A Guide To The Various Causes Of Forgetfulness

Getting a little absent-minded is normal at all ages, such as losing keys, forgetting names of people or films, it doesn’t mean you’ve got Alzheimer’s or other related dementia. There are many reasons that your absent-mindedness can be attributed to, which this blog aims to delve deep into. This will help you to tell the difference between normal and serious memory issues, so that you can take swift action which will help your situation from getting worse.

When you are in the middle age or older, forgetting phone numbers, not being able to track your keys, forgetting an appointment can be scary as they may indicate early-onset dementia, which is quite rampant now in people in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

There are several reasons for a bad memory, and the good part is, most aren’t serious and are temporary.

Learn about the possible reasons you are being forgetful by Anthem assisted living and memory care providers:

Not receiving adequate sleep– This is one of the biggest causes of forgetfulness. Sleep is not something at the top of our priority list, but to say the truth, it can lead to problems with memory. Sleep every day for 7-9 hours at least.

Alcohol– Alcohol consumption in excess can come in the way of short-term memory. It is best to adhere to the recommended one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men to stay alert and attentive.

Medications– Medications such as blood pressure drugs, antidepressants can take a toll on your memory, mainly through confusion. Get a consult with your doctor if you feel a new medication is affecting your memory in any manner.

Stress– Stress causes very many health issues, forgetfulness being one of them. Stress makes it difficult to pay attention and register new information, which eventually leads to memory problems. Manage your stress well in order to ward off cognitive issues.

Depression– Absent-mindedness can indicate depression, or may occur as a result of it.

Some other reasons that could play a role in your having memory lapses include:

1. Sleep apnea (a common, treatable sleep disorder)
2. Silent stroke
3. Nutritional deficiency, such as deficiency of vitamin B12 (can cause dementia-like symptoms, such as poor judgment and poor mood)
4. Urinary tract infection (UTI)
5. Thyroid problem
6. Head injury
7. Infection (around the brain)

If memory lapses are annoying you, it is a good idea to have a conversation with your doctor to exclude any irreversible causes. If there’s a treatable cause at the root of the problem, things like receiving adequate amounts of sleep, changing a medication, or managing stress well could get your memory back on track. If your memory isn’t what it used to be, instead of assuming that the memory problems are an inevitable part of growing old get yourself evaluated. A thorough evaluation will help you find out if you are headed for dementia, and sooner the diagnosis, faster the treatment and better the quality of life.