Causes of Memory Loss
You misplaced your keys for the second time this week. You forgot your Dad's birthday. For the life of you, you could not recall your PIN number at the ATM yesterday. Time for alarm? Could it be Alzheimer's disease?
Information is stored in different parts of your memory. Info stored in recent memory may include what you ate for breakfast this morning. Information stored in the short-term memory may include the name of a person you met moments ago. Information stored in the remote or long-term memory includes things that you stored in your memory years ago, such as memories of childhood.
Yes, aging does change your brain. As early as your 20's, you begin to lose brain cells; a few at a time. Your body also makes less of the chemicals your brain cells need to work. All this increases as you age. Aging also affects the way memory is stored, so retrieving it becomes more difficult.
Alzheimer's disease starts by changing the recent memory. At first, a person with Alzheimer's can remember even small details of his distant past, but may not remember a conversation 5 minutes earlier. But over time the disease affects all parts of the memory.
So how does one know when forgetting is something serious? Know that everyone forgets things. And yes, forgetfulness does tend to increase with age. But there's a big difference between normal absent-mindedness and the type of memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. Normal age related memory loss doesn't prevent you from living a full life and productive life. Sure, you may need more time to remember a name – but you're aware you're forgetful and can even joke about it.
People with the beginning of Alzheimer's disease are also very forgetful, but there is a feeling that something is not quite right. However, they have a hard time pinpointing or relaying what's wrong. But we know that early on there is a self recognition that something is very off kilter because we see so many Alzheimer's patients denying or trying to hide their defects. This is not something a normal person would feel the need to do. You will not hear an Alzheimer's patient make a joke about his memory loss. There is a deep fear that something is very wrong and the last thing they want to do is joke about it or even bring it up.
Along with memory loss, if you have early Alzheimer's you are going to have other symptoms as well. Some of the earliest symptoms associated with the disease are:
There are many other causes of memory loss besides Alzheimer's. The good news is that many of them are very treatable. These include:
Information is stored in different parts of your memory. Info stored in recent memory may include what you ate for breakfast this morning. Information stored in the short-term memory may include the name of a person you met moments ago. Information stored in the remote or long-term memory includes things that you stored in your memory years ago, such as memories of childhood.
Yes, aging does change your brain. As early as your 20's, you begin to lose brain cells; a few at a time. Your body also makes less of the chemicals your brain cells need to work. All this increases as you age. Aging also affects the way memory is stored, so retrieving it becomes more difficult.
Alzheimer's disease starts by changing the recent memory. At first, a person with Alzheimer's can remember even small details of his distant past, but may not remember a conversation 5 minutes earlier. But over time the disease affects all parts of the memory.
So how does one know when forgetting is something serious? Know that everyone forgets things. And yes, forgetfulness does tend to increase with age. But there's a big difference between normal absent-mindedness and the type of memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. Normal age related memory loss doesn't prevent you from living a full life and productive life. Sure, you may need more time to remember a name – but you're aware you're forgetful and can even joke about it.
People with the beginning of Alzheimer's disease are also very forgetful, but there is a feeling that something is not quite right. However, they have a hard time pinpointing or relaying what's wrong. But we know that early on there is a self recognition that something is very off kilter because we see so many Alzheimer's patients denying or trying to hide their defects. This is not something a normal person would feel the need to do. You will not hear an Alzheimer's patient make a joke about his memory loss. There is a deep fear that something is very wrong and the last thing they want to do is joke about it or even bring it up.
Along with memory loss, if you have early Alzheimer's you are going to have other symptoms as well. Some of the earliest symptoms associated with the disease are:
- Asking the same question repeatedly;
- Difficulty remembering common words when speaking;
- Being unable to follow directions or a recipe;
- Getting lost on familiar streets;
- Abrupt and sudden changes in mood for no apparent reason.
There are many other causes of memory loss besides Alzheimer's. The good news is that many of them are very treatable. These include:
- Thyroid problems;
- Vitamin B-12 Deficiency (which is common in older adults);
- Alcoholism;
- Depression is a major cause of memory impairment and cognitive difficulties;
- Chronic kidney disease can really impact your ability to think clearly and remember things;
- Medications such as pain meds, high blood pressure meds, and sedatives.
