Heads Up on Brain Health

1
Heads Up on Brain Health!

• Think About It
• Fitness does not start from the neck down. Brain
  health affects physical health.
• Problems with the brain can affect your movement,
  speech, memory, senses, swallowing, breathing,
  learning, and more. They also can contribute to
  emotional changes and depression.
• Your brain affects your ability to effectively
  manage medications and existing medical
  conditions.
• Evidence exists to indicate that cumulative
  risks for heart disease increases the risk for
  stroke and cognitive decline physical activity
  may maintain or improve some aspects of cognitive
  function there is a relationship between
  physical activity and emotional well-being.

2
Heads Up on Brain Health!

• Stroke
• Occurs when blood flow to your brain stops or
  when a blood vessel in your brain leaks/ruptures,
  causing the brain cells within the immediate area
  to die or become damaged.
• Symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness of
  the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of
  the body) confusion trouble speaking or
  understanding speech trouble seeing in one or
  both eyes trouble walking dizziness loss of
  balance or coordination severe headache with no
  known cause.
• Risk factors high blood pressure, heart disease,
  smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol.
• The best treatment is prevention If you smoke
  quit. If you have high blood pressure, heart
  disease, diabetes, or high cholesterol, getting
  them under control and keeping them under
  control will greatly reduce your chances of
  having a stroke.

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Heads Up on Brain Health!

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Caused by a blow or jolt to the head that
  disrupts the function of the brain.
• In the U.S., falls are the leading cause of TBI.
• Contributing factors to falls poor lighting,
  diminished eyesight or hearing, decrease in bone
  density, illnesses and physical conditions that
  affect your strength and balance, lack of regular
  exercise.
• Tips for fall prevention keep walk ways and
  aisles clear, keep frequently used items in areas
  that you can reach easily (without using a step
  stool), improve lighting, exercise to increase
  strength and agility, check your vision, wear a
  seat belt every time you are in a motor vehicle,
  wear helmets when riding a bike or playing
  contact sports.

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Heads Up on Brain Health!

• Memory Loss
• Common causes of memory loss include normal
  aging, medications, alcohol and illicit drug use,
  head injury, stroke, sleep deprivation,
  nutritional deficiencies, depression, and
  dementia.
• As we age, the brain requires more time to
  remember, and the ability to concentrate begins
  to weaken.
• Depression, which is common with aging, causes a
  lack of attention and focus that can affect
  memory.
• Dementia is a term used for a condition in which
  there is increasing impairment of memory and
  other aspects of thinking that severely impair
  day-to-day activities. There are many causes of
  dementia, but the most common is Alzheimer's
  disease.

5
Heads Up on Brain Health!

• Headaches
• Common headaches are caused by simple tension.
  Other kinds of headaches include migraine
  headaches, cluster headaches, and sinus
  headaches.
• Some people get headaches after eating certain
  foods such as hard cheeses, red wine, caffeine,
  chocolate, MSG, nuts, onions, sour cream,
  bananas, and citrus fruit.
• Tips for prevention reduce stress in your life,
  make a conscious effort to relax your jaw, neck,
  and shoulder muscles, notice your neck and
  shoulder posture while working and make
  improvements if necessary, get daily exercise,
  reduce the amount of caffeine you consume, and
  avoid foods that seem to cause you headaches.
• Call the doctor if you have severe stabbing
  pain, eye pain, a stiff neck, fever, nausea,
  one-sided weakness, numbness, confusion,
  disturbance of speech/ vision/coordination, or
  persisting headaches despite home treatment.

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Heads Up on Brain Health!

• Maintain Your Brain
• Do something every day to prevent heart disease,
  high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke, all of
  which can affect your brain health.
• Stay physically active physical exercise is
  essential for maintaining good blood flow to the
  brain as well as to encourage new brain cells. It
  also can significantly reduce the risk of heart
  attack, stroke and diabetes, and protect against
  risk factors for Alzheimer's and other dementias.
• Feed your brain eat less saturated fat, more
  antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, more
  Omega-3 fatty acids, and more B vitamins.
  Antioxidant-rich foods include broccoli,
  cauliflower, onions, garlic, tomatoes, melons,
  potatoes, oranges, blue or red berries, and red
  grapes. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish
  such as tuna, salmon, and sardines. B vitamins
  are found in beans, peas, leafy vegetables, and
  fruits such as bananas and melons.

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Heads Up on Brain Health!

• Maintain Your Brain
• Stay mentally active Mentally stimulating
  activities strengthen brain cells and the
  connections between them, and may even create new
  nerve cells. Read, write, play games, learn new
  things, do crossword puzzles, etc.
• Remain socially active Social activity not only
  makes physical and mental activity more
  enjoyable, it can reduce stress levels, which
  helps maintain healthy connections among brain
  cells.
• Protect your brain use your seat belt, avoid
  falls, and wear helmets when necessary.
• Use your head avoid unhealthy habits- dont
  smoke, drink too much alcohol, or use street
  drugs.

For more information, contact the Employee
Wellness Program at [phone]