Golden Years Bliss presents: effective ways to reduce your risk of dementia!
Dementia is one of the most common health concerns in the world, affecting millions of people. According to specialists, one in 10 adults over the age of 65 suffers from this disease. While the causes of this health issue are different from one person to another, there’s also good news: with the help of a healthy lifestyle and a stress-free life (as possible as it is, of course; stress is already a big part of our lives), you can reduce your risk of dementia.
We’ve talked to doctors and neurologists to help us with prevention tips for the symptoms of this disease. While fighting is no simple process, if you’re devoted to your health and you try to stay in shape (from both a cognitive and physical point of view), you can succeed in this battle. Without further ado, here are some simple yet effective ways to reduce your dementia risks:
1. Protect your hearing
If you want to reduce your risk of dementia, you have to protect your hearing. According to experts, hearing loss is often linked to an increased risk of developing this type of brain damage. Moreover, in some cases, loss of hearing is identified as a symptom of a mental disorder.
You can protect your hearing simply by avoiding loud noises for longer periods and wearing ear protection when necessary. If you have to go somewhere that is loud, here are some fantastic earplugs that will help you have fun and protect your hearing at the same time.
2. Watch your blood pressure
There is proof that having high blood pressure makes you more susceptible to suffering from dementia later in life. Long-term studies have shown that unfortunately, people with high blood pressure in their middle years, which means between the ages of 40 and 64, have an increased risk of brain damage, especially vascular dementia, later in life.
Experts say that you should aim for a systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or even lower in your midlife, from around the age of 40. If you do your best to lower your blood pressure, you can reduce your risk of stroke, cognitive impairment, heart attack, and mental disorders.
There’s always a smart choice to schedule an appointment with your doctor and talk to them about ways to reduce your blood pressure, but if you’re looking for other ways to do that, apart from medicine, you should avoid drinking alcohol, quit smoking, manage your stress levels, have a diet rich in nutrients, exercise, lose extra pounds, reduce your sodium intake, and make sure you have a good sleep during the night (at least 6 hours per night).
3. Protect your head
Another way to make sure you reduce your risk of dementia is to protect your head. You might think that it sounds silly because no one likes to suffer a head injury, but we can’t stress this enough. A simple strike or jolt to the head can result in a traumatic brain injury, especially if the victim remains unconscious.
An incident like this can trigger a process in the brain whereby the chemicals responsible for Alzheimer’s disease gather around the wounded area. To prevent anything bad from happening, make sure you always wear protective headgear when necessary, such as when riding a bike, working on a construction site, riding a horse, or playing cricket.
Some doctors also say that football or rugby might be sports where helmets should be a must too, because accidents can happen, but there aren’t any rules on these. If you suffer from head injuries or deal with concussions, make sure you talk to your doctor about the things you can do to reduce your risk of dementia and prevent head trauma.
4. Be active
We know you’ve heard this one multiple times, but if you want to reduce your risk of dementia, you need to have an active lifestyle and move your body. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym or in the park running, but you do need to implement daily moves that promote cardiovascular health, mobility, and strength.
You can do squats, pushups, lunges, roll-ups, lateral raises, bicep curls, and so many other exercises with free weights, such as these ones, or with your body weight. You can also go outside for power walks, try classes, yoga, and stretching so that you have a combination of both strength and cardio workouts.
5. Quit smoking
If you’re a smoker, take this article as your sign to quit it, because you put yourself at a higher risk of developing a brain damage condition later in life. This unhealthy habit impairs blood flow throughout the body, especially to the blood vessels in the heart, lungs, and brain. Not to mention, this one hurts your teeth and throat too, so all the reasons to say goodbye to cigarettes.
6. Eat nutritious foods
There’s an old quote saying, “If it’s good for your heart, it’s good for your brain,” and we couldn’t agree more. Having a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats can help people stay within a healthy weight range and reduce their chance of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol—all of which have been linked to dementia later in life.
Is there something you do daily to reduce your risk of dementia?
7. Keep your mind sharp
Some studies suggest that people with more years of formal education behind are at lower risk of developing brain damage than those with fewer years of formal education. The explanation behind this statement is that people who study are more cognitively engaged, and that helps keep their minds sharp and active.
You don’t need to go back to school to reduce your risk of dementia. You can simply improve your brain by keeping it occupied with different things, such as puzzles, memory games, a new hobby (studying a musical instrument is one of the best ways to keep your mind active), reading, talking to other people, or even taking a class or an online course.
8. Don’t neglect your mental health
Some people who suffer from dementia experience severe changes in their emotional responses. They might feel like they’re not in control of their feelings or the way they communicate. Researchers say that everyone should take care of their mental health, so don’t neglect it, especially if you want to reduce your risk of dementia.
You can take care of your mental health by keeping up with hobbies and social activities, exercising, making sure you have a good night’s sleep, and trying to do tiny habits that can help lower your stress levels.
Keep reading to discover other helpful and easy ways to reduce your risk of dementia.
9. Pay attention to your long-term health conditions
If you want to reduce your risk of dementia and enjoy your life to the fullest, you need to pay attention to your long-term health conditions. Experts say that several medical disorders, including diabetes and high blood pressure, can trigger brain damage issues later in life.
Make sure you always schedule regular medical checkups so that you’re always informed. Moreover, doctors discovered that a poor diet can lead to health issues such as obesity and depression, which have been connected to a higher risk of dementia.
10. What about air pollution?
Did you know that air pollution has been linked to brain damage? Experts discovered many cases of dementia that were associated with a type of air pollution called PM2.5.
What they discovered is that the highest correlations between dementia and pollution were observed in PM2.5 from wildfires and agriculture. You can reduce your risk of dementia by not spending too much time in places with a high level of pollution.
What do you think about these ways to reduce your risk of dementia? Do you have any other tips that might be useful? Let us know in the comments below! If you enjoyed reading this article and you’d like to check out something else from Golden Years Bliss, here’s a good post for you: 11 Free & Frugal Activities That Are Ideal for Seniors
