DEAR DR. GOTT: My doctor says I have appropriate age-related changes in my brain (message relayed by his nurse). What would those be – a smaller brain, bigger, or what? I’m 76 and female.
DEAR READER: It’s sometimes difficult to formulate all the questions we should have asked when a situation such as yours occurs. My guess is that you received a phone call, thanked the nurse for calling and hung up the phone. In this instance, that wasn’t sufficient. You may have been overwhelmed and confused by her words and had to mull everything over afterward in an attempt to understand what she said (or in this instance didn’t say); however, you should have asked questions and she should have either been able to answer those questions or should have had your physician respond.
Did you have testing such as a simple X-ray, CT scan, MRI or something else because you had symptoms of forgetfulness, headache, dizziness, headaches, tumor, or Heaven only knows what else? Your physician must have ordered the test for a reason, otherwise it would not have been covered by your insurance. Without knowing your complaint or what he was thinking at the time he ordered the test, it is next to impossible for me to interpret what the nurse meant.
Let’s consider your age. At 76 you may be showing signs of forgetfulness that could be linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s dementia, Lewy body dementia or simple aging. Alzheimer’s affects memory, thinking and behavior. It is the leading cause of dementia in our country. Parkinson’s dementia, a progression of Parkinson’s disease, results from a loss of dopamine, a chemical in the brain. Symptoms include memory loss, gait abnormalities, sleep disorders and more. Then there’s Lewy body dementia that mimics but differs from Parkinson’s, depending on which symptom or group of symptoms develop first. When motor symptoms occur first and are present for at least a year prior to dementia, the condition is known as Parkinson’s disease with dementia. When motor symptoms follow dementia symptoms, the condition is referred to as Lewy body dementia.
On a totally different track, did you fall and hit your head, and are perhaps suffering from headaches? Your physician may have suspected a hematoma, a collection of blood on the surface of the brain. With this form of injury, tiny veins between the surface of the brain and its outer covering tear, allowing the blood to collect. Symptoms can include balance problems, weakness, loss of consciousness and a great deal more.
I could go on and on but I think by now you can understand where I’m going with this scenario. And, there’s only one practical means of resolving the issue. I recommend you call or make an appointment with your primary care physician to express your concerns over the phone message. There’s no need to cast any blame. Simply indicate you are unsure what the test was done for and what the results mean. You can even take a relative or friend who can, with your permission, sit in on the visit and be able to better explain what is being said. It’s your body and you have every right to know what is going on. If your doctor recommends follow-up, be sure you understand completely what being done and why.
Readers who would like related information can order my Health Reports “Alzheimer’s Disease” and “Parkinson’s Disease” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 US dollars for each report ordered in the form of a check or money order to my attention at PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title when writing or print out an order form from my website www.AskDrGottMD.com.