Seniors Site

Assessing Your Memory Loss

First off, memory problems are normal at any age. Ask an average toddler what he or she did, say 6 or 7 hours ago and I bet you, not an iota of idea, unless it’s something significant he or she will remember for the rest of their lives, but any other day, it’s na-da.
There are many reasons why a person may experience memory problems every now and then. Pregnant women are known to have mild memory loss which is closely associated to stress and anxiety or simply “too much to think of” during pregnancy. Like any other mild memory problem, the condition improves over time, especially if given enough attention. So does age-related memory loss. Like I have always said, senior moments can be delayed, no matter what researchers say, it can even be improved, albeit a little struggle than usual. It just needs regular brain exercises and a stress-free environment.
On the other hand, it is important to consult your healthcare provider if you suspect that your memory problem seems severe than normal, or if you feel it is progressive in nature. Progressive, in a way that, it seems more and more of your “stored” memory escapes you, even your most recent ones. Memory loss is a symptom of an underlying disease, do not forget that. With that said, you must be very vigilant on how your brain behaves. Contrary to popular notion, memory loss is not limited to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease only. In fact, it can be caused by many varying factors such as your medications and common age-related diseases.
Common–but marked–characteristics of Dementia are impaired verbal fluency and inability to complete or accomplish simple, everyday tasks. Certainly you don’t get that if you’re having a normal “senior moment”! To further assess your memory problem, here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:
·    Your age. Self explanatory.
·    Your level of forgetfulness. Like I said earlier, if you fail to remember how to take a bath, then it’s time to consult your doctor! If it’s just your keys then all you need is a key finder!
·    For how long? Usually, a bothering case of forgetfulness starts from an exact cause such as head injury or heart attack.
·    Time of attacks. How frequent? Is there any particular time of the day when it’s most persistent?
·    Your current mental and emotional state. These things indeed interfere with the way you remember things.