In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it's not uncommon to occasionally forget where we left our keys or the name of someone we just met. However, as time goes on, we may find ourselves wondering if our forgetfulness is no longer within the realm of normal. Are those frequent memory lapses a sign of something more significant? How can we differentiate between everyday absentmindedness and potential cognitive decline?
Dr Krithishree, Consultant Psychiatrist, KMC Hospital, Mangalore, helps us find out when forgetfulness can become serious.
Common Causes Of Forgetfulness
Dr Krithishree said The capacity of our brain to learn new things, remember, or have memory lapses are normal parts of ageing. Some of the common causes of forgetfulness which may give a false impression of memory loss are:
- Stress, anxiety, and depression
- Substance abuse
- Hormonal disturbances like thyroid problems
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Dehydration
- Sleep disturbances
- Side effects of some prescription medications
- Chronic pain
- Hearing or visual impairment
According to research by Elsevier, the information that is encoded and retained in a person's memory can be lost or altered, which causes forgetfulness.
Also Read: Déjà Vu: Expert Explains The Cause Behind The Memory Illusion
When Can Forgetfulness Be Serious?
Dr Krithishree said, “If these memory lapses are interfering with your daily living and happening way too often, it may be a sign to watch out for.” There is a need for evaluation if you notice these signs repeatedly:
- If memory lapses affects your self-care
- Having trouble conversing with others
- Getting lost in familiar places
- Repeatedly talking about the same things
- Losing track of dates or time
- Interfering in the decision making
She added, “This might be a possible emerging state of dementia. One of the most common misconceptions is that dementia is a normal part of ageing. Hence, many people tend to ignore it. However, it is important to know that if not evaluated in the initial stage, you may miss the chance of finding out some reversible causes of dementia. Also, in some cases, the fast-progressing cases cannot be halted later.”
Dementia and Its Types
Dr Krithishree added, “The most common cause of dementia over 65 is Alzheimer’s dementia followed by vascular dementia. Alzheimer’s dementia is a brain disorder caused by a combination of age-related changes in the brain, along with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. On the other hand, vascular dementia is due to the damage of the blood vessels of the brain due to poorly controlled blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and smoking.”
Once the dementia process has set in and resulted in brain damage, it is difficult to reverse the condition. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle may help slow the progression of the disease, and ensuring the safety of the individual should be the primary concern.
Also Read: Frontotemporal Dementia: Expert Explains Symptoms, Variants, Causes, & Prevention
How To Deal With Forgetfulness
People dealing with memory lapses or forgetfulness may use various memory skills or techniques to deal with it. Dr Krithishree listed some tips as follows:
- Follow a daily routine
- Make a plan before proceeding, and have a to-do list
- Use technical tools like having reminders on calendars or sticking notes
- Have designated places to keep your items like purse, keys, phone, and spectacles
- Keep yourself active: physically, mentally as well as socially
- Exercise and eat balanced healthy food
- Maintain social connectedness with friends and family or some voluntary social activities
- Adopt cognitively active activities like learning new skills, solving puzzles, reading, and playing games
- Ensure adequate and quality sleep
- Avoid unhealthy addictions like alcohol, smoking, and other substances of abuse.
- Avoid mobile phone addiction
- Seek help if you are dealing with stress and psychological distress for weeks
Bottomline
Dr Krithishree concluded, “If you are concerned that you or your loved one is dealing with memory problems, consult your primary care physician at the earliest and get it screened. Your doctor may diagnose the problem and may refer you to the concerned experts who can help you deal with the memory problems.’
Disclaimer
The information in this article is provided by the expert, however, we recommend you to consult your expert for a diagnosis based on your medical history.
