World Brain Day: Common Brain Health Myths Doctors Want You to Stop Believing

Dr. B. Ravi Mohan Rao, Director & Senior Consultant – Neurosurgery, KIMS Hospitals, Electronic City, Bengaluru

The brain is vital to many critical human functions. Nevertheless, several misunderstandings about brain health prevail. When people hold on to these untruths, they may ignore some symptoms, postpone treatment, or apply inefficient techniques. For this reason, it is vital to know what the science says regarding this.

Memory loss is a normal part of ageing

It is common to forget something such as the place of your keys or to try to recall somebody's name with age as well. Nevertheless, if you seem to experience a lack of memory all the time which prevents you from doing your everyday activities, it should not be considered as a natural feature of aging. This may point to some problems of the neurological character.

Brain health is a concern only for the elderly

Keeping the brain healthy should be done at all ages. Substandard sleep, chronic stress, inadequate diets, smoking, consuming excessive alcohol, and the poor management of medical issues like diabetes or hypertension are risk factors affecting the brain of even young people. This shows the need to maintain proper health practices as early as possible.

Brain games are sufficient to ensure brain health

While activities such as crossword puzzles and memory games are entertaining and promote the brain's well-being, they are not the only factors that should be taken into consideration regarding the brain's fitness. Doctors recommend following a holistic approach that should include physical activity, healthy eating habits, sleep, stress management, and socializing.

Absence of symptoms indicates that the brain is healthy

There are many neurological diseases whose signs develop gradually. Increased blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol level are conditions that can ruin one's blood vessels and thus cause problems with cerebral circulation that are dangerous to one's brain. Therefore, any person should regularly undergo scheduled checks to ensure proper functioning of the brain.

There's nothing you can do to reduce your risk of brain disease

While certain neurological diseases may, indeed, be hereditary, it can be seen that people’s lifestyle choices greatly affect the health of their brain. Being physically active, eating a diet full of plant foods, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, keeping an optimal weight, and having chronic diseases under control reduce the risk of stroke and cognitive decline.

This World Brain Day, doctors encourage the people to doubt myths and give preference to evidence-based methods. It is true that the brain can recover but it always needs care. Detecting the first signs, following preventive medicine, as well as adopting a healthy lifestyle lead to success in maintaining one’s memory, thinking skills, and quality of life.

By Dr. B. Ravi Mohan Rao, Director & Senior Consultant – Neurosurgery, KIMS Hospitals, Electronic City, Bengaluru