As age progresses most people get those senior moments when information that used to roll off our tongues, gets stuck somewhere and refuses to appear when summoned. If it happens a couple of times, we now have Google which we use to research any slight symptom that worries us and most medical websites can turn the most even-keeled human being into a full-blown hypochondriac in seconds as we compare our symptoms to those listed in dreaded diseases. A quick check to see what pops up when you type “memory loss” into a search engine, listed the Alzheimer’s Society as number 3 on the first page. Now that is enough to send any sane person into a panic. And as these websites track what you search; adverts related to your symptoms will start to appear with every search which adds to anxiety. Marc Agronin, a geriatric psychiatrist who runs across an increasing number of people wracked by anxiety over memory loss assures us in the Wall Street Journal that armchair diagnosis and even professional diagnosis on memory loss “are sometimes just plain wrong” and lists things you need to keep in mind before you start panicking over memory loss. If you are worried about forgetting things; he also has a couple of suggestions on how you can adopt “brain healthy habits”. – Linda van Tilburg
Before panicking over memory loss, read this
(The Wall Street Journal) – It’s increasingly common for the average retiree to be told by their doctor that they have a memory problem. It’s also common for the average ageing person to self-diagnose a memory disorder after googling real or imagined symptoms. I see an increasing number of these individuals in my memory centre, all wracked by anxiety and starting to revise their life plans around what is ultimately a very uncertain situation.
And sometimes, both professional and armchair diagnoses are just plain wrong.
Before you start telling yourself and your family and friends you have a memory problem, consider the landscape. On the one hand, it’s true that the risk of cognitive impairment increases with age. These changes are typically mild and age-related, but they can be more significant and sometimes do represent an early stage of what we refer to as dementia or a neurocognitive disorder. But, it’s not always as clear-cut as “yes” or “no.”
The brain is different from all other organs. We can’t analyse it in the same way we might assess the liver or kidney. There is no single blood test or brain scan that tells the tale. We’d prefer not to take an actual brain sample to really see what’s going on. Many doctors do not conduct an adequate evaluation to make an accurate diagnosis, or they obtain a slew of data but never adequately explain it to the patient within a practical context.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Everyone has mild memory fluctuations. With age, we have more of what we colloquially call “senior moments”: a forgotten name, a missed appointment, or a tip-of-the-tongue experience where some elusive memory is hovering so close in our mind that we can almost taste it. These events themselves should only raise concerns when they occur frequently and cause consistent interference with daily activities. It’s also more concerning when it’s others and not the affected person who notices the changes.
Not every memory problem indicates dementia. There are lots of causes of mild and often transient memory issues–including stress, sleep problems, substance use, depression and medications, to name a few. Once these factors are corrected, the memory problems should improve.
