Expert: Paula Damgaard - 5/1/2008

Question
Hi there,
I don't have or know anyone with Alzheimer's, but I'd like to know how to prevent it and also, more generally speaking- how can I improve my memory and recall (there was no section for this in allexperts that I could locate).
We live in such an over-information stressful society, that I can read read read all day but am i really learning if I can't recall or communicate anything I just "learned?"
It scares me and I need to improve this for work and other areas of life. I blank fairly often...and I'm terrified I will do this in the heat of the moment during a meeting, forgetting someone's name when introducing them to someone else, stuff like that keeps me in fear.
Thanks for any tips and strategies in advance!
Regards,
Aly

Answer
HI Aly, Sorry for the delay, I was away for a few days.  First thing I want to ask you is "do you have long term care insurance"?  If you don't then get it.  Don't mention memory problems to any MD until you get it, this will be your protection in the future.

Second you don't mention your age. If you are in your 40's what you are experiencing may be normal.  Our memories do get worse as we age!  Unfortunately.  You also say that we live in an over-information, well our brains can only hold so much!  So we are forced to try to "hold" on to what we really need to and the other stuff falls by the wayside.  

There is a book called the "Brain Bible" that you can get and that gives you ways to maintain your memory.  But really the things that you need to do are diet, exercise, enough sleep, "heart Healthy" things.  

If you are really worried, after you get long term care insurance, go and have a full battery of neuropsych testing done.  That will at least give you a baseline so you can repeat it again in a year and see if there is change.  

Hope this helps.  Paula