It is quite frustrating when one finds it challenging to recollect things. At first, it may appear as intentional to people around and can even lead to arguments. It is never pleasant. This is why so many studies have gone into understanding the reason our mind suddenly starts having memory loss.
This can be very frustrating as someone with a previously functioning mind struggles when one start having memory loss. It may begin with forgetfulness that occurs once in a while, before degenerating into a situation that leads to short-term memory loss. This is known to interfere with normal life activity.
So let’s revert to the cause of memory loss. It’s common in movies, after a blow to the head, the individual may begin to wander. There are also cases of the inability to remember one’s identity or place of abode. It may be quite unlikely that there is a sudden loss of memory.
It is entirely normal to forget one thing or the other at times.
There are times when you start looking for your phone with no idea where it was dropped, and it could even be your house keys. Have you had any experience where you even see an old friend, and for a second, you can’t recollect the person’s name? These instances are not as severe as those seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Some problems with memory are because people didn’t seek medical attention for treatable conditions early enough.
Memory Loss and Aging
It is not unusual to notice that as people get older, they may start forgetting faces, or places, as their memory tends to fade. However, you can do things to manage memory loss that is age-related, giving the elderly person a shot at enjoying a level of productive life. Maybe it’s time to start creating lists more often than before as it helps in recollecting appointments or tasks.
Memory Loss and Dementia
When talking about dementia, there are lots of symptoms that are being considered, such as impaired memory, affected reasoning, marred judgment, problems with language, as well as diminished mental skills. Dementia typically starts gradually before getting worse with time. It affects the natural abilities of the individual. It affects the social interactions of the person even with family members and friends.
Signs to Look Out for in Dementia
Whenever you discover that you or your loved ones seem to be having repeated memory affection that makes daily activities difficult, suspect dementia, and visit a doctor. Some other signs that might be noticed in the early stages are:
- Difficulty in remembering common vocabularies
- Forgetting things haphazardly without recollection of when they were left in those places.
- Mood swings that are not peculiar to that individual for no particular reason.
- Not being able to find one’s way while taking a walk or even when going for a drive in the area one is familiar with before.
- Recurrent episodes of mixing up different words
- When familiar tasks are done for longer periods than usual, such as taking longer to cook one’s favorite dish.
- When someone repeats the same question over and over again
Diseases that Can Lead to Memory Loss
A few medical conditions can lead to progressive damage to the brain, and if there’s no favorable resolution, severe dementia sets in eventually with memory loss being on the issues that are faced. These conditions are types of dementia and are as follows:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Lewy body dementia
- Vascular dementia
Causes of Memory Loss
Drugs
Some prescription drugs that are available over-the-counter may be used and cause memory loss. Examples of such medications are:
- Analgesics
- Anti-anxiety pills
- Antidepressants
- Antihistamines
- Muscle relaxants
- Sleeping pills
- Tranquilizers
Alcohol Abuse, Tobacco or Drug Use
It is not uncommon to come across someone intoxicated with alcohol who struggle with recalling events, during and after the drinking bouts. This is because Ethanol and Methanol contained in alcoholic drinks affect portions of the brain especially the memory region.
The same can be said of smoking tobacco and marijuana, as it limits the amount of oxygen that can bath the brain. According to researches, people struggle with matching faces and names compared to people who don’t smoke.
They all have similar mechanisms in the brain in the long term. When people abuse recreational drugs, smoke, and alcohol, they all cause eventual changes in the brain structure, leading to impairment of essential functions. Remembering things can be so tedious for people who are hooked on these substances, especially those who abuse them regularly.
Sleep Deprivation
Our brain needs rest to function optimally, and this is why people that are sleep deprived starts declining in normal functions. When it comes to our memory, sleep is vital. A study conducted among students showed that those who had a quality sleep for about six to eight hours for about a week were able to recall the topics they mastered better than those who stayed up all night. Information retrieval requires energy, and if you don’t rest and low on energy already, then that becomes a problem.
Balanced Diet
Proper nutrition follows adequate rest and exercises when it comes to conversations concerning good health of body and mind. Also, you have to ensure you drink enough water, and eat fruits to enjoy vitamins and minerals that are vital for the proper functioning of the body systems, especially the neurological system.
Head Injury
There can be an issue of memory loss when one has an accident either in an automobile, during sports, during fights, or surgeries. The type of memory loss differs, it could be short-term or long-term or even both. However, there’s a good chance that improvement in one’s memory can be enjoyed with time.
Stroke
A person is said to have developed a stroke when the blood to the brain gets affected either due to occlusion or as a result of bleeding causing little or no blood to the brain. Strokes are associated with short-term memory loss most of the time. Such people have vivid recollections of their childhood memories but are unable to remember what they just ate.
Memory is so crucial that the Game of Thrones writer made Bran Stark the King of the Six Kingdoms, just because it is believed he can access the memory of the world in the series. Few things can be done to help if the diagnosis is made early. So be observant.
