Feeling like you’re being forgetful a lot more recently?
Forgetting something from time to time isn’t exactly a big deal, it’s bound to happen to anyone that is human. But, if you’ve been finding yourself being absent-minded a lot more frequently over an extended period of time, then it might be cause for some concern.
Although things like aging and age-related diseases are bound to cause memory loss and memory deterioration over time, sometimes memory loss might affect even those who are young as well. There are a few reasons for why this might be the case, and it might surprise you to know what they are!
Here are 7 shocking reasons why you might be feeling forgetful lately:
1. Certain Medications
If you’re on medication for any other diseases, mainly those that deal with mental health issues, then it’s possible that you’ve been experiencing memory loss as a side effect of the drugs. What’s worrying is that many commonly prescribed drugs like anxiety medication, antihistamines for allergy, and sleeping pills can also affect your memory.
Medication prescribed for illnesses like high cholesterol, Parkinson’s disease, and hypertension are also known to mess with your memory. The best thing to do is discuss these side effects with your doctor. At the very best, it’s just a temporary side effect, and at worst, you’ve been misdiagnosed; your physician should be able to sort this out.
2. Improper Nutrition
Your diet plays a major role in determining how each organ in your body behaves, and that includes your brain as well. Improper nutrition is one of the main reasons why people may be absent-minded or develop memory issues, even in young age.
The main nutrient that determines a healthy memory is Vitamin B12, which helps the nervous systems function properly. Vitamin B12 is present in certain vegetables, fish, egg, meat, and dairy. Therefore it’s good to increase your intake of B12 rich foods to stay sharp-minded always!
3. Past Head Injury
If you played any kind of sport as a kid, you might have injured your head at a certain point or the other. Even if you didn’t, you’re bound to have hit your head at least once as a baby, toddler, or child because mini-humans are just clumsy!
While most such injuries aren’t a big deal, and they probably won’t have an impact right then, sometimes, it’s effects can be seen years later when the child grows up to be an adult. A brain scan will show if there are any issues, so it’s good to consult a doctor. Effects of memory loss due to head trauma are also reversible, so your doctor should be able to help you with that.
4. Sleep Issues
Lack of sleep is something that can affect a lot of things about how your body functions, and one of the ways is by affecting memory. Not getting enough rest slows down the brain and makes you feel groggy, meaning you’ll be more forgetful that usual. It also affects your decision-making power and your ability to concentrate. When the cycle continues, the effects can be lasting.
But the most problematic sleep issue is sleep apnea, which is where a person stops or “forgets” to breathe while sleeping. When there isn’t sufficient oxygen for the brain, it affects its health significantly, triggering a loss of memory. Again, when this happens more than once, the effects are multiplied.
5. Estrogen & Testosterone Decline
Estrogen and Testosterone are commonly associated with women and men respectively. While estrogen is present in higher levels in women as testosterone is in men, each gender also needs a lesser level of the other hormone. If these levels were to drop, either estrogen or testosterone in either men or women, then it can end up affecting your memory.
This is why women going through menopause experience absent-mindedness, because their estrogen levels are dropping. It’s good to get your estrogen and testosterone levels checked regularly (it’s as simple a spot spit test), after reaching middle-age. If they are not adequate, your doctor should be able to prescribe medication to correct it. This can prevent memory-related diseases like Alzheimer’s later on.
6. Smoking & Drinking
In today’s day and age when drinking and smoking have become a way of life, when it’s deemed “cool” to do so, it might be a hard pill to swallow that it can ultimately affect your memory (and various other areas of your health). Smoking affects the brain in a similar fashion to sleep apnea, in that it doesn’t provide enough oxygen to the brain.
Similarly, alcohol can also have an effect on your brain function. Heavy drinkers, in particular are in serious danger of developing memory loss. But light drinkers will also face the effects, just not as fast as those who drink a lot. If you want proof, just try going through all the events of the night you drank heavily the next day – we bet you can’t!
7. Poor Mental Health
Stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health-related issues can be literal killers. But did you know it can also make you forgetful over time? Not only does chronic stress make a person feel like they’re “losing their mind” – it literally does do that by decreasing brain function and killing off brain cells. Stress increases the production of the chemical cortisol, which is a literal brain-blocker and chips away at the part of your brain dedicated to recollection!
