It is important to understand the symptoms of memory loss, before the condition worsens. The following article will cover some information related to the causes and symptoms of this condition.
Memory loss is often considered to be a geriatric disease, or is associated with serious medical problems like Alzheimer’s disease. Most of the time, people turn on their denial mode, and refuse to acknowledge that they are suffering from memory loss.
What is Memory Loss?
Memory is an important part of existence for every living individual. It is the ability of our brain to store, retain, and retrieve information. If there is any kind of injury or brain damage, it may lead to memory loss. It may be a temporary or permanent condition, and the affected individual experiences abnormal levels of forgetfulness and inability to recall memories.
Different types of memory loss are:
- Anterograde – Inability to form new memories
- Retrograde – Inability to remember old memories
- Mild cognitive impairment
- Amnesic syndrome
- Partial memory loss
- Complete memory loss
- Sudden loss of memories
- Long-term loss of memory
Causes
The condition is mostly seen as a geriatric problem. Other causes include:
- Brain injury
- Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
- Deficiency of vitamin B12, anemia, and electrolyte imbalances
- Pseudodementia
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Vascular dementia
- Fronto-temporal dementia
- Transient ishemic attack or stroke.
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Seizures
- Alcoholism
- Encephalitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Wernickle-Korsakoff syndrome
- Meningitis
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Dehydration
- Drugs like barbituites and benzodiazepines
- Amphetamines, marijuana, and cocaine (short-term memory loss)
Symptoms
It is a gradual condition and the intensity depends on the cause of the condition. Some commonly observed symptoms include:
- Getting lost in places one is familiar with.
- Asking the same question again and again
- Confusion about time, place, people, etc.
- Losing your belongings like keys, mobile, wallet. etc., regularly.
- Inability to remember appointments or engagements.
- Inability to recollect the right words during communication.
- Behavioral changes and/or mood changes for no apparent reason.
- Inability to perform a familiar task in spite of performing it frequently.
If you experience any signs of memory loss, you should seek medical intervention. You can avoid major memory problems with prompt treatment. Most of the time, memory loss is completely curable. You may even be able to detect a serious medical condition before the onset of the disease, and take steps to control its progression.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.
