You cannot ignore forgetfulness
January 26th 2011 21:08
It is really scary when remembering familiar things such as people, things and events becomes difficult. Experts warn that forgetfulness could be a cause for concern, especially in the elderly, when it affects their daily routine, reports Sade Oguntola.
I don’t know a person who sometimes does not ask why he had forgotten familiar things like events, people or things, once in a while. This momentary memory lapse, especially in elderly people with healthy brains, is complicated by their age-long accumulation of memories, which makes it more difficult finding the one they want.
Regardless of age, everyone experiences forgetfulness or absentmindedness occasionally. Short-term memory loss is not unusual; in fact most of people have experienced some level of memory lapses. But for some people, forgetfulness sets them worried that they might be an indication of a serious cognitive decline, perhaps even Alzheimer’s disease (impaired memory and other cognitive functions).
Normal forgetfulness is neither progressive nor disabling. Such memory problems are likely to surface when a person is under stress, fatigued, ill, distracted, reactioning to medicines, minor head injury, eating poorly, or trying to remember too many details at once. Nonetheless, what may seem like forgetfulness is often more of a slowing in the body’s ability to absorb, store, and retrieve new information, not a loss.
Nonetheless, Dr Kunle Adesogan, a consultant psychiatrist, Ladoke Akintola University teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Osogbo, stated that forgetfulness could be a thing of concern if a person is under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Although forgetfulness, dues to say intake of hard drugs like cocaine and alcohol,could be transient, Dr Adesogan declared that in a case where it is prolonged, as it is the case in people with dementia, it is a serious concern.
“It can be traumatic because when you see a 70-year-old man, who is finding it hard to pick the names of his children, remembers events such as when he got married; it is really a source of concern.
“You cannot ignore forgetfulness because it may be a symptom of some other complex things. The first thing that gives dementia away is the progressive memory loss. Any memory loss, in an elderly person above the age of 65 years, should warrant a need to see a doctor, preferably a psychiatrist.”
Howbeit, the frequency of forgetfulness is equally important. According to Dr Adesogan, “in dementia, forgetfulness occurs repeatedly, it happens almost in all instances and it may even lead to some behavioural problems. For instance, someone with dementia rather than taking the time to express himself picks quarrels or starts accusing people of taking his things.”
However, he pointed out that forgetfulness in every age group should raise some suspicion. “A child who is forgetful will have problems in class. So, the expert would want to know the degree of forgetfulness and whether anything external is responsible for this problem,” he stated.
Memory lapses can also be related to physical problems. For example, some memory lapses have been linked to a reduction in blood flow to the brain caused by high blood pressure. People that snore when they sleep because they stop breathing temporarily many times during the night tend to develop poor memorywhen it is left untreated. In addition, an underactive thyroid could adversely affect learning just as low blood level (anaemia).
Excessive alcohol intake is toxic to brain cells, and illicit drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine could block the function of neurotransmitters needed for memory.
And then there are those negative emotions. Feeling sad, lonely, worried, or bored can affect people facing retirement or coping with the death of a loved one. Adapting to these changes can lead to forgetfulness.
However, a certain increase in forgetfulness seems to be due to ageing because of the gradual loss of brain cells over a lifetime and the reduction in blood flow to the remaining cells in the body, which receive and transmit nervous impulses.
Perhaps, the most feared form of memory loss is dementia. In dementia, memory loss is severe enough to interfere with the person’s ability to function socially and at work. Other impairments that are characteristic of dementia include personality changes and impaired abstract thinking, judgment, language, performance of complex physical tasks, or recognition of objects or people.
So, it is time to consult a doctor when memory lapses become frequent enough or sufficiently noticeable. The doctor might ask questions on how long it started, what kinds of things have been difficult to remember, whether the difficulty came on gradually or suddenly or whether there is trouble doing ordinary things.
Much age-related mental decline is due to poor vision or hearing, heart problems, diabetes, sleep disturbances, alcohol abuse, depression, or medicines that interfere with the mental processes. So tests would be done to ascertain if the forgetfulness is related to any underlying medical problem. Addressing these conditions can also make a difference.
It is important to note, though, that memory loss isn’t inevitable. Sometimes, even what looks like significant memory loss can be caused by treatable, even reversible conditions.
Individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease, for instance, may benefit from one of the medications which work by protecting acetylcholine, a brain chemical that facilitates memory and learning.
But there are many things you can do to preserve or sharpen your memory, including learning memory-enhancing techniques, reducing stress, and improving your organizational skills.
Regularly challenging one’s mind with activities such as reading, doing crossword puzzles, playing chess, or taking classes can also help. Experts believe that these kinds of activities help build and maintain synapses, the small gaps between brain cells that enable them to communicate with one another.
Even if a person is experiencing a troublesome level of memory loss, several things can be done to learn new information and retain it. This includes keeping track of dates, schedules, tasks, and phone numbers by writing them down. To remember where things are kept, such things that are regularly (keys, glasses, purse, watch) used can be put in the same spot when one is not using them.
To stay on top of times and places, setting an alarm clock or timer to remind one when to leave for an appointment or do something in the home would be very useful. In addition, enlisting reminders from friends and relatives on where one needs to be and things that are supposed to be done would be of great help.
Good sleep is necessary for memory consolidation. Sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea can leave a person tired and unable to concentrate during the day.
Social interaction helps brain function in several ways. People who don’t have social contact with family and friends are at higher risk for memory problems than people who have strong social ties. Such social interaction often involves activity that challenges the mind, and it helps ward off stress and depression.
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