You might just walk into your room and not remember what you came for, put your cup of coffee somewhere in the house and forget exactly where, or forget the last place you left your phone, but when does forgetting a lot become normal?
What are the distinguishing signs that warn of a problem?
“Memory loss to some extent is normal in our society. With increased responsibilities and higher levels of stress, we tend to neglect our mental health,” Scott Norda, a family physician and mental health expert in St. George's, tells Live Strong.
According to Norda, warning signs after consulting a doctor include:
Sudden appearance of memory problems
Any symptoms of infection (fever, chills, nausea, vomiting)
head trauma
This confirms that if you forget why you went to the store or how to get home, it is a cause for concern.
In her report, published by the American "Live Strong" website, Jessica Megala touched on the factors that cause the problem of forgetfulness in abundance.
excessive tension
When your mind switches from one thing to another, it can be really hard to focus.
According to Dr. Norda, “In order to learn something and really remember it, you have to focus on it.” But a distracted mind can affect this process.
Chronically elevated cortisol (known as the stress hormone) causes your brain to go into survival mode, preventing your brain from being able to store new information.
In this case, Norda recommends finding one activity that you really enjoy and do every day to relieve stress, such as exercising, going outside or reading a book.
Not sleeping enough
The benefits of sleep go beyond just helping you feel alert, energized, and rejuvenated for the next day.
In fact, sleep plays a major role in memory consolidation, specifically converting short-term memories into long-term memories.
In a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, older women who slept 5 hours or less or more than 9 hours a day had worse cognition than those who got 7 hours of sleep.
you are depressed
According to a 2018 study published in Psychological Medicine, people with depression experience memory impairment and difficulty remembering information, likely due to the increased cortisol associated with depression.
Dr. Norda returns, "Depression is probably the most common thing that interferes with cognitive impairment. When you can't think about anything besides suffering from depression, your memory can be affected."
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, other symptoms of depression include feeling sad, anxious or "empty" most of the time, lack of energy or feeling tired, feeling hopeless or helpless, difficulty sleeping, changes in weight and appetite, or thoughts of death or suicide.
infection
Dr. Norda says that to some extent, meningitis, chronic arthritis and urinary tract infections can cause memory problems and brain fog.
And if you have other symptoms, such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, burning or frequent urination, consult a doctor immediately.
Thyroid problems
Located at the base of the neck, the thyroid gland produces hormones that control a large number of vital processes in the body, including metabolism.
And if your thyroid function slows down in "hypothyroidism," that also affects your brain function.
Hypothyroidism can be caused by autoimmune diseases that attack the gland, certain medications (such as lithium) or damage to the pituitary gland.
Nutrient deficiency
Any type of anemia, such as iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, can cause brain fog (distracted thinking) and forgetfulness, says Dr. Norda.
A study published in 2020 in the journal Medicine found that those with adequate levels of vitamin B12 performed better on memory and other cognitive tests.
Finally: Previous research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that young women with iron deficiency scored worse on cognitive tasks than those with adequate levels of the nutrient, but iron supplementation boosted their cognitive performance.