What really happens when a fly lands on your food

Seven Tricks to Stop Forgetfulness

https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/05/19/seven-tricks-to-stop-forgetfulness/
SCOTT H. YOUNG

I used to be horrible at remembering things. Little details like tasks, appointments and ideas often slipped my mind. And I can remember joking that I could only remember two dates, my birthdate and Christmas. It took me a lot of work and research to find ways to overcome my forgetfulness.

My ability to remember things has improved greatly so that I’m able to deliver speeches without notes, store ideas for blog entries and almost never miss tasks or commitments. Through a lot of research and experiments, I’ve found some valuable tricks to stop forgetfulness. Here are a few of the best techniques I’ve found to improve your memory:

1) Capture

Dave Allen fans will be familiar with this one. The best way to remember things is to not use your brain. I carry around a small paper booklet where I can write down tasks, ideas and commitments to be sorted later. Writing things down is probably the best tip I can provide for people struggling to keep track of everything.

Despite what some GTD cultists might say, I don’t think that a capture device is enough. Maybe it is just me, but I’ve found many situations where you will need to use your brain and times when you will be without your notepad. Carrying around a book will definitely help, but these other tricks can be useful when it isn’t enough.

2) Link

A memory trick I learned over a year ago is the link technique. This works incredibly well whenever you need to remember a sequence of information. I’ve used this technique to memorize presentations I’ve had to give and as a backup if for some reason I can’t use my notepad.

The link technique works by associating two concepts together through a mental image. By linking together mental images you can store long sequences of information together flawlessly after just a minute or two of rehearsal. As a simplified example, let’s say you wanted to memorize this short grocery list:

• Baked Beans
• Milk
• Squash
• Toilet Paper

You would start by linking beans to milk. To do this you would visualize a completely exaggerated scene involving the two. A mental picture of a eating a giant bowl of baked beans with milk pouring in it would be an example. The image has to be incredibly unrealistic and exaggerated to stick in your memory. An image of a can of beans next to a carton of milk probably wouldn’t stick.

After you visualize that mental picture strongly for a few seconds, make another link. This time you would link milk and squash. You could imagine a scene where there is a field of squash vines growing, but instead of gourds, you only see large cartons of milk. Something that ridiculous will form a good link.

Keep going through the list until you have linked up all of the images. With practice you can do this in about 3-5 minutes even for a list as long as 20-30 items. After you have done this it should be easy to move from one link to the next. The beans/milk image will remind you of the milk/squash image.

This technique works great for presentations when you don’t want to use notes.

3) Peg

The link technique is fine for concepts, but what about remembering phone numbers or things out of sequence?

The peg technique is an advanced form of the link technique so that you don’t have to refer to items in order. The actual peg technique makes use of a phonetics system for the digits 0-9 so you can remember up to hundreds of numbers in sequence. I’m not interested in these party tricks, so I’ve come up with a simpler, more practical system that takes less time to learn.

With this system you can “peg” up to ten items to ten numbers in your head, or remember a string of digits. To do it, I just came up with rhyming mechanism to provide an image for each of the ten digits:

• Zero – Hero
• One – Gun
• Two – Shoe
• Three – Tree
• Four – Door
• Five – Hive
• Six – Sticks
• Seven – Heaven
• Eight – Grate
• Nine – Wine

Now in order to remember a phone number, you would just form links between each of the numbers in sequence. 791 might start with some cherubs carting huge bottles of wine in the clouds (heaven + wine) and then have an image of a bottle of Merlot shooting someone (wine + gun). Then when you get the images played back you can remember what they rhyme with to decode the number.

You can memorize items without using a list by linking up to ten ideas to each of the number concepts. This can be useful when you don’t need to remember things in a particular order and don’t want to forget one from a broken link.

4) Trigger

Another way to help boost your memory is to place strategic triggers when you need them. I find this useful if I need to remember something in an hour or two, but I’m worried I might not check my capture device by the time I need to remember.

If I’m doing laundry and want to remember to put in another load, I might put a laundry basket near my door to remind me to check. This works well when you don’t want to distracted with timers. I also use this method if I want to remember something when leaving the gym by placing something on or in my bag.

If you have Post-It notes, these can work great to trigger your memory specifically when you need it.

5) Names

The best advice I have for remembering names is to use them immediately after you hear them. If you are talking to someone new at a gathering and they introduce themselves, don’t just make a mental note of their name, use it. Verbalizing a name makes it far easier to remember later. I try to use a name at least once or twice in the first few minutes after hearing it to make it stick.

Another method I’ve found helpful in remembering names is to associate the name. Unless it is a particularly unusual name, you probably already know someone with the same name. Making a mental note that the new person you just met, Jonathan has the basically the same name as your friend, John, will make it easier to recall the name later.

6) Helpers

If you need to remember something, ask someone you are with to remind you. As in, “Can you remind me to buy the tickets before we leave the mall?” Relying on the other person isn’t why this usually works. Usually the other person will forget unless it is something important to them as well or they have an excellent memory.

Instead, I’ve found asking someone to remember something for you makes your memory stronger. I’m three or four times more likely to remember if I verbalize the need to someone I’m with. Something about requesting someone to remind you makes the memory stronger to avoid looking forgetful.

7) Organize

Absent-mindedness can make you forgetful, but usually most memory troubles are due to a lack of organization. Take the time to get a calendar, to-do list and filing system so you don’t have to burden your memory. I’ve been able to remember far more ever since I made organizing a habit.

Why These Work

Memory works by association. A trigger reminds you of something else. The link and peg techniques work well because you the associations are so exaggerated your brain deems them important. Your brain deems that a vivid image of a giraffe holding an umbrella while it rains frogs as more unique then just everyday images.

Other physical tricks automatically trigger your associations and bring up what you need to remember.

Here’s a question for you guys: what are your memory solutions? I’d love to hear what tips and tricks you use to remember those tricky things that often slip out of your mind.

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Image courtesy of flickr

8 Reasons You’re Suddenly Forgetting Things

https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/improve-memory-forgetting/
BY JESSICA GIRDWAIN

Good news! These surprising causes of memory problems are all fixable.

You’re skimping on sleep

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Getting adequate zzz’s is huge for keeping your memory sharp. “I just had a patient complaining about her memory, and I realized she was waking up every couple of hours at night,” says Maria Caserta, MD, PhD, professor of clinical psychiatry and the co-director of Memory and Aging Clinic at the University of Illinois at Chicago. And insomnia-induced forgetfulness could rear its ugly head when you need it most. One small 2015 study in the journal SLEEP found that when men were kept to just four hours of sleep, they were more likely to have impaired memory when under stress compared to when they got a full eight hours. These sleep secrets from doctors can help you get a better night's rest.

You’re a chronic worrier

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When thoughts are coursing through your mind at a mile a minute, nothing you want to remember is going to stick. “If you’re always worried about this or that and trying to learn something new, your worries will interfere,” says Dr. Caserta. That’s why you might not remember something a coworker just told you. “Your mind is on a different track,” she explains. “Significant anxiety needs to be treated. Then you’ll be able to listen, focus, and remember.” To cope with stress right away, start with these mini meditations; then learn smart long-term strategies for keeping anxiety in check.

You’re sitting all day

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Getting the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week is key to helping you sleep better, studies show. “We have sedentary jobs. If you’re not active during the day, you’re not going to sleep well at night and it will affect your cognition,” says Dr. Caserta.  Here are 22 easy ways to move more.

You’re taking certain medications

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It’s allergy season, so you might be popping antihistamines to stifle sneezes. “Antihistamines can block a neurotransmitter in your brain that’s important for memory,” says Dr. Caserta. “Some people also take antihistamines to help them sleep, but that’s not a good idea if you’re concerned about your memory,” she says. Antidepressants are another medication linked to memory loss. If you’re taking these drugs and notice memory problems, talk to your doctor. You may be able to switch to one with fewer side effects.

You’re going through menopause

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Estrogen protects cognitive functioning, but levels of the hormone diminish during menopause. Some women describe this as “brain fog”—and up to two-thirds of women experience it during this time, according to research from the University of Rochester. You may also be disturbed by hot flashes that soak your clothes and wake you up at night. Together with hormonal changes, sleep loss compounds the forgetfulness. These other subtle signs could indicate the early stages of menopause.

You’re overloaded

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Instagram. Facebook. Pinterest. Text messages. If you’re chronically distracted, you can’t focus and cement new memories. “Our brains can handle a fair amount of stimulation, and they like it, but you do have to focus your attention on a few things,” says Dr. Caserta. You want your brain to focus on two or three things (or even four to five), but don’t try to force it to work on 10 simultaneously and expect to remember all the details.

You’re having an extra glass of wine

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“Your tolerance for alcohol is bit lower when you get older,” says Dr. Caserta. So having an extra glass of wine can make you feel more tipsy—or drunk, something that won’t help your sleep or memory. Consider taking a deeper look at the root cause of that extra pour (e.g., you’re unhappy with your job) and see what changes you can make.

You’re going through normal aging

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Of course you can’t memorize a list as well as you could in your twenties. Frustrating sometimes? Yes. Normal? Yes. It’s okay if someone tells you something but you can’t remember the details. Or if you lost your keys last week (but then found them). What is cause for concern is if it interferes with your ability to function, Dr. Caserta points out. For example, you may forget what your boss told you and can’t get your responsibilities done. Or maybe it’s taking longer to accomplish things. Or you’re constantly losing your cell phone and are late to appointments because of it. These commonsense strategies to improve memory can help. If you’re concerned about your memory problems and your partner, friends, or coworkers are noticing it, it’s worth going to the doctor for neurological testing, advises Dr. Caserta.

Forgetfulness — 7 types of normal memory problems

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/forgetfulness-7-types-of-normal-memory-problems

Healthy people can experience memory loss too

It's normal to forget things from time to time, and it's normal to become somewhat more forgetful as you age. But how much forgetfulness is too much? How can you tell whether your memory lapses is normal forgetfulness and within the scope of normal aging or are a symptom of something more serious?

Healthy people can experience memory loss or memory distortion at any age. Some of these memory flaws become more pronounced with age, but — unless they are extreme and persistent — they are not considered indicators of Alzheimer's or other memory-impairing illnesses.

Seven normal memory problems

1. Transience

This is the tendency to forget facts or events over time. You are most likely to forget information soon after you learn it. However, memory has a use-it-or-lose-it quality: memories that are called up and used frequently are least likely to be forgotten. Although transience might seem like a sign of memory weakness, brain scientists regard it as beneficial because it clears the brain of unused memories, making way for newer, more useful ones.

2. Absentmindedness

This type of forgetting occurs when you don't pay close enough attention. You forget where you just put your pen because you didn't focus on where you put it in the first place. You were thinking of something else (or, perhaps, nothing in particular), so your brain didn't encode the information securely. Absentmindedness also involves forgetting to do something at a prescribed time, like taking your medicine or keeping an appointment.

3. Blocking

Someone asks you a question and the answer is right on the tip of your tongue — you know that you know it, but you just can't think of it. This is perhaps the most familiar example of blocking, the temporary inability to retrieve a memory. In many cases, the barrier is a memory similar to the one you're looking for, and you retrieve the wrong one. This competing memory is so intrusive that you can't think of the memory you want.

Scientists think that memory blocks become more common with age and that they account for the trouble older people have remembering other people's names. Research shows that people are able to retrieve about half of the blocked memories within just a minute.

4. Misattribution

Misattribution occurs when you remember something accurately in part, but misattribute some detail, like the time, place, or person involved. Another kind of misattribution occurs when you believe a thought you had was totally original when, in fact, it came from something you had previously read or heard but had forgotten about. This sort of misattribution explains cases of unintentional plagiarism, in which a writer passes off some information as original when he or she actually read it somewhere before.

As with several other kinds of memory lapses, misattribution becomes more common with age. As you age, you absorb fewer details when acquiring information because you have somewhat more trouble concentrating and processing information rapidly. And as you grow older, your memories grow older as well. And old memories are especially prone to misattribution.

5. Suggestibility

Suggestibility is the vulnerability of your memory to the power of suggestion — information that you learn about an occurrence after the fact becomes incorporated into your memory of the incident, even though you did not experience these details. Although little is known about exactly how suggestibility works in the brain, the suggestion fools your mind into thinking it's a real memory.

6. Bias

Even the sharpest memory isn't a flawless snapshot of reality. In your memory, your perceptions are filtered by your personal biases — experiences, beliefs, prior knowledge, and even your mood at the moment. Your biases affect your perceptions and experiences when they're being encoded in your brain. And when you retrieve a memory, your mood and other biases at that moment can influence what information you actually recall.

Although everyone's attitudes and preconceived notions bias their memories, there's been virtually no research on the brain mechanisms behind memory bias or whether it becomes more common with age.

7. Persistence

Most people worry about forgetting things. But in some cases people are tormented by memories they wish they could forget, but can't. The persistence of memories of traumatic events, negative feelings, and ongoing fears is another form of memory problem. Some of these memories accurately reflect horrifying events, while others may be negative distortions of reality.

People suffering from depression are particularly prone to having persistent, disturbing memories. So are people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can result from many different forms of traumatic exposure — for example, sexual abuse or wartime experiences. Flashbacks, which are persistent, intrusive memories of the traumatic event, are a core feature of PTSD.

How losing weight affects your body and brain

Himbauan IDAI Tentang Peningkatan Kewaspadaan Terhadap Kasus Difteri

Himbauan IDAI Tentang Peningkatan Kewaspadaan Terhadap Kasus Difteri

Sehubungan dengan peningkatan kasus difteri di beberapa wilayah Indonesia, maka Ikatan Dokter Anak Indonesia (IDAI) mengingatkan bahwa:

• Penyakit difteri sangat menular dan dapat menyebabkan kematian. Penyakit difteri dapat dicegah dengan melakukan imunisasi sesuai jadwal yang direkomendasikan oleh Kementerian Kesehatan atau Ikatan Dokter Anak Indonesia.
• Imunisasi adalah perlindungan terbaik terhadap kemungkinan tertular penyakit difteri, dan dapat diperoleh dengan mudah di berbagai fasilitas kesehatan pemerintah maupun swasta.
• Lengkapi imunisasi DPT/DT/Td anak anda sesuai jadwal imunisasi anak Kementerian Kesehatan atau Ikatan Dokter Anak Indonesia. Imunisasi difteri lengkap adalah sebagai berikut:

• Usia kurang dari 1 tahun harus mendapatkan 3 kali imunisasi difteri (DPT).
• Anak usia 1 sampai 5 tahun harus mendapatkan imunisasi ulangan sebanyak 2 kali.
• Anak usia sekolah harus mendapatkan imunisasi difteri melalui program Bulan Imunisasi Anak Sekolah (BIAS) siswa sekolah dasar (SD) kelas 1, kelas 2, dan kelas 3 atau kelas 5.
• Setelah itu, imunisasi ulangan dilakukan setiap 10 tahun, termasuk orang dewasa. Apabila status imunisasi belum lengkap, segera lakukan imunisasi di fasilitas kesehatan terdekat.

• Kenali gejala awal difteri. Gejala awal difteri bisa tidak spesifik, seperti:
  • Demam tidak tinggi
  • Nafsu makan menurun
  • Lesu
  • Nyeri menelan dan nyeri tenggorok
  • Sekret hidung kuning kehijauan dan bisa disertai darah

Namun memiliki tanda khas berupa selaput putih keabu-abuan di tenggorok atau hidung, yang dilanjutkan dengan pembengkakan leher atau disebut sebagai bull neck.

• Segera ke fasilitas kesehatan terdekat apabila anak anda mengeluh nyeri tenggorokan disertai suara berbunyi seperti mengorok (stridor) atau pembesaran kelenjar getah bening leher, khususnya anak berumur < 15 tahun.
• Anak harus segera dirawat di rumah sakit apabila dicurigai menderita difteri agar segera mendapat pengobatan dan pemeriksaan laboratorium untuk memastikan apakah anak benar menderita difteri.
• Apabila anak anda didiagnosis difteri, akan diberikan tatalaksana yang sesuai termasuk perawatan isolasi
• Untuk memutuskan rantai penularan, seluruh anggota keluarga serumah harus segera diperiksa oleh dokter dan petugas dari Dinas Kesehatan, serta mendapat obat yang harus dihabiskan untuk mencegah penyakit, apakah mereka juga menderita atau karier (pembawa kuman) difteri dan mendapat pengobatan.
• Anggota keluarga yang tidak menderita difteri, segera dilakukan imunisasi DPT/DT/Td sesuai usia.
• Laksanakan semua petunjuk dari Dokter dan Petugas Kesehatan setempat
• Setelah imunisasi DPT, kadang-kadang timbul demam, bengkak dan nyeri ditempat suntikan DPT, yang merupakan reaksi normal dan akan hilang dalam 1-2 hari. Bila anak mengalami demam atau bengkak di tempat suntikan, boleh minum obat penurun panas parasetamol sehari 4 x sesuai umur, sering minum jus buah atau susu, serta pakailah baju tipis atau segera berobat ke petugas kesehatan terdekat.
• Anak dengan batuk pilek ringan dan tidak demam tetap bisa mendapatkan imunisasi DPT/DT/Td sesuai usia. Jika imunisasi tertunda atau belum lengkap, segera lengkapi di fasilitas kesehatan terdekat.