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October 16, 2019 www.DesertMessenger.com 17 MEMORY LOSS OR DEMENTIA By Jackie Deal Oh, Crumb! I did it again. I blew an important appointment. Again. Memory Loss? Dementia? My phone? I can't fi nd my phone! Memory loss? Dementia? What day is it? I looked at the calendar earlier. What day is it? Memory loss? Dementia? Names? What are their names? Memory loss? Dementia? Before we get all tangled up in searching for answers, let's defi ne what we're talking about. Dementia is de- fi ned as loss of cognitive function and behavioral abili- ties to the point it interferes with daily life. Simply put: your reasoning ability and behavior interferes with your daily life. Well, yah, missing appointments interferes with my daily life but I did reschedule those appointments and everything was fi ne. My phone was hiding under a pile of papers. And while I checked the calendar there's no law says I can't check it again! Let's look at how the experts compare memory loss and dementia. Memory loss: you make occasional bad decisions. Dementia: consistent bad decisions. Memory loss: forgetting the day. Dementia: Forgetting the month. So okay forgetting the day wasn't so bad and I only forget the month on the fi rst days of a new month. Memory loss: searching for words. Dementia: struggling to carry on conversations. Everybody I know loses a word now and then. One of my favorite people searches for a word often but she can carry on a conversation with anyone. Memory loss: forgetting to pay a bill. Dementia: problems managing your money. Memory loss: forgetting names of recent contacts. Dementia: forgetting family and close friend's names. Memory loss: diffi culty driving to a new location. Dementia: getting lost in familiar places. Memory loss: mood fl uctuations. Dementia: drastic mood swings and personality changes. Losing a word is maddening and being upset about it makes it worse. So you forgot a word? Chances are at 3 a.m. you'll remember it! And peoples' names!! I'm terrible with names and you read all those cute little tricks for how to remember names. Huh! A dear lady who is celebrating her 99th birthday gave me a hint on how to remember her name when I called her "Mary". She said, "When my mother got mad at me she always yelled 'HELL-an'. My name is Helen." I've never forgotten her name since. Driving to new or old locations? I have absolutely no sense of direction. Well, that's not true. Where ever I'm facing, that's North. Not a doubt in my mind. That does make for some interesting complications and often I seem to be on "automatic pilot" when I climb in my car and it goes by itself, not always where I intended to go. Mood fl uctuations? Show me a human being and you'll show me mood fl uctuations. Time, temperature, recent events: they combine to affect our mood. Now kicking the dog or stamping on the cat's tail isn't exactly an acceptable mood fl uctuation. If this has reassured you, great. But if you're even a wee bit concerned, why not get thee to a neurologist? Even a diagnosis of dementia (which by the way is not a single disease, but a collection of symptoms) is not life threatening and there are some medicines that help. Sources include PresbyterianHome.org and Mayo Clinic. Travelogue 2019 Herbmama Mullein....Tea, Tincture or Oil? Mullein has been around for a millennia and there are over 300 different species. It is a biennial or perennial that is native to northern temperate regions, especially eastern Eurasia. It can be ingested, applied topically & even smoked. The leaves, fl owers & roots are used medicinally for the treatment of vari- ous infl ammatory diseases such as asthma, coughs & other lung ailments. It helps to fi ght infl uenza, herpes, respiratory infections & upper airway infections. It can help treat ear infections. It can calm bursitis by applying a poultice or even a cloth soaked in a tea. Mullein can help ease respira- tory illnesses, bronchitis, dry coughs, sore throats, tonsillitis. The leaves contain an extract with a powerful antioxidant & anti-infl ammatory which can help rid the body of mucus. It can help to sooth raw & infl amed tissues. It's a potent disinfectant, anti-spasmodic, astringent & emollient, tro- phorestorative & adrenal tonic. Mullein contains fl avonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, glycosides, carbohydrates, proteins, fats & oils. It's approximately 3% mucilage which has a soothing effect on the body's mucus membranes. The sapo- nins are believed to be responsible for it's expectorant actions. Smoking mullein is one of the least effective ways of using mullein's ben- efi cial properties, research has found. Mullein contains the essential nutrients Vit. C, Vit. B complex, Vit. E, Vit. D, magnesium & potassium. It's rich in antioxidants, boosts bone health & can increase absorption of calcium. It's not recommended for nursing or pregnant women. It's been known to inhibit the effectiveness of anti-diabetic drugs. Mullen can intensify the effects of muscle relaxants & lithium. Never consume the seeds as they contain high levels of rotenone which may cause severe cramping, diar- rhea, convulsions & vomiting. Use with caution if taking diuretics, anti- platelets, ibuprofen, naproxen & blood thinners. Mullein oil is great for earaches in children & adults alike. To make the mullein oil you take 1 cup of mullen & 1/2 cup of olive oil. Either do a cool infusion or a heated one. Cool & strain. Place cooled drops in affected ear. Mullein tea: 1-2 tsp. in 8 oz. boiling water, steep about 5 min. Strain & add a sweetner if you wish. drink 1-4 times daily. Mullein tincture: 1/4 - 3/4 tsp. 3-4 times daily. Disclaimer: This is not meant to treat, cure, heal or diagnose any type of illness or disease as it is for informational purposes only. For more information, contact Herbmama at 580-490-1770 or go to www.herbs-4-health.com. Be sure to 'like' us on FB! www.DesertMessenger.com Mullein has been around for a millennia and there are over 300 different

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