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Soothe the brain with music

By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
Friday, July 13th, 2018

Stress and exhaustion can play havoc on the body as well as the mind. Unfortunately, people, today deal with this on a daily basis in their personal and professional lives. Most have demanding jobs that require intense focus for long hours of the day; others have to deal with family issues, raising children, or taking care of dependents, all of which can take their toll on their health and wellbeing.

It is important to focus on your health by finding productive outlets to all this buildup. If you don’t find something to soothe your mind, the stress will eventually lead to physical health consequences. Silver State Neurology agrees that music can have a big impact on the mind and can soothe the brain.

Does Music Really Help?

People have been making and listing to music for thousands of years. Even the earliest humans made small, crude musical instruments from wood, stones, and other available materials. There’s something about music that attracts our attention and influences our mood. Lively dance music can send energy rushing through a person’s veins, a love song can make people cry, and hard and angry rock music can help people vent anger. So it’s not surprising that soothing, mellow music can calm the mind.

Various studies have been conducted on the influence of sounds, rhythm, and melody on the mind and most of them show positive results. A research study involving 60 healthy female subjects with a mean age of 25 showcased that soothing music had a marked impact on an individual response to stress and recovery. This means that not only do you deal with stress better when listening to music, but you also recover from it quicker.

There’s a branch of medicine dedicated specifically to music and its ability to influence the nervous system psychologically and physiologically. Music therapy is used by neurologists to treat and soothe people with disabilities, disorders, chronic diseases, and similar health concerns. While music is great for everyday stress, it is important to consult with a professional neurologist if you’re looking for treatment for anything beyond that.

How Do You Hear Music?

When you understand how a human being hears sounds, it’s easy to understand why they have such a big impact on the mind. When sound enters the ear, the eardrums vibrate in response. Small piston-like bones in the middle of the ear amplify these vibrations, which is carried to the inner ear. The inner ear has a small chamber full of water and around 30,000 microscopic hair cells. These hair cells respond to the vibration frequencies; the shorter ones responding to higher wavelengths and longer ones responding to lower wavelengths.

These movements are then transmitted as nerve impulses to the brain, which then translates into sound. The ear is just an instrument and the brain actually does the hearing. According to recent research, the first brain cells to respond to sound influence early functional organization, which is why there’ s a link between sound and cognitive function.This shows sounds and music directly influence the brain and thought processes. It’s one of the reasons why neurologists believe in the power of music and sometimes will even recommend it to patients.

Influencing the Default Mode

Most people don’t know that the brain goes into a default thought process when it is not actively working on something. This is a predictable and consistent neurological activity that doesn’t have any direction; however, it does have an impact on your mood. It is very common to ruminate during this neurological state, to think painful thoughts, focus on worrying subjects, dwell on the past, etc.

The mind goes over these thoughts repeatedly with no resolution or productive outcome. People prone to this default are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, moodiness, or even anger. Soothing music can help draw focus away from these thoughts and even direct it outward. Natural sounds are most effective in drawing attention outward; so things like wind blowing, crickets chirping, birds singing, rain, waves, etc., will soothe the mind.

Mellow, soft, and repetitive music that doesn’t have many sharp pitches has a similar effect and will elevate your mood. Playing music or nature sounds when your thoughts drift can help you maintain a positive mindset and help you de-focus from stress. Even a short break for 15 to 20 minutes can make a harrowing day less stressful.

How to Choose Relaxing Music

Individual responses to musical stimulus vary, so find music that soothes you can be challenging. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

•Choose a Genre You Prefer – You prefer certain genres over others because they stimulate the brain in a specific way and have a better effect. Many people find classical music relaxing but if you don’t really prefer it, such songs won’t do much to relieve stress. Start with genres you love, even if it is lively EDM.

•Keep Pace in Mind – High-paced music will stimulate the brain and encourage it to be more active, which isn’t what you need. Choose slow songs or songs that slow down in pace gradually. Music that has a consistent pace of 70 BPM will get both your body and mind to a relaxed state. Music that starts at a high BPM but gradually slows down to 60 or 50 BPM will slow your body and mind down gradually, which is more effective.

•Skip Complex Music – Complex music with abrupt changes in rhythm, pacing, or tone force your brain to focus. Such music is jarring and will add to your stress instead of soothing the brain. Choose music with a steady beat, consistent tone, and very little change in pace.

It’s a good idea to skip songs with words, especially words in a language you speak. For example, people who speak English and Spanish should skip songs in these languages and choose instrumental or music in different languages. All of these factors will help you choose the best music option for relaxation.

Music is for therapeutic purposes only and can’t be considered a cure. People experiencing problems like substantial anxiety, health concerns caused by excessive stress or strain on the brain, and neurological disorders must consult with your Las Vegas Neurologist.

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Categories : Blog, Brain Health, brain stress, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, Silver State Neurology, stress, stress relief
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Tips for De-Stressing After a Long Week

By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
Thursday, July 5th, 2018

The unfortunate fact is, we rarely stop to think what fast-paced lifestyles, sedentary jobs, unhealthy or erratic dietary habits, and lack of exercise does to our health and overall well-being. Our bodies have an inbuilt system for speed and stress; however, they also have a powerful hard-wired system for quiet and relaxation. Using the right system at the right time can help us move through life efficiently and faster, yet without burning out our physical bodies.

No matter which way you look at it, the modern world is designed to increase stress levels. Wherever you look, you see people suffering from lifestyle-related diseases such as anxiety, depression, chronic migraine headaches, indigestion, obesity as well as more complex health problems such as diabetes, heart conditions and more. While every person has their own ways of coping with stress, research indicates that most of these aren’t effective.

There’s a lot of stress-related research undertaken by neurology experts, which indicates that the most commonly used stress-busting strategies are also reported to be highly ineffective by the very same people that use them.

For instance, only a meager 15% of individuals that eat certain foods to reduce stress, report that they are actually effective. Many people gorge on chocolate when they feel depressed or anxious; most of these people will also tell you that eventually, the only reliable change they experience in their mood by consuming their food of choice is an increased level of guilt.

Effective Tips For De-Stressing

We at Silver State Neurology firmly believe that keeping stress at bay requires a combination of techniques. Here are a few tips for de-stressing after a long work week:

1. Clench Your Facial Muscles Tightly And Then Relax Them

The connection between your body and brain is always a two-way street, which includes a distinctive feedback loop. This means if you are unable to get your brain to direct your body to calm down, you can use your body to calm your brain down. When your brain gets stressed, your muscles will tighten up.

Tense muscles relay a signal back to your brain telling it that you’re stressed. This makes it crucial to breaking the loop. You can do this by clenching your facial muscles and then relaxing them. This helps your body send a signal to your brain telling it that you aren’t stressed anymore and that your brain should de-stress too. Some of the most important muscles you should relax are the facial muscles because these have the most effect on emotion. However, relaxing your abdomen, butt and hands are equally important too.

2. Slow, Deep Breathing Techniques

This is one of the simplest and most effective tips for de-stressing that you can do at any time and anyplace. You don’t need a specific setting or time to do some slow, deep breathing exercises. The vagus nerve in the human body is one of its primary emotional highways. It constantly sends signals up to your brain and to your heart and plays a vital role in regulating the body’s fight-or-flight system. Direct stimulation of the vagus nerve is a great way to fix these issues.

The manner in which you breathe can impact the way your vagus nerve functions. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the quickest ways to alter your emotional state. Deep breathing connects to the brain via signals that are carried by this vagus nerve. This signaling is vital in activating the parasympathetic nervous system (circuits for relaxation and resting).

When you consciously breathe slowly and deeply, it increases your vagus nerve’s activity levels and catalyzes your brain towards parasympathetic activity, which helps calm you down. Breathe very slowly through your nose up to a count of six or eight. Then pause for just a couple of seconds at the peak of your inhalation and exhale very slowly via your nose for that same count.

3. Splash Your Face And Neck With Cold Water

Splashing cold water on your face jolts your vagus nerve and slows your heart rate down. Your brain will feel the drop in your heart rate and tells it not to continue being stressed. If you’re feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, simply cup your hands under cold water and, splash it quickly on your face.

Other Useful Tips For De-Stressing

In addition to all these pointers, some of the other things you can do include:

•Eat and drink sensibly, at regular intervals
•Assert yourself and learn to say “no” when you are overworked
•Exercise regularly
•Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet
•Get a sufficient amount of sleep and establish a regular sleep routine
•Set realistic health goals and stick to them
•Listen to calming music
•Watch kitten/puppy antics videos
•Dance/play an instrument or indulge in some other fun activity
•Socialize and meet up with friends
•Spend leisure time with family
•Learn to relax, think positive and laugh a lot
•Stay away from your phone and other electronic devices for some part of the day

Neurological Stress Reduction Therapy

Looking after your body & mind are some of the most important things to do to boost your long-term memory, reduce stress and improve brain function. While all of the above-mentioned tips for de-stressing are ones you can follow on a regular basis to reduce your stress levels, there may be times when you feel you need some additional help.

Consider consulting our experienced Las Vegas Neurologist; Dr. Milford will assess your condition and provide treatments for diseases/disorders that can come from excessive stresses or strains in the brain. They will adopt a holistic neurological stress reduction therapy approach to help increase core level energy, promote natural & healthy detoxification, boost your immune system, and bring the body and mind back to balance.

De-stress therapies aren’t a one-time activity. It’s about taking small steps and making seemingly minor changes to the way you think, work, act and react, to help you live a stress-free and healthy life.

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Categories : Alzheimer's disease, Blog, Brain Food, Brain Health, brain stress, Health Tips, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, stress, stress relief
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Challenging your Brain

By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
Friday, June 22nd, 2018

There is no right age to start thinking of how to keep your brain healthy. People who challenge their brains are likely to live a longer and more fulfilling life! There are different types of exercises that can boost our brain energy, but mental health exercises are often overlooked. Take some time each day to give your mind a mental workout!

Things that benefit our brain are right in front of us, sometimes we don’t see it right away. Add these simple tips into your everyday life more frequently!

Learn new things

Nothing wrong with a little new information every now and then. Whether you learn a new language, an instrument or studying a different career industry, learning should be a consistent part of your life! Learning new things challenges your brain’s skills in memory retainment, reading, problem-solving and so much more. Be curious about the world around, add to your vocabulary, utilize the internet when you come across something you’ve never seen.

You may consider learning a new hobby! If you want to start with something simple, a new hobby is a great way to start. Starting a new hobby allows you to get your creativity flowing and makes you think! Sometimes the things we are good at have yet to be discovered!

Be Productive in the Mornings

Routines are healthy for the brain. Waking up early and jump-starting your day with a to-do list not only boosts productivity but it prevents your brain from feeling sluggish all day. Changing up your routine is the challenge. Yes, it is important to have a routine weekly, but it’s even healthier to change it up every now and then by adding new tasks or doing things differently. A fixed routine can eventually make your brain feel too accustomed to something.

Rotate between being Old-Fashioned & Current

Technology is something many people rely on and not rely on enough. There are those few who are heavily dependent on using their smartphones and laptops and then there are those who rather not dive into learning how to use technology to their advantage.

If you aren’t familiar with the technology, it might be a great thing to teach yourself. It’s important to stay current and there’ s nothing wrong with learning something new especially if you can use it to your advantage.

If you rely on technology a little too much, try doing things the hard way sometimes:

  • Use your brain for basic math you need to add or even memorizing phone numbers of people important to you!
  • Use your sense of direction and mental skills to figure out where to go without using a GPS from your phone.

    • Stay Well-Read

    Regardless of your interests, it’s important to read. Read anything! Books, magazines, articles, food labels. Reading stimulates your brain and keeps your mind pumping. It’s one of the simplest ways to challenge your brain.

    Keep up with current events, even if it’s a little a day. Whether you are staying updated with the environment, politics, world news or even local news, stimulate your brain by learning about things that are happening right now. You may even consider learning about the technological changes that are happening in society today! You will be surprised by what you learn each day, there is always something new.

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    Categories : Alzheimer's disease, Blog, Brain Health, brain stress, Diet, Health Tips, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, Migraines, Silver State Neurology, Sleep Disorders, stress, stress relief
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    How to Care For Someone with Alzheimer’s

    By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
    Tuesday, June 12th, 2018

    When someone starts to develop Alzheimer’s, it can cause strain on their loved ones. Sometimes it becomes difficult because we often don’t know what to do when their behavior changes. It’s important to keep in mind: their actions often cannot be controlled. Still, how can we care for someone afflicted by Alzheimer’s?

    Short and simple

    Those with Alzheimer’s will often forget that they’ve just asked a question multiple times. You will probably be tempted to give them an answer you would give someone else. But this might involve a lengthier and more complicated response. If you keep your response short and concise, you won’t be as frustrated when you have to repeat it as many times as they ask. It will also be easier for them to understand what you are saying.

    If you find yourself having to repeat yourself often, keep these tips in mind:

    •Consider (why they are asking); think about how they feel and give a response that can resolve frustrating emotions.
    •Distract; the best way to get their mind somewhere else is to ask for help. Ask them to perform a simple task to occupy their mind for a few minutes. This can be as simple as setting the table or folding the laundry.
    •Break; don’t be afraid to take a second for yourself if you are becoming angry. Losing your temper on someone with Alzheimer’s will just be frustrating for everybody. Take a moment to gather yourself to keep your cool.

    Keep it consistent

    As someone with Alzheimer’s declines the memory more, it can be difficult to keep new things organized. New experiences are jarring and can be frustrating without having patience. When a family member is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, consider making a weekly schedule. Include things like laundry, grocery shopping, meals, and anything else you can keep consistent.

    Give them independence

    Early on, those with Alzheimer’s simply need a small reminder to accomplish their daily tasks. Guide them softly at first, letting them keep their control. The longer they stay active and aware, the longer their memory will stay in better shape.

    For more complex tasks, like managing money or keeping track of medications, make sure they don’t make mistakes. If they do, gently correct it for them and assure them you are there to help.

    Take care of yourself

    Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone with Alzheimer’s is to take care of yourself. Seeing a loved one’s memory decline is can be frustrating. Consider a few of these tips to keep yourself ready for whatever comes your way:
    •Keep yourself connected; having people around you as you care for someone with Alzheimer’s will make it easier to decompress. Try to find others that are going through the same thing for encouragement and comfort.
    •Ask for help; know that the people around you want to help. We never want to take a break from helping our loved ones with Alzheimer’s, but sometimes we need a moment to recollect. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to step in for an afternoon, so you can get the time you need to recharge.
    •Don’t take it personally; Alzheimer’s is a disease that someone can’t control in their head. Sometimes they forget important things, and you must be forgiving. They don’t mean to hurt you, so care for them even when it’s difficult.
    •Laugh and be happy; your loved ones with Alzheimer’s are still your loved ones. Laugh with them and let yourself fall into the moments that make you happy. It’ll remind you of why they mean so much to you.

    Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s is difficult but manageable. Know the tips to care for them and yourself, and you’ll be an incredible caretaker and loved one. And don’t forget, Silver State Neurology can help.

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    Categories : Alzheimer's disease, Blog, Brain Health, brain stress, Health Tips, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic
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    Phone Usage Effects on the Brain

    By silverstate neurology · Comments (0)
    Thursday, May 31st, 2018

    We live in a world filled with technology. At the forefront of it all: cell phones. We live and breathe with our cell phones by our sides. It makes us wonder: what are our cell phones doing to our brains? The truth is that we must be more cautious. Here are some ways that cell phone usage impairs us and some tips to combat them.

    Keeps us up at night

    The blue light emitted from our phone can interrupt our bodies’ natural circadian rhythms. Our bodies have adjusted over our lifetimes to understand that blue light is mostly present during the morning. When blue light enters our eyes at night, our bodies want to wake up.

    A study in the PNAS Journal proved this when participants found it difficult to sleep after reading from a mobile device. Participants who read from paperback books found, on average, more REM sleep.

    Make sure you’re putting away your phone at least 30 minutes before getting into bed. If you need something to do, pull out a book till you drift off to sleep. When we use our phones, we make it more difficult to find a good night’s rest.

    Destroying our memory

    Before we used cell phones to keep our contacts and information neatly stored, many things had to be memorized. Cell phones give us incredible access to mass amounts of information. They let our brain focus on retaining the information that matters.

    But for some people, cell phones hold everything. When this happens, our memory begins to fade, and we must look up every bit of information we need. This could mean constantly using online maps to get us to places in Las Vegas we should know well. It could also mean finding the same recipe online, even if we’ve made the dish tens of times before.

    While technology is an incredible storage of information, we must keep our minds active. If we keep our memory in good shape, we can be more productive and stay active away from technology and maintain our overall brain health.

    Making us dependent

    Cell phones have become an extension of the body. They connect us to our friends and family, and they keep us in touch with the rest of the world. But when we’re away from our cell phones for as little as 10 minutes, we already begin to experience anxiety.

    We should cherish the advantages that technology offers, but we should be cautious to form attachments. Even if our phone breaks, we have to be able to function. Try taking some time away from your phone as often as you can. You’ll feel more independent and in tune with your surroundings.

    Overloading us with stimuli

    Las Vegas is the perfect place to overload our minds with bright, flashy lights. They grab our attention and make the world around us livelier. But, the Las Vegas lights should stick to The Strip and out of our phones. The constant barrage of notifications that we see on our phones overloads us with stimuli. Our mind goes toward a million different places at once, and it becomes difficult to focus.

    There are a few ways to keep the stimuli to a minimum. The first of which is to turn off notifications for as many apps as you can. Use the apps on your own time; don’t let them intrude on your other tasks. Second, consider turning your phone’s display into grayscale. This will make the use of your cell phone less addicting. It’ll also decrease the number of stimuli you experience when you must use your phone.

    Technology is a major help, but it has overtaken our lives. Take some time to unplug to keep your brain healthy. And if you are experiencing brain health issues, visit your local Las Vegas Neurologist and seek help.

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    Categories : Blog, Brain Food, Brain Health, brain stress, Health Tips, las vegas neurologist, Las Vegas neurology clinic, Migraines
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