Page 201 - The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss and Enhance Memory Power

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you can develop mild memory loss in your forties or fifties, especially if you have a specific,
usually reversible, cause of memory loss such as depression, alcohol abuse, medication
toxicity, or hypothyroidism.

If You've Developed Mild Memory Loss, What Does It Mean?

If you are in your forties to fifties, you are likely to have an identifiable, reversible cause of
memory loss.
If you are in your sixties to eighties, memory loss due to either the aging process or dementia is
much more common.
If there is a relatively rapid onset (weeks to months) of symptoms, a potentially reversible cause
of memory loss is likely.
A fluctuating course of symptoms, with periods of clear memory and cognition intervening
between episodes of confusion or memory loss, is more likely to be due to an identifiable,
reversible cause.
A gradual dwindling in memory over many years, even decades, is typical of memory loss due
to the aging process.
A steady decline, with mild symptoms progressing to severe symptoms of memory loss within a
few years, suggests Alzheimer's disease.

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Early benign signs of memory loss due to the aging process include forgetting names, forgetting a
few items on a shopping list, misplacing keys, or not recognizing someone you met a long time ago.
Signs of severe memory loss include getting lost in a familiar place, losing your way when driving a
familiar route, forgetting important appointments repeatedly, forgetting to turn off the stove on many
occasions, repeating the same questions over and over again, coworkers' pointing out that mistakes
are increasing, and not knowing the date or time on several occasions.

If you have signs of severe memory loss, you need to see a doctor (neurologist or psychiatrist or
primary care physician, preferably with a neuropsychologist's input). For those of you with mild
memory loss, or if you have a sound memory but wish to prevent future memory loss, it's time to get
into the nitty-gritty of the Memory Program.

The Memory Program

This comprehensive Memory Program has three major steps, each involving several components:

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