Brain Aging: Symptoms And Solutions For Brain Aging

We all go through aging. It is part of life and growth. And just like our body, our brain ages with time as well. Not just the size of the brain but also the cognitive and vascular function of it changes too. The brain tends to shrink and incidents of stroke and dementia rise with increasing age. There are also changes in hormones and neurotransmitters with the progression of aging. Although biological aging is not related to the simple fact of aging in general which is inevitable.

It may be possible to slow down the process of biological aging and reduce the risk of age-related issues like dementia. Not to forget that brain aging is a common change that everyone has to go through in life. Common symptoms will occur as you progress in age but you can make changes in your lifestyle to not let it onset early. Your mental function will decline with age but your cognitive impairment can be avoided to help maintain your brain function.

Brain Aging Symptoms:

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• A most common symptom of brain aging is associated with memory. Episodic memory which is stored in the brain relating to when and how the information was picked tends to decline after middle age. This is also common in Alzheimer’s disease. Forgetting things and recalling names more often is attributed to brain aging.
• If you start to feel you have trouble multitasking, this is also a common brain aging symptom.
• If you feel you have trouble concentrating and paying attention to things.
• Physical problems like inflammation can start to occur which is a common response of the body when injured or an illness strikes.
• If you face difficulty learning new things or performing complex mental activities.
• The blood flow in the brain cells also gets decreased with the aging of the brain which in turn affects the normal functioning of the brain.
• If you have trouble remembering common day to day words more often, it can be a sign of cognitive problems.

Solutions For Brain Aging

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• It is very important to get brain stimulation on a regular basis regardless of age. Using mental exercises to keep your brain healthy and life is very important. It will not only help with better nerve cell connections but will also generate new cells increasing neurological plasticity. Make a habit to read and solve puzzles as a pass time to get in the habit of exercising your brain. Also, including painting and drawing will increase your mental effort and creativity.
• Believe it or not but even physical exercise can keep your brain young. Exercises not only lowers your blood pressure, reduces cholesterol levels, and but also reduces your mental stress which helps your brain stay healthy. Regular exercising increases the number of tiny blood vessels that carry oxygen to the brain which is responsible for a better thought process. Exercising also increases the development of new nerve cells and improves their connections.
• Having a balanced diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants will help you keep your body as well as your brain healthy. Try to include plant sources of proteins, olive oil, nuts, and fish as they are likely to improve your cognitive skills and reduce the risk of dementia. Avoid refined sugar and junk food as they aid in many health-related risk factors and mental health issues.
• Avoid alcohol and drug use. Too much alcohol is a risk factor for dementia. Using drugs in any form has proven to decrease our mental health and it affects our nerves by reducing their functionality. It also affects our cognitive skills and reduces our mental capacity.
• Take care of your mental health. Try to practice meditation every day to calm and relax your mind. Meditation also helps relieve stress and anxiety. It will help you control your emotions better and you will be less likely to fall into depression which is a growing problem nowadays.
• Try to build a healthy social network. Surveys have suggested that people with strong social ties have a better grip on their issues and they live longer. Meeting different people and interacting with them helps us broaden our thinking horizon and stimulate our brain in a healthy way.
• Moderate to severe injuries to the head can lead to concussions and cognitive impairment. It’s always best to protect your head to avoid any injuries as it can lead to severe repercussions.

Getting old and brain aging is a part of life but it starts to hinder our day to day activities; it’s time to contact a doctor and get a professional opinion. A decrease in memory and thinking which your family and friends can notice should be brought to attention as it can be more than just normal aging.

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