crs

CRS

thats what people frequently say to me
i cant remember stuff anymore
usually they are grey headed but sometimes they are younger

i tell them
if you occasionally forget an appointment then remember later
if you make occasional errors balancing a checkbook
if you occasionally need help with the settings on a microwave or
recording a television show
if you get confused occasionally about what day it is but figure
it out later
if your visual changes are due to cataracts
if you sometimes have trouble finding the right word
if you make a bad decision occasionally
if you misplace things from time to time then are able to eventually
retrace your steps to find them
if you sometimes feel weary of work family or social obligations
if you develop very specific ways of doing things and become irritable
when a routine is disrupted

then
you have normal aging behavior

if its more than this i refer them to this link
at the alzheimers association at www.alz.org
that has the 10 early signs of alzheimers

things like repeating questions over and over again
being unable to follow a simple recipe or taking care of monthly bills
driving to a familiar place
forgetting where you are
having trouble judging distance or color contrast
having trouble following a conversation
putting things in unusual places
making poor judgement with money
removing yourself from social activities
easily getting upset outside of your comfort zone

then you may have a problem

again go to the link and read more

then if you or your family think there is a problem take
one of the online quizzes at this link
or the ad8 test at this link
or a family member can go to this link and answer
the 21 question test at this link

then if there seems to be a problem
you should get evaluated

remember there are a lot of treatable causes for memory loss
like b12 deficiency thyroid issues depression high blood pressure etc

when you go to a provider take the online quiz results
and your concerns
usually its good to take a spouse or loved one with you
the provider may want to interview them also

remember dont let the provider ignore your symptoms

get a good history
an exam
probably some labs
a good mental status evaluation like the mmse or mocha test that
is commonly used in the providers office

if indicated a full neuropsychological evaluation
if indicated an mri of the brain

remember the most important test is the history and exam

you are looking for an explanation for your memory loss

if the primary provider doesnt seem interested go to someone
who is interested in memory loss patients
a good source is an alzheimers research center like the one i go to
at ut southwestern medical center in dallas
every state has them
they wont ignore you and will do the workup thats needed

hopefully that answers that question
when someone asks me about crs

the organicgreen doctor