Most of us don’t spend much time at 40 or 50 thinking about what our brains will be like at 70.
We’re too busy thinking about work, family, bills, getting the car serviced for that family vacation, and figuring out why we walked into the kitchen in the first place. Oh yes – and wondering what happened to our Cowboys and Horned Frogs last weekend.
But maybe… just maybe… we should give our brains a little more thought.
We often don’t think seriously about brain health until someone we love begins having memory problems—or dementia suddenly becomes part of our family’s life. Mom or dad is different, and we don’t know how to respond.
Research is giving us a good reason to start that conversation much earlier, when we can make a greater impact.
The World Health Organization recently updated its guidance on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The encouraging message is that some of the smart decisions we make throughout our lives may influence our brain health years later.
That doesn’t mean you can prevent dementia. You can’t. Age, genetics, and brain diseases can play major roles.
And no one who develops dementia should ever feel that they somehow brought it on themselves by making the “wrong” choices. But there is another side to the story, and it’s a hopeful one.
We can do things today that may help protect our brains tomorrow. And “today” may need to begin sooner than we thought.
Your brain is connected to the rest of you.
The list of factors associated with cognitive decline and dementia is long: physical inactivity, smoking, harmful alcohol use, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, hearing loss, depression, and others.
Additional influences include attention to stroke, traumatic brain injury, vision impairment, sleep problems, HIV, and air pollution.
That can sound overwhelming, so don’t think of it as a checklist of things you suddenly have to fix. Instead, think of it this way: Taking care of your body is also taking care of your brain.
What’s good for your heart is often good for your brain. Exercise does more than strengthen your muscles. Getting enough sleep isn’t being lazy. Spending time with friends isn’t just fun—it keeps us connected and engaged.
Medical professionals confirm that brain health is really whole-person health.
Don’t ignore what you can’t hear—or see
Most of us know someone who insists everyone around them is mumbling. Or perhaps you’ve caught yourself holding the restaurant menu farther away because the lighting is “terrible.”
Sometimes those small changes are worth paying attention to.
Our eyes and ears constantly feed information to our brains. They help us carry on conversations, drive, read, enjoy hobbies, learn new things, and stay connected to other people.
When hearing or vision declines, people may begin pulling away without even realizing it.
Dinner with friends becomes harder because following the conversation takes too much effort. Reading isn’t as enjoyable. Driving at night becomes uncomfortable. Activities we once loved have become frustrating.
And slowly, our world can get smaller.
There’s another interesting way to think about how much we exercise our brains. Remember when we actually knew everybody’s phone number?
We knew our parents’ number, our children’s numbers, the office, our best friend, and probably the pizza place.
Today? We tap the first three letters of a name and presto, there it is!
Technology has made life wonderfully convenient, but it also reminds us that our brains need opportunities to stay active and engaged. Just as children used to run and play in the yard for exercise, our brains used to exercise by memorizing phone numbers and addresses.
So don’t simply dismiss hearing and vision changes as part of getting older. Get them checked, use corrective devices when appropriate, and keep doing the things—and seeing the people—you enjoy.
Because taking care of the brain you hope to have at 70 may begin with some surprisingly ordinary decisions at 40 and 50.
Next: Why sleep, blood pressure and a simple walk after dinner may matter more to your brain than you think.
About the James L. West Center for Dementia Care
For 33 years, the James L. West Center for Dementia Care, a not-for-profit organization, has served those impacted by dementia. Established by Eunice West in honor of her late husband, James L. West, who passed away due to dementia, the Center continues to build upon its excellence in compassionate care and caregiver and dementia education by expanding its service lines to meet the community’s needs. The Center offers residential care, a Senior Day Program, Short-Term Respite Care, and Rehabilitation, In-Home Services, and professional and family caregiver education, which was recently rebranded as Dementia-IQ Powered by James L. West. Jaime Cobb-Tinsley is the Vice President of Family & Professional Education and has been with The West Center since 2011.