‘All my want for Christmas is my sharp memory back’

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is my sharp memory back!

A friend’s birthday is soon approaching and she sent us invitations to her celebration.  Her birthday request was hilarious!  It read, “In lieu of gifts, prayers to restore my sharp memory will be appreciated!”

Stories about declining mental functions abound in different social gatherings I attend.  The other night, a husband told us, “My wife excitedly said, ‘Honey, I have some juicy news for you!’  I waited and waited for the juicy news, and true enough, she could not remember what it was!  She had to call another friend who told her what it was all about.”   The wife was laughing all throughout, but at the end of the evening, she pulled me aside and said, “I am not even in my senior years and my memory is fast declining. I am really alarmed! What can I take and do about this!”

Another friend told me, “I can’t do without my yaya! She is a mind reader.  I don’t usually finish my sentence and she finishes it for me.” The reason she does not finish her sentence is, you guessed it! She forgets what she wants done. Fortunately, her yaya knows her too well and anticipates her needs. 

But memory loss is really not a laughing matter.  Reasons for a deteriorating memory may be insignificant or significant.  It could be merely a deficiency of vitamin B-12 or something as severe as a brain tumor, which could be treated with surgery.  Stress, shock over the loss of a beloved or loss of finances and depression may cause temporary forgetfulness but will go away once the feelings are treated.  Memory loss may be a side effect of medication or an infection. Some sleeping pills cause temporary loss of memory.  Those suffering from vascular dementia — dementia due to a series of strokes — will often be given medications to lower blood pressure or reduce high cholesterol, and in time, the memory comes back. 

There are dementias that are not reversible, but the progression can be slowed down with the right medication and lifestyle.  Alzheimer’s is irreversible and usually involves genetic factors, but there are specialists who will prescribe the right medication and lifestyle to slow down its progression.  There is now intensive research by top scientists all over the world to find the cure for Alzheimer’s, which hopefully can be established in this lifetime.

For normal folks like us whose deteriorating memory is caused by aging and lifestyle factors, here are some recommendations by specialists.

• It is so important to keep your body and mind sharp.  Indulge in parlor games like chess, scrabble, bridge, mahjong, and the like to exercise the mind.  Learn how to be computer-savvy and spend some hours a day using the computer.  Learn how to use the computer to exercise your mind.  Even the simple act of learning how to use the functions of your cell phone involves some memory work.  Learning a new language is a great way to improve your memory.  Memorizing new words and new grammar structures is mentally challenging.  Giving your self new mental challenges is another surefire way to keep dementia at bay.  

• Keep the mind sharp through physical exercise. Physical exercise involves any kind of body movement.  What most people don’t realize is that it is important to keep blood, oxygen, and glucose flowing constantly through the brain.  Aerobic activities like walking, Zumba exercise, jogging, etc. increase the flow of nutrients and oxygen throughout your body and your brain.  Exercise increases breathing and heart rate, which gives you more energy and improves cognitive memory function.   

• Enroll in a dance class. Learning the steps and coordinating them with your body movements improve the mind and the body.  Based on my personal experience, dancing is one of the best exercises for mind and body functions.  Not only does it exercise the body, memorizing all those steps keeps the mind sharp as well.  Most dancers look and feel young. They claim that dancing is the best therapy for depression and stress.

I read something interesting from eHow.com.  To help maintain your focus:  Before getting out of bed, spend a few minutes wiggling your toes, first all of them, then only your big toes.  This simple activity activates nerves that fire synapses in your brain, sending messages throughout your neural system and internal organs.  Repeat periodically throughout the day if you sit for long periods of time.  

In short, doctors say that challenging our brains at every opportunity is the key to avoiding dementia and keeping our memory even as we grow older.