Reduce dementia risk by quitting these everyday bad habits

Dementia — an old people’s disease, right?

It’s true, yes, that memory loss and a decline in language and problem-solving capabilities — often caused by Alzheimer’s — typically impacts the over-65 crowd, often taking away their ability to lead a normal life.

And while you can’t control genetics — race, ethnicity and family history are considered to be major risk factors — there are some things that you can, like lifestyle habits.

Turns out, you’re never too young to curb the kind of behaviors that can leave you in the line of fire as you age, says one expert.

“Dementia is a group of conditions characterized by impairment of at least two brain functions, such as judgment and memory loss,” Blair Steel, a psychologist at Carrara Treatment, Wellness & Spa, told HuffPost.

“Symptoms of dementia include forgetfulness, limited social skills and impairment in thinking that interferes with daily functioning.”

One of the chief ways to fight back? Exercise. Aerobic exercise, especially, Steel said.

“Being inactive does a number on the brain,” she pointed out. “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Those rounding the corner on 60 especially should be ditching their sedentary lifestyles; moving your body regularly — and staying moving — can help lower your risk.

Another killer — isolation.

“We spend a lot of hours on social media, however this likely does not stimulate the brain’s experience of connection as much as socializing in person,” Steel explained.

Lack of in-person contact can lead to stress, higher blood pressure and other issues.

Poor sleep habits can be another major trigger — whatever the obstacle to getting a decent night’s rest on a regular basis, work as hard as you can to remove it, even if you think you might be too young to be concerned.

“Avoid screens and light after a certain hour and try to not reach for your phone if your sleep is interrupted,” Steel suggested.

Then, there’s stress, which the Alzheimer’s Society lists as a major trigger for dementia, thanks to the constant release of cortisol, which can wreak havoc on your memory over time.

Physical exercise, hobbies and activities you enjoy, family and friends time, or even indulging in a favorite TV show are all ways to combat stress.

“Try to be flexible with your reactions and avoid the ‘my way or the highway’ mentality, which can be common in older adults,” Steel said.

Drinkers should consider cutting back, as well — the Alzheimer’s Society links drinking to a certain kind of dementia, brought on by regular alcohol consumption over a period of years.

While not necessarily as debilitating, everyday tasks like cooking and paying bills can become a hardship.

And finally, you are what you eat — the processed foods so popular in the American diet are considered to be a trigger for dementia in adults.

The expert’s advice — to improve brain health, think green, think wholesome and natural, while limiting consumption of things like red meat, dairy and fried foods.

For example, the celeb-loved Mediterranean Diet has been seen to slash dementia risk by nearly a quarter.