Brain Health

Encourage cognitively stimulating activities throughout life to protect cognition. Find activities you enjoy that challenge your brain and do them regularly. Anything that engages your mind, processes information and develops your thinking skills is good for you.

Avoid listening to loud noises for long periods, and wear ear protection when necessary. Encourage an annual hearing assessment & regular use of hearing aids if they have been recommended. Your risk of getting dementia is increased if you experience hearing loss and don’t take action. Look after hearing aids by following cleaning guidance and replacing batteries regularly.

It is important to be aware of your cholesterol, especially from mid-life. Lifestyle factors such as following a healthy, balanced diet and exercising can help with your cholesterol. Discuss any concerns with your GP.

If you have a low mood that lasts 2 weeks or more, it could be a sign of depression. You can improve a low mood by making small changes in your life, for example by talking about your feelings to a friend, family member or counsellor. Further support is available if the things you’re trying yourself are not helping – signpost to GP.

Encourage use of helmets and head protection in contact sports and on bicycles. Reduce exposure to high impact collisions and heading practice in sports training. Avoiding playing sports immediately after a traumatic brain injury.

Encourage activity. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity (with increased breathing but still being able to talk), or at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity (with fast breathing and difficulty talking), or an equivalent combination of both. Start slowly and build up activity – 10 minutes of activity at a time will benefit your health.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that causes a person’s blood sugar (glucose) level to become too high and can increase your risk of getting dementia. The good news is that you can reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. If you do have type 2 diabetes, it can be managed through making changes to food choices, being active and achieving a healthy body weight.

Stopping or avoiding smoking can lower your risk of getting dementia. Second hand smoke (sometimes called passive smoking) may also increase the risk of dementia in later life. You are four times more likely to stop smoking using an NHS Stop Smoking Service than if you try to quit alone.

It is important to be aware of what your blood pressure is by having a blood pressure test. This is especially important in mid-late life. Provide advice on lifestyle changes that can prevent & reduce high blood pressure (reduce the amount of salt you eat, reduce added sugar, have a healthy diet, limit alcohol intake, lose weight if you’re overweight, exercise regularly, reduce caffeine intake, stop smoking).  

Maintain a healthy weight and treat obesity as early as possible, which also helps to prevent diabetes. The most widely used method to check if you’re a healthy weight is by finding out your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of whether you’re a healthy weight for your height. You can use the NHS BMI healthy weight calculator to work out your BMI. Losing weight can be challenging. Support is available from trained health professionals who can help you change the way you think about food and eating.

Keep the amount of alcohol you drink within the recommended limits of no more than 14 units per week for both men and women – that’s about a bottle and a half of wine or six pints of beer. If you do drink as much as 14 units per week, it’s best to spread this evenly over 3 days or more with at least 2 alcohol free days per week.

Encourage social contact & participation in activities. Social activities are good for the brain, this includes interacting with other people online as well as in person. Having a conversation with someone can also exercise a wide range of your mental skills. Signpost to community groups.

Reduce exposure to air pollution: walk, cycle, or use public transport where possible, exercise away from roads — in parks or the countryside, always open the window when using strong cleaning products, ventilate your house during winter to avoid mould, avoid burning candles, incense sticks or wood burners indoors, if using a wood burner, ventilate especially when refuelling, ensure good ventilation when cooking by opening windows or using an extractor fan.

Regular eye examinations provide an assessment of your vision and can help to detect eye conditions. Many eye conditions can be treated if they are found early enough, so don’t delay getting your eyes tested. A healthy lifestyle, including a nutritious diet and regular exercise, will also help your eyes stay as healthy as possible. It is also recommended to protect your eyes from the sun when outdoors.

Regular quizzes, suduko, crosswords, word searches and brain training games and apps will all help stimulate your brain and keep it healthy.