Don't panic, because the more you panic, the more you have memory blanks.

Alzheimer disease took astronomic proportions and more people, even young people in their twenties, worry about suffering from Alzheimer as soon as they experience minor memory loss. However, most of the time, they are simple attention disorder or lack of concentration problems slowing down information processing functions. They are often caused by tiredness, overwork, stress, bad diet, etc.

There are Light Cognitive Disorder (LCD), Korsakov Syndrome (vitamins deficiency related to alcoholism or certain drugs which cause amnesia) and Alzheimer disease. In Alzheimer disease, it is especially the semantic memory that is affected.

Car accidents, depression, emotional shock, worried spirit, cerebral vascular stroke related to hypertension and high cholesterol, deteriorate the memory. There are a greater number of women suffering from Alzheimer disease and research showed that women who did not have oestrogen-progesterone treatment were more at risks.

Scientific studies show that there is not only one, but several types of memories.

Implicit memory
It is spontaneous and makes it possible to acquire automatisms, without having to think about it, such as bicycle riding, swimming, for example. Moreover, it includes our capacity to record images (without being aware of it) and sensory memories, that record visual, tactile, auditory and olfactory informations.

Explicit memory (also called long-term memory)
The semantic memory, which relates to general knowledge and helps us to remember the meaning of things and words.
The episodical memory, which concerns the facts and the events which are related to episodes of our life.
The working memory, by which information travels and makes possible to carry out several tasks at the same time (allowing us to listen to a conversation without forgetting what we want to say next).

Procedural memory
Prospective memory (what we have to do soon: mail a letter, take the chicken out of the oven, start the dishwasher, etc.).
Short-term memory (remember a telephone number, the time it takes to dial it).

The meta memory

It is essential because it corresponds to the perception that we have of our memory performance. It helps us to find information in our memory bank.

Improving its memory is possible whatever the age. Here are some important advices that improved the quality of life of many people who believed they were suffering from Alzheimer.

Exercise: Stay active by walking at least 20 minutes each day, or at least three times a week, soft gymnastics, yoga, stretching, stationary bike, gardening or other activities that requires a light physical effort.

A good diet: It is essential to eat one portion of protein every meal, if not that can cause vitamins and trace elements deficiencies which will result in memory problems. There are several factors that make people have a bad diet or eat too little. Not enough time to prepare well-balanced food, don't feel the need to eat or to prepare it when alone. Missing or bad teeth, having poorly adjusted denture can cause difficulty with chewing abilities. Eating the same thing over and over, eating in small quantities in fear of having difficulty to digest, following a strict diet, etc.

Preserve a good social and emotional life: It is very important to keep your level of self esteem high, like getting ready each day as if you were going to a superb reception. Take care of your hair, shave, a little make-up and well dressed to feel good for yourself, but also for others. One should not be isolated from the community, because the absence of family and social relations and loneliness are causes of stress.

It is important to take part in social activities, take on a workshop like: art and crafts, singing, dance lesson, swimming, etc., do voluntary work, or become part of a club (walk, bridge, scrabble, charts, darts, etc.), finally any activities that will get you out of your house and keep you away from loneliness. Go out, visit your relatives, your grand children (rather than waiting for their visit), go see your friends, or go to the shopping mall. In wintertime, when you are staying home, due to bad weather, exercise your brain by doing cross words, mystery words, puzzles, knitting, etc.

Take antioxidants: Antioxidants are bringing a lot of hope because researches show that they seem to slow down the degeneration of the neuronal cells. Ginkgo biloba is a plant that should be used in the long run, in a preventive way, because it is a powerful and natural antioxydant.

The combination O.C.M. help prevent memory problems by keeping the arteries and veins free of cholesterol, triglycerides and hardened minerals accumulation. Moreover, this combination contains Ginkgo biloba and Gotu-Cola, both recognized to nourish the brain and the nervous system. The combination Antioxydant contains plants that help to eliminate the free radicals, and to prevent damage caused by the process of oxidation caused by daily pollution.

If you follow these recommendations, you can put aside the idea that small thing you forget are the symptoms of a degenerative cerebral disease. Stop saying that you have Alzheimer's disease each time you have a small blank, don't forget that your words are like a magic wand!