Memory Glitches
Memory problems can strike at any age, especially with our stressful, hectic lifestyles and tendency to not get enough sleep - all of which can cause forgetfulness. If you find yourself suddenly misplacing important items - such as car keys, wallets, or forgetting where you parked your car, just how troubling this symptom is may largely depend on age. For a 20-something, it may be a frustrating sign of stress.
In an older adult, there may be a fear of impending dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. As we age, it may be harder to learn new skills or remember new information, like a phone number - and this is a perfectly normal part of aging.
Should I Get Help?
Whether your memory problems are an issue largely depends on the degree to which they happen. If you miss a turn driving home from work because you were distracted on a phone call, that’s one thing. If you find yourself confused as to which way to turn to get home from a familiar destination, that may be a cause for concern.
According to a Huffington Post interview with Dr. Jessica Lee, geriatric fellow at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, one sign that can help determine if you might have a problem is whether or not you are later able to recall the piece of information you stumbled on initially.
If you’re worried about increasing levels of forgetfulness, talk to your family members to see if they have noticed changes in your behavior, and make an appointment to speak with your doctor.
Broken Blood Vessel In The Eye
If you look in the mirror and notice that you have a patch of red on the white of your eye, it may be frightening - especially with how important our eyesight is to our everyday lives. This condition, called subconjunctival hemorrhage, is scarier than it looks. It can be caused by a hard sneeze or blood thinning medications. Or there might not be a cause at all.