One of the concerns I hear most often from older adults and their caregivers in the clinic is memory. When someone frequently misplaces things, forgets appointments, or cannot immediately recall familiar names, it is easy to brush it off as “just aging.” However, if these issues repeat and begin to interfere with daily life, it is worth checking for mild cognitive impairment, which is considered a stage before dementia.
Why Is Mild Cognitive Impairment Important?
Alzheimer’s disease often progresses slowly over a long period of time, so it is important to pay attention when early changes appear rather than only after symptoms become obvious. Reports suggest that people with mild cognitive impairment may be more likely to progress to dementia than older adults in general, so changes in memory and daily functioning should be observed together.
Depressed mood is also not something to take lightly. Depression in older age can reduce concentration and memory and worsen sleep quality, so it can influence cognitive decline and be influenced by it in return.
What Does Korean Medicine Look At Together?
I do not look at memory alone. I also check sleep, digestion, energy, anxiety, depressed mood, dizziness, blood pressure, and blood sugar status. In Korean medicine, we distinguish patterns such as a state where excessive thinking and stress have exhausted the mind and body and weakened digestive function, or a state where aging has led to a deficiency of body fluids and vital energy.
Based on this evaluation, the direction of acupuncture treatment and herbal medicine prescriptions can vary. Chongmyeong acupuncture is used with the goal of supporting circulation in the head and throughout the body and recovery of nervous system function, while formulas such as Gami-guibi-tang, Ondam-tang, and Yukmi-jihwang-tang are considered according to patterns of anxiety, sleep issues, weakness, and forgetfulness.
Diagnosis Comes Before the Prescription Name
Gami-guibi-tang is a representative formula considered for a forgetfulness pattern accompanied by anxiety, fatigue, reduced digestion, and sleep discomfort. Related studies have reported improvement in areas of memory, but the same prescription is not appropriate for everyone.
Ondam-tang is considered when phlegm-fluid patterns, anxiety, and sleep problems are assessed together, while Yukmi-jihwang-tang is reviewed for weakness and yin deficiency patterns in older age. If you are taking dementia medication, sleeping pills, anticoagulants, blood pressure medication, or diabetes medication, do not stop them on your own and be sure to let us know.
We Recommend a Consultation in These Cases
- When you repeat the same questions or often forget appointments or taking medication
- When finding your way, doing calculations, or managing belongings becomes more difficult than before
- When depressed mood, insomnia, or anxiety appears together with memory decline
- When family members notice clear personality changes or reduced motivation
- When sudden paralysis, slurred speech, decreased consciousness, or a severe headache occurs, call 119 or go to the emergency room first
Memory care is not something that ends with one test or one prescription. It is a process of steadily observing daily rhythm, meals, sleep, exercise, and emotional state while adding treatment when needed. When small changes repeat, early evaluation may help you prepare for a more stable daily life in older age.