Momentarily forgetting why you walked into a room or struggling to find the right word are common experiences for many people—and they’re usually nothing to worry about.
As we age though, we may wonder whether these memory lapses signal a more significant health issue. When should you be concerned about memory loss?
Memories are formed in a three-stage process: encoding (learning information), storage (maintaining that information over time) and retrieval (recovering the stored information). Starting in middle age, the speed of memory retrieval can slow down. For example, it may take you longer to remember specific information, such as the name of a restaurant you visited last week. That’s normal and shouldn’t be confused with memory loss.
When should I seek help?
Forgetting a name or misplacing something once a week is not necessarily abnormal, especially if you’re busy and tend to be distracted. If it begins to happen with more frequency and you spend quite a bit of effort looking for things you’ve lost, or if someone you trust notices a change in your memory, it’s worthwhile to get checked.
Especially if you have a family history of memory problems, share your concerns with your primary care doctor. If you don’t get answers, seek a more thorough evaluation at a memory center.
What puts me at risk for developing memory problems?
Just like other medical conditions, a balance between protective factors and risk factors determines our likelihood to develop memory loss or dementia. Your genetics can go either way. If you have a family history of dementia and you have symptoms, get evaluated. Better therapies are being developed to change the course of memory disorders.
Smoking, exposure to air pollution, stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep and exercise increase your risk for memory loss. Having had a stroke or a traumatic brain injury or having heart disease or obesity also increase your risk.
Sometimes what seems like a memory problem is really an attention problem. Be aware of habits and tendencies that might interfere with your best memory performance. If you often multitask or your attention shifts easily, you could be setting yourself up for forgetfulness. Try to be present to help strengthen your memory.
What can I do to improve my memory?
To preserve your memory, get enough sleep. Avoid certain medications like prescription sleep aids and benzodiazepines. Exercise your body and your mind—social interaction can protect you against memory loss. Be aware of your moods, and if you’re frequently sad, angry or irritable, get screened for depression, which can also impact memory.
You should eat a healthy diet. The MIND diet (a combination of a Mediterranean diet and a diet designed to protect against high blood pressure) is heavy in vegetables and whole grains and has been shown to help prevent cognitive decline.
Lastly, develop methods to manage stress, which is an underrecognized cause of memory loss. Sustained elevation of cortisol raises blood pressure and can interfere with your memory. Learning to better cope with stress builds resilience and can help you hang on to your memories.
What I need to know about dementia?
Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging. Of those at least 65 years of age, there is an estimated 5.0 million adults with dementia in 2014 and projected to be nearly 14 million by 2060.
Isn’t dementia part of normal aging?
No, many older adults live their entire lives without developing dementia. Normal aging may include weakening muscles and bones, stiffening of arteries and vessels, and some age-related memory changes that may show as:
Occasionally misplacing car keys
Struggling to find a word but remembering it later
Forgetting the name of an acquaintance
Forgetting the most recent events
Normally, knowledge and experiences built over years, old memories, and language would stay intact.
What are the signs and symptoms of dementia?
Because dementia is a general term, its symptoms can vary widely from person to person. People with dementia have problems with:
Memory
Attention
Communication
Reasoning, judgment, and problem solving
Visual perception beyond typical age-related changes in vision
Signs that may point to dementia include:
Getting lost in a familiar neighborhood
Using unusual words to refer to familiar objects
Forgetting the name of a close family member or friend
Forgetting old memories
Not being able to complete tasks independently
Age: The strongest known risk factor for dementia is increasing age, with most cases affecting those of 65 years and older
Family history: Those who have parents or siblings with dementia are more likely to develop dementia themselves.
Race/ethnicity: Older African Americans are twice more likely to have dementia than whites. Hispanics 1.5 times more likely to have dementia than whites.
Poor heart health: High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking increase the risk of dementia if not treated properly.
Traumatic brain injury: Head injuries can increase the risk of dementia, especially if they are severe or occur repeatedly.
How is dementia diagnosed?
A healthcare provider can perform tests on attention, memory, problem solving and other cognitive abilities to see if there is cause for concern. A physical exam, blood tests, and brain scans like a CT or MRI can help determine an underlying cause.
How is dementia treated?
Treatment of dementia depends on the underlying cause. Neurodegenerative dementias, like Alzheimer’s disease, have no cure, though there are medications that can help protect the brain or manage symptoms such as anxiety or behavior changes. Research to develop more treatment options is ongoing.
Leading a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, healthy eating, and maintaining social contacts, decreases chances of developing chronic diseases and may reduce number of people with dementia.
What to do if a loved one is suspicious of having dementia?
Discuss with loved one. Talk about seeing a medical provider about the observed changes soon. Talk about the issue of driving and always carrying an ID.
Medical assessment. Be with a provider that you are comfortable with. Ask about the Medicare Annual Wellness exam.
Family Meeting. Start planning, and gather documents like the Health Care Directive, Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, Estate Plan.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-and-dementia/what-dementia-symptoms-types-and-diagnosis#:~:text=Dementia%20is%20the%20loss%20of,and%20their%20personalities%20may%20change
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia
https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/memory-loss#:~:text=Definition,can%20get%20worse%20over%20time.
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board