Memory Loss Symptoms

Mary, a 39-year-old mother of two boys, was walking down the parking lot, when she was stopped by the security guy. He asked her for her name and handed her a purse. She forgot the purse at the billing counter after paying for the groceries. This was not the first time Mary forgot something. She had become quite forgetful and was misplacing things, forgetting names and sometimes she could not remember what she was doing just a minute ago. Mary knew something was wrong and should seek help.

Mary was one of the very few people who realize something is amiss with their memory. Most of the time, people turn on their denial mode and refuse to acknowledge they are suffering from memory loss symptoms. Memory loss symptoms is often considered as a geriatric disease or associated with serious medical problems like Alzheimer's disease. People are scared to lose their memory as one is totally dependent upon their ability to recall past and present events.

What is Memory Loss?

Memory is an important part of existence as a living individual. Memory is that part of the brain we store, retain and retrieve information. If there is any kind of injury or brain damage, it may lead to memory loss. Memory loss may be a temporary or permanent condition. Memory loss is a condition when a person experiences abnormal levels of forgetfulness and inability to recall memories. There are many types of memory loss that include:

• Anterograde - Inability to learn new memories
• Retrograde - Inability to remember old memories
• Mild cognitive impairment - Mild memory loss
• Amnesic syndrome - Memory loss
• Complete memory loss
• Partial memory loss
• Sudden memory loss
• Long term memory loss

Memory Loss Causes

Memory loss is mostly seen as a geriatric problem. There are many medical causes of memory loss that can mostly be treated easily. The memory loss causes are as follows:

• Age related memory loss
• Head injury
• Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
• Deficiency of vitamin B12, anemia and electrolyte imbalances
• Pseudodementia, that is depression, anxiety and stress
• Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Fronto-temporal dementia
• Transient ishemic attack, multi-infract dementia or stroke.
• Cardiovascular disorders like congestive heart failure
• Seizures like Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
• Alcoholism
• Encephalitis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Wernickle-Korsakoff syndrome
• Meningitis
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Huntington's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Dehydration
• Barbituites and Benzodiazepines medications
• Amphetamines, marijuana and cocaine can lead to short-term memory loss symptoms

Memory Loss Symptoms

The memory loss symptoms may vary from person to person. Memory loss is a gradual condition and the intensity depends on the cause of the condition. Some memory loss symptoms include:

• Getting lost in places one is familiar with.
• Asking the same question again and again
• Confusion about time, place, people
• Losing your belongings like keys, mobile, wallet regularly.
• Inability to remember appointments or engagements.
• Loss of right words to use.
• Behavioral changes or mood changes with no apparent reason.
• Inability to perform a familiar task in spite of carrying out the same for numerous other times.

If you experience any signs of memory loss, you should seek medical intervention. You can avoid major memory problems with timely memory loss medication. Most of the time, memory loss is completely curable. You may even be able to detect a serious medical condition before the onset of the disease and take steps to keep it under control.

You can try memory improvement exercises to keep your memory sharp. There are many ways to improve memory apart from these memory improvement tips. You should eat healthy foods and cut down on your tobacco and alcohol intake to avoid memory loss. I hope this article has helped you understand the memory loss symptoms.