REASONS FOR MEMORY LOSS

REASONS FOR MEMORY LOSS

Lack of Sleep
First, it’s harder to recall things when you
haven’t slept. Second, sleep strengthens the
bonds between brain cells that help you
remember for the long term. Third, it’s harder to
form memories in the first place when your
mind is wandering because of a lack of sleep.
Good “sleep hygiene” can help: Shoot for 8
hours a night, exercise daily, stick to a regular
sleep schedule, and avoid alcohol and caffeine
late in the day.

Medication
Drugs that sedate you, like sleep aids and
tranquilizers, can weaken your memory, as you
might imagine. But so can less obvious culprits,
like blood pressure meds, antihistamines, and
antidepressants. Plus, you may react differently
than someone else to the same pill or
combination of pills. Tell your doctor about any
memory issues when you start a new
medication. They may be able to adjust the
dose or prescribe an alternative.

Diabetes
People with the disease are more likely to
develop memory problems including
dementia. It may be that high blood sugar
damages tiny blood vessels called capillaries
in the brain. Or it may be that high insulin
damages brain cells. Scientists continue to
study the issue. You might be able to slow
this memory decline if you try to prevent or at
least control your diabetes with medicine,
exercise, and a healthy diet.

Genes
Genes -- traits you got from your parents --
help determine when and if your memory
starts to fade and whether you get dementia.
But it’s not simple. Genetics seem to matter
more in some types of dementia than others,
and a gene that affects memory in one
person might have no effect in another. A
genetic test from your doctor might have
some useful information.

Age
Memory tends to get worse as you get older.
Doctors call it dementia when it starts to
interfere with daily life. The number of people
with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of
dementia, doubles every 5 years after age
65. Your genes play a part in why this
happens, but so do things like diet, exercise,
social life, and illness like diabetes, high
blood pressure, and heart disease.

Stroke
A stroke stops the flow of blood to part of your
brain. Afterward, damaged brain tissue can make it
hard to think, speak, remember, or pay attention.
It’s called vascular dementia. This can also happen
with a series of small strokes over time. Things that
raise your risk of stroke like high blood pressure,
heart disease, and smoking may also cause this
type of dementia. If you think you’re having a
stroke, remember FAST: Face drooping, Arm
weakness, Speech problems, Time to call 108

Smoking
Smoking seems to shrink parts of your
brain that help you think and remember
things. It also raises your risk of dementia,
possibly because it’s bad for your blood
vessels. And it definitely raises your risk of
stroke, which can damage the brain and
cause vascular dementia. Talk to your
doctor or a mental health professional if
you smoke and want to quit.

Heart Disease
Plaque builds up in your arteries and slows
blood flow to your brain and other organs. This
is called atherosclerosis. It can make it harder
to think clearly and remember things. It also
could lead to a heart attack or stroke, which
both also raise your chances of dementia. And
even if you don’t yet have heart disease,
possible causes -- smoking, diabetes, high
blood pressure -- make dementia more likely.

High Blood Pressure
Also called hypertension, it raises your risk
of memory problems, including dementia,
most likely because it damages the tiny
blood vessels in your brain. It also can lead
to other conditions like stroke that cause
dementia. People who control their blood
pressure with diet, exercise, and
medication seem to be able to slow or
prevent this brain decline.

Depression and Anxiety
It’s often harder to concentrate or recall
things if you’re anxious or depressed. Plus,
you’re also more likely to develop
dementia, though scientists don’t yet know
exactly why that happens. Talk to your
doctor or therapist if anxiety or depression
interfere with your enjoyment of normal
daily life or you think of harming yourself.
Therapy and medication can help.

Head Injury
A hit to the head (traumatic brain injury) can
affect short-term memory. You might forget
appointments or feel unsure of what you did
earlier in the day. Rest, medicine, and medical
rehab can help you recover. Repeated hits to
your noggin, as in boxing or football, raises
your risk for dementia later in life. Get to the
hospital if you hit your head and then pass out
or have blurry vision, or if you feel dizzy,
confused, or nauseous.

Obesity
If your body mass index (BMI) is over 30 in
middle age, you have a higher risk for
dementia later in life. And extra pounds
anytime make heart disease more likely, which
also sometimes leads to brain decline and
memory problems. You can calculate BMI
online with your height and weight. Talk to
your doctor about the right weight for you. You
may be able to improve yours with a healthy
diet and regular exercise.

Lack of Exercise
Regular exercise lessens the risk of brain
decline, memory problems, and dementia.
It also seems to improve brain function in
those who already have dementia. You
don’t have to go out and run a marathon or
take up pole vaulting. Just get out and
garden, walk, swim, or even dance for 30
minutes on most days of the week.

Bad Diet
Unhealthy eating can lead to heart disease,
which can cause brain issues including
memory problems and dementia. That’s
why the heart-healthy Mediterranean-style
diet is good for your brain, too. It stresses
whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts,
olive oil, and other healthy fats like
avocado, and keeps the red meat to a
minimum.

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