DANVILLE, Pa. — More than 55 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
"Most are driven by age; age is the biggest risk factor," said Dr. Glen Finney, the director of the Geisinger Memory and Cognition Center.
Dr. Finney says many symptoms of Alzheimer's can show up early, such as trouble remembering words and short-term memory loss.
"Those short-term memories are the most fragile, and they are newly forming the parts of the brain responsible for recording. Those are hit early and hard in Alzheimer's disease."
Recognizing those warning signs and contacting your doctor should always be the first step in deciding treatment. And there are several new treatments to help improve quality of life.
Dr. Finney adds that because you are experiencing some of those symptoms doesn't mean that it's Alzheimer's. Vitamin deficiencies or blood sugar imbalance could also be clouding your brain.
"There are so many things that actually we can fix and that our primary care providers are really equipped to fix that might make your memory and thinking better and healthier and might solve the problem."
If you're worried about keeping your brain sharp, Dr. Finney says one of the best things you can do is stay socially and physically active while also challenging your mind.
"Do something completely different. If you have never learned a foreign language, take up a language. Never learned a musical instrument? Take up a musical instrument. Learn something so far outside your comfort zone."
Get more information on Alzheimer's and dementia from Geisinger HERE.
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