Memory Loss – How It Affects Your Life, Symptoms And Prevention

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Memory loss is characterized by extraordinary forgetfulness.

You may not recall recent events, one or more recollections from the past, or both.

Memory loss may occur for a brief time and then resolve (transient).

Alternatively, it may not go away and, depending on the source, may worsen over time.

Such memory impairment may interfere with daily life tasks in severe cases.

COPYRIGHT_SZ: Published on https://stationzilla.com/memory-loss/ by Alexander McCaslin on 2022-07-18T05:08:09.269Z

Everyone encounters forgetfulness on occasion.

Mild memory loss usually worsens with age and is no cause for concern.

However, progressive memory loss caused by disorders such as Alzheimer's might be dangerous.

Long-Term Memory Loss

Long-term memory loss occurs when you have difficulty remembering knowledge when you need it. As individuals become older, their long-term memory begins to deteriorate. This is a specific aspect of the aging process.

The most common symptom of long-term memory loss is forgetting things that occurred earlier in your life that were significant to you, such as the name of your high school or where you lived.

Other symptoms include mispronouncing words, such as calling a table a bed, forgetting basic terms, becoming disoriented in familiar surroundings, taking longer to do routine chores, and changes in mood and behavior, such as increased irritation.

Memory loss may be caused by several factors, some of which are treatable. Most of these reasons for memory loss may be treated by addressing the underlying cause.

Long-term memory loss reversible causes are depression and other mental health issues, stress, medicines, benzodiazepines, B-12 deficiency, and hydrocephalus (excess fluid around the brain).

Other forms of long-term memory loss may be caused by brain injury. Although not reversible, specific symptoms may improve depending on the severity of the damage and which areas of the brain are affected.

Some causes of long-term memory loss, such as dementias like Alzheimer's disease, are irreversible.

Short-Term Memory Loss

Short-term memory loss occurs when you forget something you recently heard, saw, or did. It's a specific aspect of becoming older, but it may also indicate something more serious.

Short Term Memory Loss - What It Is, What Causes It, and How To Prevent It

Some short-term memory loss causes are progressive and worsen with time. These include dementia caused by Parkinson's or Huntington's disease.

Medication may assist in decreasing development and alleviate your symptoms. Some therapies, such as changing drugs or taking supplements, have an immediate effect. Others, such as therapy for mental illness or drug abuse, may take longer. Curcumin, derived from turmeric, has been shown to boost cognitive function, particularly memory.

Curcumin seems to have a favorable effect on several of the pathways damaged by Alzheimer's disease. The greatest dangers of short-term memory loss stem from underlying disorders, not from the memory loss itself.

Side effects are always possible with surgery and medication, although they are less frequent when under the care of a competent doctor.

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Associated Diseases

The following diseases induce progressive brain deterioration and, as a consequence, dementia:

The most prevalent cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia vascular
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
Age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy with Lewy body dementia and limbic predominance (LATE)
A mixture of many of these dementia types (mixed dementia)

Each of these illnesses has a unique disease process (pathology). Memory loss isn't often the initial symptom, and the severity of memory difficulties varies.

Dementia

Dementia is characterized by progressive memory loss. Other symptoms include trouble reasoning, judging, communicating, and thinking. Dementia patients may also develop behavioral issues and mood changes.

Dementia often develops gradually and becomes more evident as it advances. Dementia may be caused by several disorders, the most prevalent being Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease deteriorates memory and inhibits cognition, judgment, and the capacity to study, communicate, and do daily tasks. Alzheimer's patients might soon become confused and disoriented.

Long-term memories are often more robust and survive longer than current event memories. Although it may attack at any age, this progressive illness mainly affects adults over 65.

Types Of Memory Loss

Memory loss or memory distortion may occur at any age in healthy persons. Some of these memory faults grow more obvious with age, but they are not regarded as markers of Alzheimer's or other memory-impairing conditions until they are severe and chronic.

Transience

This refers to the propensity to forget information or occurrences over time. You are quite prone to lose knowledge shortly after learning it. On the other hand, memory has a use-it-or-lose-it quality: memories regularly brought up and employed are less likely to be lost.

Although transience may seem a symptom of memory loss, brain scientists believe it is good because it clears the brain of unneeded memories, leaving room for newer, more valuable ones.

Absent-mindedness

This form of forgetfulness happens when you don't pay attention. You've forgotten where you just placed your pen since you weren't paying attention to where you put it in the first place.

Because you were thinking about something else (or possibly nothing), your brain did not encode the information safely. Absentmindedness sometimes includes forgetting to do something at a particular time, such as taking medication or maintaining an appointment.

Blocking

Someone asks you a question, and you know the answer is on the tip of your tongue – you can't think of it. The momentary inability to recover a memory is likely the most well-known example of blocking.

In many circumstances, the barrier is a memory identical to the one you're seeking, but you retrieve the incorrect one. This competing recollection is so distracting that you can't think of the memory you're looking for.

According to scientists, memory blocks grow more prevalent with age and explain older individuals' difficulty recalling other people's names. According to studies, individuals can regain around half of their repressed memories in under a minute.

Misattribution

This is called misattribution, when you recall something in part but misattribute some aspect, such as the time, location, or person involved. Another kind of misattribution happens when you assume a concept you had was utterly unique when, in reality, it was inspired by something you had previously read or heard but had forgotten about. This kind of misattribution explains examples of unintentional plagiarism, in which a writer presents the material as unique when they have already read it someplace else.

Misattribution, like many other memory lapses, becomes increasingly prevalent with age. Because you have more incredible difficulty focusing and processing information quickly as you become older, you absorb fewer details while gaining knowledge. And your memories become older as you get older. Old memories, in particular, are prone to misattribution.

Suggestibility

Suggestibility refers to your memory's susceptibility to the power of suggestion – information learned about an event after the fact gets integrated into your recall of the incident, even though you did not experience these details. Although little is understood about how suggestibility works in the brain, it tricks your mind into believing it's an actual memory.

Bias

Even the most precise recollection isn't a perfect representation of reality. Personal biases – experiences, opinions, past knowledge, and even your current mood Can affect your impressions in memory. When your views and experiences are stored in your brain, your biases influence them. When retrieving a memory, your mood and other preferences at the time might impact the information you remember.

Although everyone's opinions and preconceived conceptions influence their recollections, little study has been conducted on the brain processes behind memory bias or if it gets more frequent with age.

Persistence

Most individuals are concerned about forgetting things. However, in certain circumstances, individuals are plagued by memories they wish they could forget but cannot. Another kind of memory difficulty is the persistence of memories of traumatic experiences, bad sentiments, and persistent worries. Some of these recollections are realistic depictions of gruesome occurrences, while others may be unpleasant distortions of reality.

People who are depressed are more likely to have persistent, distressing recollections. People who have post-traumatic stress disorder various are also affected (PTSD). PTSD may be caused by multiple traumatic circumstances, such as sexual assault or warfare experiences. Flashbacks are a vital aspect of PTSD. They are persistent, intrusive recollections of the traumatic incident.

Memory Loss Symptoms

In general, forgetting recent events is the hallmark symptom of short-term memory loss. This may eventually result in:

Asking the same questions again and over again
Forgetting where you just placed something
Forgetting recent occurrences
Forgetting what you just saw or read

Forgetting things that happened earlier in your life that may have had some importance or significance for you, such as the name of your high school or where you lived, is the primary symptom of long-term memory loss. Other symptoms include not being able to recognize faces or recognize familiar objects.

Among the other symptoms are:

Terms are jumbled up, such as when you mistake a table for a bed and forget simple words.
Feeling disoriented in well-known environments
Takes longer to accomplish familiar activities
Alterations in both mood and behavior, including an increase in irritability

What Causes Memory Loss And Forgetfulness

Here are some of the more typical causes of memory loss:

Medications: Several prescription and over-the-counter drugs can interact with or induce memory loss. Antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-anxiety drugs, muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and pain relievers are all potential culprits.
Using Alcohol, Cigarettes, or Drugs: Excessive alcohol consumption has long been linked to memory loss. Smoking impairs memory by decreasing the quantity of oxygen delivered to the brain. According to studies, smokers have more difficulty matching faces to names than nonsmokers. Illegal drugs can alter brain chemistry, making it difficult to recollect memories.
Lack of Sleep: Sleep quality and quantity are both vital for memory. Sleeping too little or waking up frequently during the night can cause weariness, which impairs the ability to consolidate and retrieve information.
Stress and Depression: Depression can make it harder to pay attention and focus, affecting memory. Stress and anxiety can also interfere with concentration. Your capacity to remember can deteriorate when you are anxious, and your mind is overstimulated or distracted. Stress from emotional trauma can also induce memory loss.
Nutrient Deficiency: Optimal brain function requires a proper diet, which includes high-quality proteins and lipids. Vitamin B1 and B12 deficiencies, in particular, can impair memory.
Head Damage: A significant blow to the head, such as a fall or automobile accident, can harm the brain and cause short and long-term memory loss. Memory can improve steadily over time.
Stroke: A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off owing to a blockage or leakage of a blood artery into the brain. Strokes frequently result in short-term memory loss. A stroke victim may have strong memories of childhood events but be unable to recall what they ate for lunch.
Transient Global Amnesia: This is a temporary lapse in memory development. It usually goes away on its own and does not cause any harm or recurrence. Doctors are baffled as to why this occurs. Small strokes are occasionally found in the hippocampus (the brain area associated with memory formation).
Dementia: Dementia is the term used to describe a progressive loss of memory and other parts of thinking that is severe enough to impede daily functioning. Although various causes of dementia, including blood vessel disease, drug or alcohol misuse, or brain injury, Alzheimer's disease is the most common and well-known. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a progressive loss of brain cells and other brain abnormalities.
Other reasons: Other possible reasons for memory loss include an underactive or overactive thyroid gland, illegal drug usage, and illnesses that impact the brain, such as HIV, TB, and syphilis.

Treatment

The cause determines the treatment for memory loss. It may be reversible with therapy in many circumstances.

Medication-induced memory loss, for example, may be resolved by changing drugs.

Dietary supplements may help prevent memory loss caused by nutritional deficiencies.

When depression is present, addressing it may be beneficial to memory. In certain circumstances, such as after a stroke, treatment may help patients recall how to accomplish simple actions like walking or tying shoes.

The memory may improve with time in others.

Treatments may also be tailored to particular disorders associated with memory loss.

For example, medications to treat Alzheimer's disease-related memory impairments are available, and drugs to control blood pressure may help lessen the chance of additional brain damage from dementia caused by high blood pressure.

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Tips To Improve Memory

Although there are no certainties in avoiding memory loss or dementia, some activities may be beneficial. Consider the following strategies to improve your memory — and when to seek treatment for memory loss.

Exercise daily: Physical exercise improves blood flow throughout the body, including the brain. This may aid with memory retention. The Department of Health and Human Services advises at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes per week of strenuous aerobic activity, such as running, for most healthy individuals, ideally dispersed throughout the week. If you don't have enough time for a complete exercise, take a few 10-minute walks throughout the day.
Maintain mental activity: Mentally stimulating activities, like physical exercise, help maintain your brain in shape – and may help keep memory loss at bay. Complete crossword puzzles. Bridge is a game. When driving, choose other routes. Learn how to play an instrument. Participate in a local school or community group as a volunteer.
Engage in frequent socialization: Social connection helps prevent sadness and stress, which may lead to memory loss. Look for ways to connect with loved ones, friends, and others, particularly alone.
Organize yourself: If your house is crowded and your notes are disorganized, you are more prone to forget things. Make a specific notepad, calendar, or electronic planner to record chores, appointments, and other activities. You may even repeat each item aloud as you scribble it down to help it stick in your mind. Keep to-do lists up to date and mark off tasks as they are accomplished. Make a spot for your wallet, keys, glasses, and other necessities. Limit distractions and don't try to accomplish too much at once. If you concentrate on concentrating on the knowledge you want to remember will make it later. It may also be beneficial to relate what you're attempting to remember to a favorite song or another familiar notion.
Get enough sleep: Sleep is crucial in consolidating memories so that you may remember them later. Make enough sleep a priority. The average adult need seven to nine hours of sleep every day.
Maintain a healthy diet: A balanced diet may be as beneficial to your brain as it is to your heart. Consume fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. Low-fat protein sources include fish, legumes, and skinless fowl. What you drink is also important. Alcoholism may cause disorientation and memory loss. Drug users may also be harmful.
Handle chronic illnesses: For medical disorders such as depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and hearing loss, follow your doctor's treatment recommendations. The better you look for yourself, the better your memory will be. In addition, frequently schedule medication reviews with your doctor. Various drugs may have an impact on memory.

Bottomline

Memory loss is a common component of aging for many individuals and usually does not interfere with living or functioning freely.

It may, however, be a symptom of a more severe illness, such as dementia, a brain injury or infection, or other disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

Many of these suspected underlying illnesses are treatable, mainly if detected early. See your doctor if your memory loss is interfering with your life or if you are experiencing additional symptoms. Many reasons for memory loss are potentially curable.

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About The Authors

Alexander McCaslin - My job is to promote your health and I will look out for your well-being and happiness.