Short Term Memory : Seven Probable Reasons Behind Loss of Memory

Article by Patricia Strasser

Loss of memory may be a result of aging, head trauma, dementia, Lyme disease, anxiety and depression, excessive alcohol consumption, and drug interactions.

Memory loss is the incapacity of one individual to retrieve memories due to different aspects. It can be short-term or partial, as well as long-term or permanent. Here are the most common and probable reasons for loss of memory which affect individuals from diverse areas of life:

Aging

The natural cause of memory loss is aging. As you get older, your brain also alters. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brain, which are responsible for storing memory, decrease as you grow old, resulting to forgetfulness and loss of memory.

Head damage

Head injury or trauma from a head accident, brain bruise, as well as skull fracture can also lead to brain cell injury, leading to loss of memory. Most cases of memory loss caused by head accidents are usually short-term and temporary, which usually involves failing to remember what had occurred before and after the injury. These memories are normally recovered over time. Old memories, however, are not lost.

Dementia

Dementia is a general condition which affects your own social, as well as mental faculties, together with your memory. Among the various kinds of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is the most typical one, comprising about 50 % of dementia incidences. It is described as amyloid plaque accumulation inside the brain which later poisons the brain tissues, leading to loss of memory, as well as other symptoms like problems in speech, and issues with judgment and thinking. Loss of memory in dementia sufferers may also be due to not getting sufficient proper proteins into the brain tissues because of neurofibrillary tangles, which is termed the tangling of the lengthy fibers inside the brain tissues.

Lyme illness

Lyme illness is an infection transmitted through the bite of an infected tick, typically a deer tick. In case you are contaminated with Lyme disease that remains untreated for over some time, your condition may intensify from red rash and some flu-like symptoms to even more serious Lyme disease symptoms. The ailment propagates throughout the body, affecting the heart, the joints and muscles, and your central nervous system, which could result in memory loss.

Anxiety and depressive disorders

Slight and short-term memory loss may also be caused by too much stress, and also depressive disorders. Under these kinds of conditions, your brain cells and also your hippocampus might be damaged, making things harder to remember. Researchers also believe that excessive anxiety and depression can cause chemical or neurotransmitter imbalances which affect the capability of your brain to pass on data and keep new memories.

Too much alcohol consumption

Taking in a lot of alcohol also harms your brains tissues, causing short-term loss of memory. The condition even gets worse when you start to have blackouts. Be sure to drink moderately to prevent temporary memory loss.

Drug interactions

Taking different prescription drugs at once may interact badly with each other and may trigger loss of memory as its negative effects. Be sure you read the contraindications and interactions of the medicines, and be sure to tell your physician concerning the medicines you are taking as soon as new medicines are being prescribed to avoid possible bad drug interactions.

If you start to notice signs of memory loss, do not hesitate to tell your doctor about it as it could be a sign of a more serious condition or infection.

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