Everyone has had those moments of missing keys, where the car is parked or wondering why you walked into a room. Having a memory lapse is normal from time to time; but when it’s happening more often, it might be time to figure out why. Most people associate memory loss to a variety of reasons:
- Diseases, Brain Trauma
- Substances Abuse
- Aging
- Stress
As brain health has become a trending topic, people look for ways for their brains to be healthier. Mind games have become popular for those looking at increasing brain activity; as too are brain supplements to help gain memory.
Understanding why you have memory loss is important and there are different ways to it. Many would be surprised with some of the reasons for memory loss.
Sleep
Lack of sleep can have major implications for one’s health, one of which is memory loss. There are different ways for a lack of sleep. One is sleep apnea, which is when a person stops breathing while sleeping. The lack of oxygen going to the brain can be a memory loss trigger, and every time that person wakes up due to not breathing is taking time away from actually sleeping. Most adults need an average of 8 hours sleep; this is average as some may need less and some may need more. Nap has been found to be helpful in fighting memory loss.
Menopause
Lack of sleep is also a side effect of menopause, along with hot flashes which can cause lapses in your memory. Many women turn to supplements in helping with symptoms. As women might take soy to help with night flashes or melatonin for insomnia; they may also look into taking brain supplements. Luckily as Menopause comes to an end, so will its symptoms.
Medications
Several medications are known for causing memory loss. These include
- certain painkillers
- diabetes medications
- sleeping pills
- antihistamines
- anti-anxiety or depression medications
- cholesterol medications
The US Food and Drug Administration notes that not only do these medicines can cause memory loss but it can also cause confusion. If you think this could be an issue for you, talk to your doctor as dosage and brands can be changed. How one drug affects one person might not affect another, so trying different ones may help remedy the memory loss side effect.
‘B’ smart
Lacking in the vitamin B12 can lead to not only memory loss, but even dementia and Alzheimer’s. B12 helps the nervous system function and not having enough can cause nerves to send wrong impulses to the brain. The best way to ingest B12 is through food. Adding B12 rich foods like fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products. Vegetarians are at the most risk of low levels of B12, so it is important to have large doses of leafy green vegetables and beans.
Depression and Anxiety
Both Depression and Anxiety can cause memory loss through their medications, lack of sleep and stresses. With stress levels high, a person’s body will release the hormone cortisol. Cortisol affects the way your body talks to the brain, causing memory loss. If you suffer from depression and anxiety, medications can help with stress; but have side effects listed above. Again it’s important to note that people react differently to different medications, so don’t give up because one kind isn’t working.
Thyroid Issues
Memory loss can point out a problem with your thyroid gland. High or low levels of the thyroids’ hormones cause a lack of concentration and memory loss. Doctors can check to see if there is a problem with the thyroid, which can be maintained by medications or natural remedies.
Conclusion
When having more memory loss than normal, be careful not to jump straight to dementia or Alzheimer’s. Memory loss is tricky as it was difficult to tell when it is a real problem and not just an occurrence. Also with so many reasons behind memory loss it can hard determine what the problem is. Depending on the cause, there can be lots of options for fixing memory loss.
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Thanks for sharing the surprising causes of memory loss. Nutritional deficiency can also lead to memory loss and memory loss can disrupts daily life. Great post!