Forgetting something is actually a perfectly normal part of anyone’s life. It is an inevitable fact that people often fail to remember what they are doing in a particular place or what was it that he or she is trying to accomplish. However, when this forgetfulness becomes frequent and begins impacting on life-style, then it is time to determine the cause of the memory loss in order to avoid long-term impairment.
So what is memory loss by the way? Memory loss is the inability of a person to recall certain information such as names, numbers, and location. It is also defined as the inability of a person to remember where he or she had last placed the keys or be lost in his or her line of thoughts. Memory loss can either be mild or extreme, temporal or permanent, total or partial depending on its causes.
And why is it so important to understand memory loss causes? Memory loss can be very traumatic once experienced by a person. There is a great tendency that he or she might not be able to follow simple instructions or directions. An individual’s health and hygiene might be compromised or they might have forgotten to take lunch or dinner or even take a shower. Aside from that, there is also a great possibility that they would easily get lost in a place in which he or she used to be very familiar with. Furthermore, forgetting important information or missing appointments, even mixing up people’s names and numbers are also inescapable.
There are many possible memory loss causes. It can be a medical condition which is brought about by alcohol or drug abuse. It can also be due to emotional glitches or depression. Memory loss can also be caused by old age. In this article, the different memory loss causes will be discussed. It is important to understand memory loss causes so that a proper treatment can be employed or the cause is identified so that one can prevent certain memory loss causes.
The Age Matters
One of the major and unavoidable memory loss causes is old age which can also be referred as Age Associated Memory Impairment or AAMI. This is the type of memory loss where one often experiences short-term forgetfulness such as the inability to recall the name of a person, misplacing things, or missing an important event. As a person gets older, the neuron in his brain, where memories are stored, becomes damaged. Although this kind of forgetfulness is considered to be normal by the majority, this can be prevented actually.
In order to avoid this, one must practice healthy lifestyle by doing regular exercise and keeping a balanced diet. Aside from that, it is beneficial to engage in mental activities such as answering crossword puzzles; reading books, magazines, journals, and the likes; spend more time with family and friends; and other undertakings that will make their mind active.
Emotional Problems or Depression
Emotional problems can also be identified as of the memory loss causes. When one feels so lonely or depressed, he or she tends to be too much occupied with unnecessary thoughts. Boredom can also lead to memory loss as the person could think nothing more and ruminate on things that can drive his or her idleness away. Should one feel so distracted emotionally, he or she must seek counsel from a doctor or any professional who are skilled in addressing emotional dilemmas. Just like fighting memory loss due to aging, the person must become involved in activities that can stimulate his or her mental being.
A Medical Condition
Memory loss can also be brought by medical condition. This includes alcoholism, drug abuse, incompatibility to the medicine being taken, brain tumor or blood clots, head injury due to accidents or fall, vitamin deficiency, and diseases. People who are suffering from memory loss caused by a medical condition can actually be cured as long as he or she is willing to undergo treatment or therapy. One example of a memory loss brought by a disease is dementia. Dementia has two causes: Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of illness where the brain is shrouded with “plaques” or “tangles”. For this reason, the brain dies causing the person to easily forget essential information. A person who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease may behave differently from what he or she used to be as he or she believes that there is nothing wrong with him or her. Thus, people with Alzheimer’s disease must be showered with constant understanding and wide patience.
Vascular dementia on the other hand is one of the effects of stroke. It happens when the arteries that supplies blood in the brain is blocked. When the stroke stops, the person suffering from vascular dementia may be able to recover from it; however, there is also a tendency that his or her medical condition may remain most especially if he or she keeps on experiencing stroke.
Insufficient Amount of Vitamins in the Body
Lack of vitamin B12 and D may also be considered as one of the memory loss causes. Study shows that these two vitamins, most especially B12, play an essential role in the proper functioning of the nervous system. Thus, it is important that one must take heed in his or her food intake. Foods that are rich in vitamins D and B12 must be included in his or her diet.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is another medical condition that can cause memory loss. Too much alcohol may lead to short term memory loss due to intoxication. In addition to that, when a person is very drunk, his or her vitamin B12 decreases resulting to neurological function.
Drug Abuse
Drug abuse and medicine incompatibility may also lead to memory loss as this could cause memory disorder although temporary. That is why, when a person experiences memory loss after taking medication, they must consult a doctor in order to determine
whether the memory loss is caused by the medicine or not.
What Is Amnesia?
What is considered to be as the most abnormal degree of memory loss is amnesia. There are three types of amnesia – transient global amnesia, retrograde amnesia, and anterograde amnesia. A person who suffers from transient global amnesia may lose his or her entire memory although temporary; this type of amnesia is actually the rarest. On the other hand, retrograde amnesia is the type of amnesia where the person can no longer remember what has happened to him or her after an accident. However, the person can still retrieve memories from his or her distant past.
Lastly, anterograde amnesia is the type of amnesia where the person cannot retrieve
memories before the accident but might remember the events that happened after the trauma.
Final Thought
The memory loss causes mentioned here may just be few; however, this information can help those who think they are suffering from memory loss or whose friend or family is suffering from memory loss. Again, it is important that one should know the mentioned memory loss causes in order to determine the kind of treatment that will be given.