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I am more and more aware of forgetting what I am
doing, where I am going etc.
I read doing mental exercises helps, but which ones?
Even typing this, I m forgetting which keys ar which.
So far I'm not experiencing any of this, but then I'm still a "youngster" at 70. LOL My mom has a problem with finding the 'right words' when she's talking and sometimes she says the funniest things. She just laughs and calls it a "brain leak". I DO however HAVE to write down anything I want to research online after I'm finished with one site because I WILL forget what it was. I have scraps of paper all over my desk with different websites to check out.
I think my job helps me a lot. Have to think fast all the time.
it's worth a shot Ginko Biloba and vitamin b12. hmm. Also which foods?
avoid: sugars, oils (esp hydrogenated and commercial oils, use only cold-pressed olive oil), gluten (is in wheat and a lot of other stuff), too much alcohol, and of course many meds. The brain and the gut are closely related. There's lots of research and books out there about the effects of gluten on the gut, and how a "leaky" gut (which so many of us have) effects brain function. This is totally apart from having "celiac disease."
eat: Omega foods, lean meats and liver, B vitamin foods, iron-rich foods including dark greens, and herb teas for mental focus
I am more and more aware of forgetting what I am
doing, where I am going etc.
I read doing mental exercises helps, but which ones?
Even typing this, I m forgetting which keys ar which.
You didn't give details but this sounds like more than the typical senior moments.
Have you reported this to your doctor and have you had a recent thorough physical exam?
10-15 years ago, I was having marked memory lapses. My doctor discovered I was severely hypothyroid.
With proper medication, the problem went away. I'm now in my mid-60's and don't experience anything beyond occasionally forgetting people's names.
I try to keep up with research on senior cognition issues, and from all I've read *physical* exercise is key to retaining optimal cognitive and memory function.
There's a difference between memory loss - and various degrees of dementia. Memory loss is not remembering where you put your car keys. Dementia is having your car keys in your hand and not knowing what they're for.
Bob Hope put it better in terms of getting older.
First you forget names. Then you forget faces. Then you forget to zip up. Then you forget to zip down.
The late and great Bruno Bettelheim (famous psychologist) wrote a seminal piece on aging and memory (as he was aging). He took a practical approach. If you're listening to the weather report and it says it will rain tomorrow - immediately put the umbrella on your door knob - so you won't forget it in the morning. I do similar. If the weather report says it will rain in the early morning - I immediately turn off the irrigation system for the next day.
Note that if you have definite words that you remember in your brain and can (in most cases) write them down on a sheet of paper but you can't get them out of your mouth - that is called "aphasia". It's mostly commonly caused by strokes - but is caused by other things as well:
FWIW - if you or a loved one can't remember what the car keys are for - or has trouble getting stuff in the brain out of the mouth - see a doctor. Robyn
I am more and more aware of forgetting what I am
doing, where I am going etc.
I read doing mental exercises helps, but which ones?
Even typing this, I m forgetting which keys ar which.
Can you be more specific - maybe hum a few bars? Perhaps you can keep a diary - and make some notes.
My husband has MS - and he has some "spatial" issues - especially when we're traveling in unfamiliar places.
Perhaps you might be dealing with something serious - perhaps not. Have you talked with a doctor about this (all of us here are just amateurs)? Robyn
How do you know it shouldn't be confused with memory loss? That is, how do you know it is not memory loss?
If you sense memory/forgetfulness changes, consider visiting a mental health professional.
I don't agree - at all. Maybe because I'm a woman - and - all too often - health care professionals dump us in the "mental health" bin instead of the "medical problem" bin (it's all in our heads ). See - e.g., - the case of Libby Zion.
If you're experiencing a neurological type symptom - especially if you're older - you rule out medical problems first - and go to shrink type stuff second. Robyn
Let's see... I no longer use the stove top for cooking unless I remain in the kitchen or someone else is at my home.
Fortunately, my coffee pot is single use, automatic turn off. The oven is automatic turn off after 12? hours.
I use a combination lock on my front door in case I leave my keys in the house, but that of course, did not prevent me from leaving the car key in the ignition all night...with the car running. Oops!
I have learned to use my smartphone to take a photo of my parking space/floor before leaving my car in a lot or garage.
I email myself important documents, in case I forget to take them with me. I also occasionally email myself messages as well as put them in my smartphone calendar.
I have trained both myself and my dogs that they always get a treat when I leave my home. Hopefully I will never again accidentally forget to bring them in the house before leaving.
When I drove a vehicle that did not have a gasoline cap holder in the door, my son (another severe ADDer) taught me to place the cap in the groove that would otherwise hold the pump handle. Of course, I have occasionally driven away with the little door open.
Drive a junker so you don't need to worry about dings, crumbled bumper or leaving your car windows open. Added bonus: Other vehicles tend to give you a wide berth.
NEVER place an object on the hood or on top of your car. NEVER.
If driving at night and exiting a well lit area, try to remember to check and see if your headlights are on. Better yet, if your vehicle has a device whereby your lights will automatically come on at dusk, make sure it's on. (I just learned a few months ago that the vehicle I've been driving for almost 12 years has this ability. I can't remember if I knew this at one time).
Getting lost is no big deal. Many years ago I learned that you will always find your way, eventually.
I'm past the stage of bluffing. Now it's "Sorry, I have memory problems." Often followed by "No, really".
A few years before my Father passed, he told me he didn't think his checkbook was right. I had never dealt with his finances before, but I asked him if he wanted my help, and he did. I took one look at the ledger in his checkbook, and told him we had to get another ledger, call the Credit Union, and start all over. We finally figured it out, and I kept track of everything after that. I found out later it was dementia that was plaguing him. I still have his checkbook to remind me what dementia can do.
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). See - e.g., - the case of Libby Zion.
