Coping With Memory Loss

If you are reading this blog, you probably either know someone with dementia and memory loss, or you are beginning to suffer with it yourself.  It is very easy to feel alone in your struggles, and you may not feel courageous enough to speak out about what you are going through.  However, some very brave individuals who are in the public spotlight have given a voice to the issues that you may also be dealing with.

If you communicate regularly with someone who deals with dementia or other types of memory loss, you know how difficult and frustrating it can be, both for you and them.  Although there is no way to remove all of the difficulties, there are ways to make it a bit easier.

When you are the one suffering with memory loss and dementia, it is very easy to feel like you are alone in your struggles.  However, dementia may be more common than you think.  Many studies have been performed to find just how common this disease is.

For those of you, like me, who like to enjoy a hot cup of coffee to get your day going, you may be doing more for yourself than “waking up.”  You may just be preventing dementia and memory loss later in life.

People often get dementia and Alzheimer’s disease confused.  Though they share the common trait of memory loss, they are not one in the same.  The blog post will focus on just what it is that makes the two different.

In the last blog post, we looked at the first five of the ten warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease that the Alzheimer’s Association has listed as the most relevant, the most common being memory loss.  In this post, we will continue this theme by going over the final five signs.

Alzheimer’s disease can present with a whole range of symptoms.  Although memory loss is one of them, it is not the only one.  Thanks to the Alzheimer’s Association, below is a list of ten warning signs that could indicate that you or a loved one is beginning to struggle with the disease.

It seems like every time you turn around, there is a new diet fad in the news.  Most people who start a new diet are not thinking about how the particulars can affect healthy brain functioning and possible memory loss.  One diet that has been researched a bit is the “Low Carb Diet.”

Those who suffer with diabetes are unable to properly create and utilize the natural insulin the body usually makes.  This results in the glucose levels in the blood being “out of whack.”  Studies previously performed lean towards the conclusion that those with diabetes confront higher risks of memory loss in the form of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Throughout our childhood and beyond we learn various ways to help us remember things. Called mnemonics, these memory tools, such as “Thirty days hath September…,” give us fun little ways to quickly recall information.  But what if you, due to age or disease, struggle with memory loss?  Well, basically, you need mnemonics more than ever!  Because everyone is so individualistic, mnemonics are not a “one size fit all” type of tool.  Finding which memory tool works for you is a trial and error process.