Have you ever forgotten where you left your keys or whether you locked your home before leaving? Who hasn’t, right? But, how often does it happen? Is it a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing or an everyday occurrence? Is it a simple lapse of attention or something more serious? If these kinds of questions plague you, then read on to get some answers.
Subtle lapses in memory may be the warning signs of potential cognitive decline. If your growing forgetfulness is ringing alarms, then it is highly recommended to consult with an experienced doctor.
Memory Loss: What’s Normal and What’s Not?
There is a difference between normal age-related forgetfulness and a concerning memory problem. “With age, people often begin forgetting small things like where they left their phone or the name of the person they met just yesterday. Brain ageing and fleeting lapses of memory are a natural part of growing older. As more and more time passes, the memory of a specific event or occurrence can fade and grow weaker," says Dr. Kishalaya Karan, neurologist, Apollo 24|7.
However, it becomes a cause for concern when these lapses in memory become frequent and begin interfering with your everyday life. If memory loss is so severe that it makes it difficult for you to perform simple tasks like driving or finding your way to a favourite place, then it might just be a serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately. In such cases, consulting with a doctor right away is the wisest course of action.
Signs of a Serious Memory Loss Problem
If you are looking to figure out whether you should be worried about memory loss, then Dr Karan has listed some common signs:
- Frequently forgetting things that you always remembered before
- Losing things often and failing to find them
- Trouble having a proper conversation
- Problems in paying monthly bills
- Losing track of the date or the time of the year
- Getting lost in familiar surroundings
- Having difficulty remembering important details of recent events
- Difficulty following the plot of a book or TV series
In a nutshell, if you are worried enough to ask whether or not you should see a doctor, it’s always advisable to consult one.
Causes of Memory Loss
Not everyone experiencing memory loss suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Here is a list of reasons for memory loss explained by Dr Karan.
Smoking
Smoking cigarettes is not only bad for your lungs and heart but also for your memory. It reduces the amount of oxygen getting to your brain, weakening your cognitive skills.
Medication
Certain medicines can result in memory loss as a side effect. As it happens more in older people, it’s wise to have your doctor take a look at all of your over-the-counter as well as prescription medications.
Lack of Sleep
Getting enough sleep helps your brain store memories. It’s essential to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Moreover, lack of sleep is also a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Excessive intake of drugs or alcohol has long been associated with memory loss and frequent blackouts.
Some of the other common causes of memory loss include depression, stress, nutritional deficiency, head injury, stroke, dementia, transient global amnesia (TGA), and infections like tuberculosis and syphilis.
If you are concerned about your growing forgetfulness and worried about a serious memory problem, then it is highly recommended to seek the advice of an experienced healthcare professional at once. You can also make certain memory-enhancing lifestyle choices like creating a brain-friendly diet plan, sticking to a uniform sleep cycle, and fostering a stress-free environment
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