Forgetting certain things is normal and happens to all of us, but when you reach maturity, oblivion can become a little more present. It turns out that in addition to the forgetfulness of itself and the more or less great repercussions it has on our day-to-day life, there is also a logical concern for the causes that cause forgetfulness.
Forgetfulness, which is so common and everyday, although it is a sign of good memory, can also make us suspect that we are developing a type of mental illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease, so in this article we will analyze the difference between normal and daily forgetfulness (which is not a symptom of any serious illness, on the contrary) and memory loss that appears in the early stages of certain mental illnesses.
- Forgetfulness is often the result of everyday life.
- Our memory continues to work.
- But it also ends up accommodating the routine that dominates our lives.
- As the routine changes.
- New knowledge makes old knowledge less important to the brain.
Weekly shopping is a good proof of this: if we change products and incorporate new ones, the others we usually buy earlier are discarded by our short-term memory, and so what usually happens is that we forget the ingredients that were and left. Essential.
Not remembering a face, a name or buying something is a recurring oversight, but if I forget to make the whole purchase, is it very likely that we can start talking about memory loss?
Memory loss can have its origins in different factors, for example
? Acute stress
? Depression
? Menopause
? Head injuries
? Drug or alcohol abuse
? Diseases such as high blood pressure
? High cholesterol
? Liver problems
? Thyroid gland disorders
Here are the symptoms that may be the reason for your attention:
? Not being able to solve problems or make decisions we’ve made before.
? Experience confusion about time and place; if our brain uses our long-term memory and distant situations over time, instead of using our short-term memory (a typical example is what happens to a long-retired person who suddenly starts dressing in the morning going to work).
? Sudden change of temperament and personality
? Do not remember anything about the places or actions recently taken, especially if these actions required a good demand for attention, it is normal that the execution of automated procedures, such as driving, generate holes in memory during the period we handle, because cognitively we work on other topics.
? Show problems with new words when writing or reading.
? Having difficulty performing tasks we were familiar with before
? Get lost or confused by doing normal things or crossing places in daily life.
As can be inferred, the secret to differentiating forgetfulness, memory loss and degenerative cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s disease is short-term memory.
If you notice that your brain is using your long-term memory to process recent information, rather than having a logical reference to short-term memory, and you continue to repeat this type of pattern, you should definitely consult your doctor.
If today you forgot to buy milk, simply exercise more to oxygenate your brain (at least 3 minutes a day) and also activities that stimulate brain activity, such as reading, playing chess, solving crossword puzzles, doing mental calculations, etc.
But try to consider something extremely important: if you can, try to reduce the stress of your daily life, all these secrets will help you keep your brain active and your memory fresh.
In short, there are some oversights that can be classified as “normal” (for example, where we leave the keys, a document, etc. ) and this can be caused by the concern we have for characteristic concerns, distraction and fatigue. This type of carelessness is generally not serious in nature and should not be of concern in the end.
On the other hand, there are other types of situations that, however, must be observed more carefully and not let it go. If we start noticing that we can’t remember what the previous night’s lunch was like, the name of the book we read a few days ago, or if we’ve completely forgotten about an important quote we had taken a long time ago. , so it’s probably time to make an appointment.
It is very important to note that not all cases of memory loss involve the development of Alzheimer’s disease or any other disease of the same nature, however, if we often begin to notice these symptoms in us or in a family member, it is best to call a specialist to determine if we are facing a degenerative process in an initial state or if it is simply a memory loss from which we can recover with the right therapies.