Have you walked into a room and forgotten why you came? Or felt that your mind isn’t working as sharply as before? Many in their 30s, 40s, or 60s blame age, stress, or “too much to think about.” But here’s the truth — your brain is sending you clues. And ignoring them might cost you more than just a missed grocery item or forgotten name.

Dr. Anurag Lamba, a well-respected neurologist in Panchkula, sees this every week — patients worried about early memory loss, strange headaches, or sudden changes in speech or balance. Most of them wait too long. Some come in only after a small stroke or scary blackout.

If you or your loved one have been feeling “off” lately — mentally tired, forgetful, or unusually anxious — you’re not imagining it. Your brain may just need care, the same way we look after our heart or sugar levels.

Here are the top 3 tips from Dr. Anurag Lamba Neurologist Panchkula, shared with warmth, honesty, and deep understanding of how our Indian lifestyle affects brain health.

Tip 1: Don’t Ignore Small Changes — Your Brain Whispers Before It Shouts

The subtle signs to watch out for

It’s not always memory loss. Sometimes, the earliest signs of brain trouble are small:

• Mixing up words during a conversation
• Repeating questions or stories without realising
• Sudden irritability, confusion, or getting lost in familiar places
• Numbness or twitching on one side of the face or body

These tiny signs can be from stress, but they can also point to early nerve damage, blocked blood vessels, or mild cognitive impairment (early-stage memory thinning).

The Indian hesitation: “Shayad kuch nahi hoga”

Many families in Panchkula and around feel nervous to see a neurologist. They worry it’ll be costly or “what if the doctor says it’s something serious?” So, they wait.

But Dr. Lamba always says: “Early diagnosis can save a patient’s brain the way early sugar control saves eyes, kidneys, and limbs.”

Let’s take an example. A 58-year-old school principal from Zirakpur came in after forgetting her own route to school — a route she’d driven for 25 years. She thought it was stress. After a full exam, early-stage vascular dementia was found, and with medicines, she’s now stable and driving again. She said, “I wish I had come 6 months earlier.”

Tip 2: Blood Pressure and Diabetes — Silent Killers of the Brain

You already know they affect the heart. But did you know they damage brain cells too?

In Dr. Anurag Lamba’s words: “Hypertension is the slow poison of the brain. It narrows your brain’s blood vessels until one day, they burst or block.”

Dr. Lamba sees many stroke patients at Alchemist Hospital, most of them with unmonitored BP and uncontrolled blood sugar. The tricky part? There were no warning signs.

How they show up in regular life

• One-sided weakness after getting angry or climbing stairs
• Blurry vision at night or in the morning
• Regular headaches at the back of the head
• Sudden trouble speaking clearly

It’s like a power cut in your brain — sudden, dangerous, and sometimes irreversible.

So what should you monitor at home?

• BP should stay below 130/80 mmHg after age 40
• Fasting sugar should be under 100 mg/dl
• Post-meal sugar should stay under 140 mg/dl

A 45-year-old software engineer from Sector 8, Panchkula, came in after a sudden right-hand weakness. Turned out, his BP was 170/100 and sugar was high too. He hadn’t checked in months. Dr. Lamba started treatment immediately. A small stroke was caught early. He’s now back at work and checks BP at home every Sunday with his wife.

If you haven’t checked your levels in the past 3 months, please do it this week. It could save your memory, your movement — even your life.

Tip 3: Sleep, Stress & Screens — The Modern Day Brain Strain

The link between poor sleep, anxiety, and your nervous system

Your brain needs sleep the way your phone needs charging. But these days, most Indians — especially city workers and homemakers — sleep with WhatsApp still pinging and worries about work, children or ageing parents on their mind.

Dr. Lamba says, “Sleep less than 6 hours, and your brain clears fewer toxins, stores fewer memories, and reacts more slowly the next day.”

Other habits hurting your brain daily:

• Scrolling reels or watching TV right before bed
• Skipping meals during heavy workdays (which affects brain sugar supply)
• Drinking chai or coffee late at night and then wondering why you’re restless
• Burnout from working long hours without mental rest

Here’s the hard truth — the brain doesn’t like being “always on.” It needs proper breaks. Yet our modern lives are crushing it with non-stop demands.

What Dr. Lamba recommends to every patient:

• Stick to a sleep time — even on Sundays
• Start and end your day without a screen for at least 30 minutes
• Do 15 minutes of quiet activity every day (pranayama, walking, or prayer)
• Eat a brain-fuel breakfast (like poha with peanuts or an egg with roti)

A retired professor from Sector 17, Panchkula, came in saying he couldn’t remember names at weddings and felt “lost” sometimes. His MRI was fine, sugar and BP were fine too. But his sleep cycle was disturbed. He was sleeping 4 hours at night, then napping at random times. After working on sleep and screen time with Dr. Lamba, he started feeling better within 2 weeks.

Sometimes, the simplest changes bring the biggest relief.

What Makes Dr. Anurag Lamba a Trusted Neurologist in Panchkula?

Dr. Lamba is not just a neurologist with years of experience — he’s someone who listens quietly, explains kindly, and never rushes you out of the room. He believes brain health isn’t just about pills or tests; it’s about understanding the person behind the symptoms.

At his Panchkula clinic and Alchemist Hospital, families often consult him for:

• Stroke prevention and recovery
• Headaches, migraine, and sleep issues
• Parkinson’s disease and dementia symptoms
• Memory loss, slow thinking, or behavior changes

One sector 9 family shared, “He helped our father during his mini stroke and made us feel like we were not alone. He didn’t just treat the scan — he treated the man.”

FAQs About Brain Health (People Also Ask)

1. When should I see a neurologist?

If you or someone in your family experiences memory loss, frequent headaches, numbness, weakness, confusion, tremors, or changes in movement — don’t delay. See a neurologist even if it’s just to rule out trouble early.

2. Can stress really cause brain issues?

Yes. Long-term stress can change brain chemistry and affect memory, focus, and sleep. It’s often seen in working adults and caregivers under family pressure.

3. What tests are needed to check brain health?

Depending on symptoms, Dr. Lamba may recommend a brain MRI, blood tests (for sugar, cholesterol, thyroid), sleep study, or nerve tests (like EEG or EMG). He usually starts with a full history and simple clinical checks first.

4. Is all forgetfulness the start of dementia?

No. Some forgetfulness is normal with age. But if it’s affecting daily life — like forgetting names often, missing bills, or getting lost in known places — better to get checked early.

You’re Not Alone — And It’s Never Too Early to Care for Your Brain

Whether you’re 35 and juggling career stress or 60 and noticing forgetfulness, your brain matters at every stage. It doesn’t ask for much — just care, rest, and timely help.

Dr. Anurag Lamba’s advice comes from decades of helping real patients — aunties who forgot recipes, uncles who ignored numb hands, young adults burned out from tech jobs. If you’ve been feeling something’s not right, trust your gut. Get guidance. Don’t wait until it’s something big.

Your brain is your story, your memories, your thoughts — it deserves to be heard gently and looked after wisely.