Baby Healthy Care Advice

As we go through life, we all hope we can maintain good physical and mental health as long as possible. There is not much pleasure in living a long life if our final years are spent in pain and if we lose our ability to think and remember. As much as we may dread suffering physical pain and illness in old age, many of us fear even more the possibility that we might lose our mental capacities and end up completely helpless in a nursing home.

Often the first hint that our memory is starting to lose its sharpness happens around the fifth decade of life. As people enter their middle years, they start to notice more and more frequent lapses of memory, particularly their short-term memory. They may enter a room to do something, and forget what it is. They may be unable to recall the name of someone who used to live next door. And they may start to worry that their forgetfulness is more than just a harmless incident, they worry that it might be the first hint of something far more sinisterperhaps the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s is the name given to a very serious brain disease in which the brain cells are killed by microscopic plaques and tangled fibers. The parts of the brain needed to form and access recent memories are usually destroyed first. Brain cell destruction spreads to other parts of the brain, causing a loss of function, and eventually death follows.

At present there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists are racing to learn the cause, or causes of Alzheimer’s, and to find a way to stop the destruction of the brain once it starts. As baby boomers age, millions of them will be at risk for acquiring Alzheimer’s and other serious brain diseases.

Alzheimer’s disease is not the only cause of loss of brain function in elderly persons. There are many other causes that can lead to a diminishment of mental capacity or to outright dementia in later years.

Fortunately, you can learn what the risk factors are which are associated with a higher likelihood of developing problems, and you can take steps to counteract them.

And the good news is: you don’t need to make a choice between looking after your heart, or looking after your brain. In many cases, what’s good for the heart will benefit the brain as well.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor in developing dementia. Not only does high blood pressure damage brain cells directly, but it also increases the risk of stroke, which will lead to the permanent destruction of brain cells. To prevent strokes, have your blood pressure checked regularly, and if your blood pressure is too high, work with your doctor to bring it down to a safe level.

Diabetics are at particularly high risk for developing dementia. If you are diabetic, it is very important to get your blood sugar levels under control.

If you want to protect your brain for the long term, avoid excess alcohol consumption. Long term consumption of more than two alcoholic drinks a day can directly damage brain cells, as well as deplete the body of important nutrients it requires to function, particularly Vitamin B1 (thiamin).

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people suffer brain injuries occur as a result of automobile accidents. Many of these traumas could be prevented or reduced by slowing down while driving, and by wearing a seat belt.

We know that some senior citizens are able to live into their eighies and nineties with their minds sharp and their bodies still spry. Will we be among the lucky ones? Is it just a matter of random luck? Is losing our mental powers as we age inevitable?

The good news is that statistically the odds are on your side. Most people are able to keep their thinking clear as they age unless they develop Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, or diabetes. As long as the brain itself remains healthy, older people can preserve their ability to learn, to think and remember, although it may take them longer to process their thoughts than it used to. And in some forms of mental skills, seniors are actually able to outperform much younger people!

By studying the health habits of senior citizens who have reached old age with their minds and bodies intact, scientists have discovered some of the factors that seem to be associated with better mental functioning in old age.

Based on these studies, scientists believe that some of the factors that influence whether or not you stay mentally healthy in your later years are actually under your control.

There is some evidence that people who have a diet high in antioxidants have lower rates of getting Alzheimer’s. Fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly those that have strong, bright colors, tend to be high in protective antioxidants that help repair damage to the body’s cells caused by harmful chemicals called free radicals.

People who consume greater levels of cold water fish such as salmon, tend to have lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease. There are also vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements that seem to have a protective effect on the brain. Higher intakes of Folic acid are associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.

People who continue learning, who keep on reading, writing, and acquiring new skills tend to be sharper in their mental skills as they age. Scientists think that perhaps learning new things helps brain cells make more connections.

If you want to follow in the footsteps of those who manage to reach their later years with both their bodies and their minds in good shape, make it a priority to eat well, exercise regularly, and get sufficient sleep.

Reduce stress by learning to relax, take pleasure in your family and friends, and find ways to connect with causes greater than yourself. Keep learning, and look for ways to be happy, no matter what your circumstances.

This article is taken from the new downloadable book by Royane Real titled “How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative” available at http://www.royanereal.com

Share This

The joy of bringing a child into the world, a baby to love and cherish, may be the plan but to 50-80% of new mothers suffering from a form of depression known as the Baby Blues that dream is not the reality.

While not serious, the baby blues can leave a new mother despondent, tired, and subject to emotional swings and loss of appetite. The effects of giving birth, hormone changes and the lifestyle changes of having a newborn (not sleeping, being indoors a lot, responsibilities of caring for a baby) can lead to a bout of the baby blues. Baby blues are usually short lived and go away without treatment.

What is of more concern are the less frequent cases where baby blues develop into something longer lived and more severe: postpartum depression.

While Brooke Shields (along with the help of Oprah Winfrey) has put a famous face on this dreadful disorder, thousands of women who face the pain and anxiety of postpartum depression fight a private battle of wills between their knowledge of what motherhood should be and their detached feelings, hopelessness and even suicide.

What causes postpartum (also known as postnatal) depression and what are the signs?

No precise cause has been found that causes a happy, healthy woman to loose her sense of self, desire and joy for life when she should be enjoying the experience of motherhood.

While many women suffer side effects from the temporary drain of estrogen hormones soon after birth the effect of this estrogen loss may go even further in women diagnosed with postpartum depression.

Other factors, such as financial stress, relationship and communication problems or a history of depression in the family may contribute to postpartum depression.

Identifying postpartum depression is crucial since it IS treatable. Often it will become the responsibility of the partner or other friends and family to watch new mothers for signs of depression. Postpartum depression can occur anytime after birth - even up to a year after.

The National Women’s Health Information center lists these signs to watch for in mothers who may be suffering more than the baby blues:

. Feeling restless or irritable

. Feeling sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed

. Crying a lot

. Having no energy or motivation

. Eating too little or too much

. Sleeping too little or too much

. Trouble focusing, remembering, or making decisions

. Feeling worthless and guilty

. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities

. Withdrawal from friends and family

Having headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations (the heart beating fast and feeling like it is skipping beats), or hyperventilation (fast and shallow breathing)

After pregnancy, signs of depression may also include being afraid of hurting the baby or oneself and not having any interest in the baby.

It is very important for mothers to have a strong support system in place since the demands of caring for an infant, especially when other children are present, can lead to stress and burnout. All most mothers need is loving care and someone to talk to. For those suffering with depression, it is even more crucial.

Author: Micka

Share This

Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that strikes terror into many of us, especially as we get older.

Alzheimer’s is a very serious brain disease that attacks the parts of the brain responsible for the creation of memory and for thinking.

As the disease progresses, more and more parts of the brain become affected. The patient loses the ability to live independently, and the sense of self and identity disappears. Eventually the patient dies.

Alzheimer’s is not the only disease that causes dementia, but it is probably the best known to the general public.

When Alzheimer’s strikes someone, we watch as the person afflicted slowly fades away in front of us, and eventually disappears to a place where they can’t be reached.

We may personally know people, who have been afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease. We may have visited a nursing home where many of the elderly residents sat staring blankly and unaware. We shuddered inwardly, thinking, “I hope that never happens to me.”

Part of the reason we fear this disease so much is because it is so mysterious. We don’t know what causes Alzheimer’s. We don’t know how to cure it. We don’t even have a surefire test to diagnose Alzheimer’s while the victim is still alive.

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease tends to get higher as the population ages. In the age group 65-75, approximately four per cent of the population may be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In the age group of 85 years or older, about 50% of the population has Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a growing problem all over the world because the population in most countries is growing older and older on average. In many countries, more and more people are surviving to the age where the incidence of the disease becomes more common.

At the present time, up to four million North Americans are believed to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease. In twenty years, that number may go up to ten million. India has the some of the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s in the world, but scientists don’t know why the rate of the disease in India is so low.

Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who studied and described this disease in Germany in the early years of the twentieth century. Dr. Alzheimer was the first to discover and analyze the massive destruction of brain cells in a middle-aged woman who had been stricken with dementia and eventually died from it.

When Dr. Alzheimer studied this woman’s brain after she died, he noticed that her brain was filled with microscopic plaques and tangles. These plaques and tangles had killed her brain cells.

The disease starts out with small lapses in the ability to make and retrieve short-term memories. With this comes a decline in the ability to reason and the ability to concentrate. The person affected may forget the names of familiar objects, or get lost in a familiar place. Personality changes may become apparent.

This decline in mental processing happens because of the destruction of brain cells that are needed to form and retrieve memories. At the same time, there is a progressive decline in the the brain’s supply of neurotransmitters required to carry messages from one brain cell to another.

In the initial stages, it is very hard to differentiate Alzheimer’s disease from other types of memory loss.

As the disease progresses, more and more brain cells die. Memory test scores may decline by 10 to 15% each year. Eventually, the patient will have difficulty performing the simplest actions required for daily living. The vocabulary dwindles to a few dozen words, then disappears altogether. Friends and family will not be recognized. The “self” fades away.

In the final stages, the patient will be completely unable to look after herself, unable to feed, walk or control the bladder and bowel. Death often occurs from pneumonia or infection.

Alzheimer’s may strike people in their twenties, but is very rare in that age group. It becomes increasingly common with advanced aging. As women tend to live longer than men by several years, they are more likely to live long enough to be afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

From the initial diagnosis to the time of death may be a period of seven to twenty years. The toll of the disease on the family and on society is very high.

Unless a cure is found soon, the costs of institutionalizing those millions who will fall victim to Alzheimer’s in the coming decades will consume many billions of dollars.

The toll on the families of those afflicted is very high. For the person who is afflicted with this disease, the loss of memory, of thinking ability, of the personal sense of self is the greatest tragedy of all.

What is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease? Is the cause genetic? Is it environmental? Is Alzheimer’s caused by a virus? Does Alzheimer’s have only one cause, or are there many contributing factors? Will a cure for Alzheimer’s be discovered?

These are questions that scientists are racing to answer.

This article was written by Royane Real, author of “How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better and Be More Creative” If you want to learn about how to look after your brain and get better performance out of it, download it today at http://www.royanereal.com

Share This