of NBC News
