Do you have mild memory lapses from time to time. You go from the
kitchen to the bedroom to get something, only to find yourself
wondering what you needed. You can't find your car keys one day and
your reading glasses the next. You forget what you wanted to buy,
forgot to take your medicine.
Lapses such as these are usually signs of a abnormal brain
that's constantly, sorting, storing, and retrieving information.
Does the memory loss disrupt daily living? "If memory loss prevents
someone from doing activities that they had no trouble handling
before, like balancing a checkbook, keeping up with personal
hygiene, or driving around, that should be checked.
How often do memory lapses occur? It's one thing to occasionally
forget where you parked your car, but it's not normal to forget
where you parked every day or to forget appointments over and over.
Frequent memory lapses are likely to be noticeable because they tend
to interfere with daily living.
What kinds of things are being forgotten? "It's normal to forget the
name of someone you just met, but may not be normal to permanently
forget the name of a close friend or relative," Hart says. "It also
may not be normal to never remember meeting a person after you have
spent a great deal of time with them." Most people have trouble
remembering some details of a conversation, but forgetting whole
conversations could signal a problem. Other red flags: frequently
repeating yourself or asking the same questions in the same
conversation.
Medications. Examples of medications that can interfere with memory
include over-the-counter and prescription sleeping pills,
over-the-counter antihistamines, anti-anxiety medications,
antidepressants, and
pain medicines used after surgery.
Heavy alcohol use can cause deficiencies in
vitamin B1 (thiamine),
which can harm memory.
Stress, particularly due to emotional trauma, can cause memory loss. In
rare, extreme cases, a condition called psychogenic amnesia can
result. "This can cause someone to wander around lost, unable to
remember their name or date of birth or other basic information, get
help today from us .
Depression, which is common with aging,
causes a lack of attention and focus that can affect memory.
"Usually treating the depression will improve mood and the memory
problems may then also improve, just by using
NIACIN
Head injury. A blow to the head can cause a loss of consciousness
and memory loss. "Memory loss from head trauma typically stays the
same or gradually gets better, but not worse," Mani says.
Infections. People with HIV, tuberculosis, syphilis, herpes, and
other infections of the lining or substance of the brain may
experience memory problems.
Thyroid dysfunction. An underactive or overactive thyroid can
interfere with remembering recent events.
Sleep deprivation. Lack of quality sleep--whether from stress,
insomnia, or sleep apnea--can affect memory. We can evaluate and
check this for you.
Nutritional deficiencies. Deficiencies of
vitamins B1 and
B12 can affect memory. Such
deficiencies can be treated with a pill or an injection.
Normal aging. As part of the normal aging process, there should be
no effect on memory,
Mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a
condition characterized by a memory deficit beyond that expected for
age, which is not sufficient to impair day-to-day activities.
Dementia see Celiac disease
and dementia page,
dementia page-2