Short-Term Memory Loss...maybe, it's not "inevitable"

Many of us experience short term memory loss.  Sometimes, we notice this with ever-increasing frequency as we get older.  Frequently, we may experience the worry or doubt that this is connected to an aging brain that might result in Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia.  While dementia is always associated with memory loss, all memory loss is not necessarily dementia.  Let me explain.

Neuro-science now has the technology to map the brain's every function, both active and passive.  What I mean by that is that if, for example, you are eating a lemon, the sensory portion of your brain is activated, enabling you to salivate, taste the lemon and make an assessment as to whether or not you like the lemon.  However, neurologists now know that merely by showing you a picture of someone eating a lemon, those same sensory portions of the brain are, again, activated.  My bet is that most of you had a physical reaction just to the word,"lemon," mentioned in the second sentence of this paragraph.  That's what I meant by a "passive" function.  Because of this wonderful technology, neurologist now know that unless we reach "delta" sleep, our memory will be compromised.

There are five different types of brain waves: alpha, beta, theta, delta and gamma.

Beta brain waves are associated with normal waking consciousness and a heightened state of alertness, logic and critical reasoning.  While Beta brain waves are important for effective functioning throughout the day, they also can translate into stress, anxiety and restlessness.

Alpha brain waves are present in deep relaxation and usually when the eyes are closed, when you’re slipping into a lovely daydream or during light meditation. It is an optimal time to program the mind for success and it also heightens your imagination, visualization, memory, learning and concentration.  It is the gateway to your subconscious mind and lies at the base of your conscious awareness. The voice of Alpha is your intuition, which becomes clearer and more profound the closer you get to 7.5Hz.

Theta brain waves are present during deep meditation and light sleep, including the all-important REM dream state. It is the realm of your subconsciousness and only experienced momentarily as you drift off to sleep from Alpha and wake from deep sleep (from Delta).

Not too much is known about the gamma waves.  This range is the most recently discovered and is the fastest frequency at above 40Hz. While little is known about this state of mind, initial research shows Gamma waves are associated with bursts of insight and high-level information processing.

The Delta frequency is the slowest of the frequencies and is experienced in deep, dreamless sleep. Among many things, deep sleep is important for the healing process – as it’s linked with deep healing and regeneration. Hence, not having enough deep sleep is detrimental to your health in more ways than one. This is where we get into trouble.  As we age, many of us never reach the delta frequency sleep...stress being the primary reason.  We know that if we don't reach delta sleep, our cognition is compromised.  Developing a program to reduce stress is vital, not only for our physical health, but for our mental and emotional well-being. We have helped many patients to successfully reduce stress, improve sleep and improve their overall health.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>