Is it normal to forget things more as I get older?
I'm in my 40s and I notice I forget names, where I put things, and why I walked into a room more than I used to. Is this a normal part of aging or a sign of something serious? When should memory lapses worry me? Is there anything I can do to keep my memory sharp?
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4 Answers
The evidence on this is actually mixed. Some studies show one thing, others show the opposite. When the science is unclear, I default to common sense: eat a varied diet, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and don't stress too much about individual health fads.
Stress does more damage to your health than people give it credit for. Half the physical symptoms I used to worry about turned out to be tension and anxiety. Sometimes the best medicine is a vacation and a good night's sleep.
If you don't have insurance, look into a community health clinic. A lot of them charge on a sliding scale based on income. Don't skip care because you're worried about the cost — small problems are cheaper to fix than big ones.
The boring stuff actually works: get enough sleep, drink water, move your body every day, eat more vegetables, don't smoke. There's no magic pill. The companies selling magic pills are the ones making money off people wanting an easy answer.
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