Have you noticed as you get older that you start to be a little more forgetful? Perhaps you walk into a room and forget why you went there. Maybe you forget details from past events. Well, join the club. It can be scary to think that your mind is slowly going. We all know friends and family members whose minds went, and they were unable to come back. The good news is that if you notice the problem early enough, there's something you can do about it. The first step to maintaining cognitive functions is to learn what can deteriorate them. Once you learn what can diminish your mental faculties, you can stop doing those things. There are a number of reasons that you could experience memory loss. However, you don't have to help it along. Keep your brain active and avoid anything that might hurt it. We can't stop aging, but we can do our best.Here are some common causes of memory loss.
The truth of the matter is that our brains start to go when we get older. Brian cells will die with age. It will start to show itself in normal ways. If you're lucky, it doesn't get any worse than forgetting the names of acquaintances. For those who aren't as lucky, it could become quite scary and dangerous. People vary based on their genetics, health, previous life choices, and current environment. While you may think that you have no control over this, you can always live a healthy lifestyle and keep yourself stimulated with puzzles and social interaction.
This is not to say that a glass of wine with dinner will cause you to lose your memory. However, if you drink excessively, it will start to eat at your brain cells. Drug use can also damage brain cells. If the brain cells are attached to memory, your friends and family will start to notice a significant difference. Once these brain cells are gone, they won't come back.
The first thing to do is stop drinking and using drugs. If it's not a serious problem, make a conscious effort to significantly lower your usage. If you find this difficult to do on your own, there are a number of programs to help you on your journey. Start now before the problem turns into irreversible damage.
Our bodies are well-connected. When you take a medication for one thing, it can affect other aspects of your health. That's why when you get prescribed a new medication, it's wise to really read the possible side effects. In many cases, the side effects could include memory loss. The biggest culprits tend to be antidepressants and other drugs that affect neurological functions, but any drug could negatively affect memory. Talk to your doctor if this is a concern. It's also important to remember that mixing medications with alcohol can lead to even worse cognitive deterioration.
It's said that doctor's don't entirely know exactly why we need sleep. However, they certainly know that we need it due to the things that happen if we don't get enough sleep. One of the things that can happen is that you won't be as sharp. You could start to find yourself being more forgetful. Be sure to get enough sleep to feel alert and rested in the morning. If you suffer from insomnia or sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about ways to get more sleep.
ADHD is a neurobehavioral disease that affects a person's ability to pay attention and focus. It's also recently been connected with short-term memory loss. The disease is mostly found in children, and it can cause children to forget about tasks they are supposed to do. It can follow a person into adulthood, and this can contribute to memory loss in old age as well. Luckily, it doesn't seem to affect long-term memory.
Dementia is often categorized as causing memory problems as people get older. It can start small and gradually get worse. It is a broad category that can cover things as serious as Alzheimer's. Causes vary, but, caught early enough, you may be able to slow down the effects with some medications and lifestyle changes.
