Time: 7 Signs It’s Time to Take Your Memory Issues Seriously
Time recently interviewed Zaldy Tan, MD, MPH, medical director of the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders at Cedars-Sinai, about how to tell when memory lapses are related to normal aging or are signs of something more serious, like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Tan, the Carmen and Louis Warschaw Chair in Neurology and director of the Bernard and Maxine Platzer Lynn Family Memory and Healthy Aging Program, told Time people who are concerned about their memory could first consult a family member or friend.
“Have a conversation: ‘Have you noticed me repeating anything or asking the same questions? Have you noticed me misplacing things more often?’ Because we’re not necessarily the best judge of our memory—we don’t remember what we forget,” he said.
Tan told Time that missing routine activities or appointments could be a sign of a health issue: He recalled one patient who forgot to pick up her grandchild one day—an errand she had been doing for years.
“In and of itself, it’s not like, ‘Oh, you have dementia,’” he said of the patient’s experience. “But it’s certainly something worth noting.”
Tan told Time that repeatedly misplacing important items, like a credit card or a wedding ring, is more alarming than forgetting where the keys are—which can happen when multitasking.
He said that repetitive questions or stories also occasionally are caused by distraction, but added, “if there’s no reason to believe that they just weren’t paying attention, then that is of concern.”
Experts recommend a physician evaluation if memory, mood or behavior changes are consistent or disruptive.
Click here to read the complete article from Time.