Your Health: Senior moments explained

Have you ever had any of these experiences?
**You walk into a room and forget what you wanted to do.
**You want to drive somewhere but you can’t remember where you left the car keys.
**You’re shopping and you see one of your close neighbors, but you can’t remember his or her name.
These are but a few examples of what are commonly referred to as “senior moments.” Many people who have these forgetful moments fear that they might be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but the fact is that almost everyone, especially starting around the age of 50, has these experiences.
Factors that can worsen memory loss are:
**Lack of sleep
**Uncontrolled high blood pressure
**Excessive use of alcohol
**Medications
**Loneliness, anxiety and depression
Just as aging affects our bodies, it also causes changes in our brains. Memory lapses are some of the more obvious changes that we will all experience.
Although we can’t keep our brains from physically aging, we can be proactive to slow down those changes. The following are my recommendations to keep our brains as healthy as possible as we age:
**Concentrate, pay attention and use mental images to help remember things.
**Maintain a positive attitude and continue to find purpose in life.
**Remain physically active with some form of regular exercise.
**Stimulate the brain by doing puzzles and word games, reading and conversing.
**Maintain adequate sleep. A regular brief nap is very beneficial.
**Eat a healthful, balanced diet.
**Avoid alcohol, or at least limit its use.
**Get organized. Use calendars, notes and lists to jog the memory.
**Do not isolate yourself. Remain socially active with family and friends.
**Relax through yoga, meditation and prayer.
The bottom line is that we all experience occasional memory loss. This is part of the normal aging process. Senior moments usually cause only minor annoyances, occasional slips and inconvenience and are no cause for worry or concern. If your moments become persistent, worsen or interfere with daily activities, however, you should see your doctor so your symptoms can be evaluated.
When it comes to caring for your brain, my advice is “use it or lose it.”
Terry Hollenbeck, M.D., is an urgent-care physician at Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz in Scotts Valley. A doctor with 36 years’ experience, he invites readers to view his previous columns on his website, valleydoctor.wordpress.com. Information in this column is not intended to replace advice from your own health care professional. For any medical concern, consult your own doctor.