10种可行的方法可以通过ms提升您的大脑健康

简单,日常策略可以对多发性硬化如何影响您的大脑和认知功能产生巨大差异。

通过jerilyn隐蔽 健康作家

There's no person活着的脑健康并不重要。但是,如果你用多发性硬化(MS)生活,保护该器官是双重重要的。在治疗计划之后是步骤1,并致力于健康的大脑习惯是步骤1(a)。

克利夫兰诊所神经学家、多发性硬化症专家丹尼尔·翁塔内达医学博士说:“大脑和任何器官一样,都是可以维持的。在日常生活中,你可以做的所有这些事情,可能与药物产生的影响一样大。”。“如果你尽一切努力促进大脑健康,其影响可能是巨大的。”

美国约有100万人患有多发性硬化症,这是一种影响大脑和脊髓的自身免疫性疾病。当免疫系统攻击一种叫做髓鞘的东西时,就会发生这种情况。髓鞘是包围神经纤维的鞘,就像电线上的保护涂层一样。当髓鞘受损时,就会发生通讯错误。信息可能需要更长的时间才能到达大脑,或者丢失或扭曲。

Sometimes this damage, known as lesions, goes unnoticed. But other times, it leads to days- or weeks-long relapses or attacks, causing symptoms like numbness, tingling, blurred vision, weakness, and fatigue.

Cognitive symptoms are also surprisingly common, says Rhonda Voskuhl, M.D., a neurologist and director of the multiple-sclerosis program at UCLA. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 65% of MS patients report changes in cognitive functioning, like slowed processing as well as memory and attention problems.

Ontaneda博士说,类固醇等药物有助于加速从这些攻击中恢复。但随着时间的推移,累积的损害是另一回事。

Lesions leave behind small scars, triggering a neurodegenerative response that causes the brain to shrink. Everyone’s brain shrinks naturally with age, but for those with MS, this occurs earlier and faster, Dr. Ontaneda explains. This is what can eventually lead to permanent disability. Starting疾病改性药物early can help prevent lesions from building up.

这是一个好消息:人类的大脑不是静态的。它可以改变和适应。奥纳丹博士说,通过重新组织自己形成新的联系,可以弥补失去的功能。并且通过修复一些损坏,它也可以恢复函数。

It does this by drawing on its cognitive reserve, extra resources that are usually kept out of action but are available in case of emergency.

But at some point, even the reserve gets depleted. Again, this is true for everyone, not just those with MS. When the reserve falls below a certain threshold, that’s when your cognitive function—your ability to think—starts to slow, and symptoms may become more severe.

You can delay that as long as possible by adopting healthy-brain habits to help maintain or even build up your reserve. We've got 10 to get you started.

1.移动你的身体

对于有MS的人,锻炼是整体健康和福祉的关键。奥纳丹博士说,它促进了血管健康,甚至可能刺激米尔辛的再生,甚至可以刺激髓鞘的再生。然而40%of MS patients do not exercise on the regular.

奥巴丹博士建议,找到一项您喜欢的活动,享受您的能力水平。

对于那些有机动性和平衡问题的人来说,椭圆机和固定自行车是不错的选择。其他严重残疾的人可以考虑水疗法,它可以帮助缓解痉挛(肌肉痉挛和收缩),Ontaneda博士说,还有一些。研究建议它可以提高生活质量。

Aim to exercise three to four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes, Dr. Ontaneda recommends. And don’t worry if your symptoms worsen afterward—heat can temporarily make symptoms more noticeable, but that should go away as your body cools.

“我有一个病人是马拉松运动员,”Ontaneda博士说。“跑步后,他注意到一些麻木和刺痛,有时视力会恶化。但这并没有影响到他的生活质量,所以他继续这样做。这绝对没有问题。”

Like walking? Try listening to upbeat music. People tend to sync their steps to the beat, and a杂志上的新研究多发性硬化症和相关疾病这表明,对于多发性硬化症患者,这种同步可能会增加动机,减少认知疲劳。

2. Exercise Your Brain, Too

我们每天都用大脑来计划、组织、记忆和执行我们的工作。但昂塔内达博士说,你锻炼大脑的次数越多,你对大脑的目标越明确,你就能创造出更多的认知储备。

Science backs this up: In神经病学study, the more MS patients engaged in cognitively stimulating leisure activities—creating artwork, writing,参加爱好-他们经历的与疾病相关的认知衰退越少。

Engage your brain whenever possible: Balance your checkbook in your head. Be proactive about solving problems. Practice memory games or puzzles. Learn an instrument or a new language.

比如电视节目?Voskuhl博士说,不要只是盲目地观看。分析人物和情节,然后在事后进行关于它的智力对话。

3.经常阅读

科学表明阅读刺激刺激大脑的许多部位,埃默里大学的一项研究表明,它可能会增加大脑的连接,改善大脑功能至少几天。

“它不一定是托尔斯泰,”Voskuhl博士说。“阅读你喜欢的东西 - 甚至是运动页或漫画。阅读涉及许多不同的认知技能,所以这是一个很棒的事情。“

4.做一只社交蝴蝶

Many parts of the brain are active during social interaction, says Dr. Ontaneda—areas responsible for attention, working memory, and language comprehension. All this helps build cognitive reserve.

But don’t dismiss the Internet. Even engaging with people online, through text or video chat, may also stimulate your brain and improve your cognitive reserve, Dr. Ontaneda says.

5. Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

One of the easiest ways to fight the effects of aging on the brain is through diet, Dr. Ontaneda says. While there’s no miracle food that will eliminate symptoms, he recommends trying the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

根据研究在里面神经病学档案馆, following this diet may help protect small brain vessels, areas that can be damaged by MS. A Mediterranean-style diet promotes vascular health, improving oxygen supply and blood flow to the brain.

6.优先考虑心理健康

医学患者更容易患临床管理ression than those in the general population, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Left untreated, depression can make other symptoms, like fatigue and cognitive changes, feel worse.

“抑郁和疲劳通常与认知能力下降有关,”沃斯库尔博士说。“快乐可以让你减少疲劳,甚至提高认知能力,因为它们在某种程度上是重叠的。”

In fact, one多发性硬化杂志study suggests successfully treating depression in MS patients may encourage a more active lifestyle, thereby aiding brain health.

纽约大学兰贡健康中心多发性硬化综合护理中心的执业护士Carrie Sammarco D.N.P.说,如果你正在经历抑郁或焦虑,请与你的医生谈谈——可能需要进行神经心理学评估,治疗可能会有所帮助。

7.监测你的血管健康状况

Keeping vascular risk factors—like blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol—under control is important for managing brain health, Dr. Ontaneda says.

“如果你观察高胆固醇、高血压或糖尿病失控的患者,他们的大脑萎缩得更快,”Ontaneda博士说。“再加上MS,这就成了一个大问题。”

与您的医生交谈,患上血管危险因素检查,包括血压,胆固醇和血糖。如果您的数字很高,药物可能会有所帮助。

8. Don’t Skimp on Sleep

奥纳丹博士说,睡眠对大脑健康产生了巨大影响。当你睡觉时,你的大脑会清除浪费和恢复途径,所以你可以在第二天醒来醒来,更清楚地思考。

标准的睡眠卫生适用于:创造一个平静的环境,睡前放松,关掉手机,好吗?

不过,一些多发性硬化症的症状会使睡眠困难,即疼痛、抑郁和夜间尿频。

Again, working with the right medical professional—a nurse, physical therapist, or sleep specialist—may help. Treating MS tends to be a team effort, Sammarco says.

对于膀胱问题,一些简单的建议可以起到很大的作用:避免酸性食物、咖啡因和酒精都会刺激膀胱,Sammarco说。白天一定要保持充足的水分。

“People with MS who have to urinate frequently might have the impulse to restrict fluids,” Sammarco says. “But if you restrict fluid too much, your urine can become more acidic. The bladder doesn’t like that, so you’ll actually urinate more frequently.”

Sammarco在当天早些时候尝试前往饮酒。“当你知道浴室可以使用时解析出来。”然后在睡觉前三个小时切断自己。

9.训练你对压力的反应

Sammarco说,我们都知道压力会影响认知功能,在MS患者中,压力会使认知症状更加明显。梅奥诊所报道,一些研究甚至将慢性压力与MS患者的神经症状恶化和脑部损伤增加联系起来。

Sammarco建议,试着专注于你对压力的反应,她经常将正念技巧融入自己的练习中。通过学习以更健康、更高效的方式应对压力,你可以减轻压力对你身体系统的有害影响。

压力水平上升?试试这个:点击暂停按钮,萨马尔科说。停止你正在做的事情,慢慢地深呼吸,观察正在发生的事情。然后决定如何继续。

This helps slow down the process, giving you time to make a considered decision rather than reacting without thought.

10.检查你的维生素D水平,必要时补充维生素D

研究表明,维生素D可能有助于缓解症状,提高与MS的人的生活质量。维生素D艾滋病免疫功能,它也被证明可以提升大脑健康.

更重要的是,一些证据表明低D与MS有关,Ontaneda博士说。(事实上,离赤道越远,患MS的风险越高,因为阳光是维生素D最有效的来源。)

在考虑补充之前,请与您的医生交谈,并检查您的级别。如果你是缺陷的,请问你的医生你应该服用什么补充剂量。Ontaneda博士说,它可能是每天1000 IU到5,000 IU的任何地方。寻找D3,最容易吸收的种类。

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jerilyn隐蔽

Jerilyn Covert是一名作家,编辑和复制编辑,具有15年的发布体验。她为男性健康(她是一个十多年来的编辑),女性健康,赛跑者世界,威士忌倡导者,银色运动鞋等人的卫生,以及更多的文章。她毫不奇怪,喜欢采访比她所知道的更多的人。她分享了他们的见解和建议,因此其他人可以使用它们来改善他们的生活。