An increasing trend among baby-boomers is making sure they live a long productive life, of which mental health and cognition are high on the list. Many Americans are looking for ways to keep their mind sharp, such as completing crossword puzzles, reading books or taking up a new skill later in life. Unfortunately, physical conditions like cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders can wreck havoc on the mind.
Experts at WebMD have come together to provide ten signs that can be easily assessed at home to help determine if you may have a problem that may need to be addressed by a physician.
1. Sleep disturbances such as too much, not enough or frequent waking.
2. Dramatic weight changes or changes in eating patterns/appetite.
3. Unexplained physical symptoms like ongoing diarrhea, headaches or pain.
4. Problems controlling emotions like anger and sadness.
5. Compulsive and obsessive behaviors - repetitive thoughts and actions.
6. Chronic fatigue and lack of energy.
7. Memory problems.
8. Withdrawing from social activities.
9. Poor libido.
10. Mood swings and erratic behavior.
Any of these signs could be the body's way of saying there is something wrong. Often when there is no identifiable disease, patients go without treatment, while there could certainly be dysfunction in certain metabolic processes or systems. Physicians trained in treating dysfunction and those that focus on disease prevention can often address most of the problems listed above, even when no outright disease is found upon evaluation.
Posted by Dr. Jennifer Stagg on July 30, 2006 06:04 PM
