When memory loss gets serious

Everyone has mild memory lapses from time to time. You can’t find your car keys one day or your reading glasses go missing the next.

These are usually just signs of a normal brain that’s constantly prioritising, sorting, storing, and retrieving all types of information. But how do you know when memory loss is abnormal — and should be evaluated by a health-care professional? Ask yourself, does the memory loss disrupt daily living, such as driving or maintaining personal hygiene?

How often do memory lapses occur? It’s one thing to forget where you parked your car once in a while, but it’s not normal to regularly forget your assigned parking spot or to miss appointments over and over. Frequent memory lapses are likely to become noticeable because they tend to interfere with daily living.

What’s being forgotten? Most people have trouble remembering some details of a conversation, but forgetting whole conversations signals a problem. Other red flags: forgetting the name of a close friend or relative, frequently repeating yourself or asking the same questions in the same conversation.

Are there signs of confusion? Serious memory lapses may cause individuals to get lost in a familiar place or put something in an inappropriate place because they can’t remember where it goes (think car keys in the refrigerator).

Is the memory loss getting worse? If you feel you’re forgetting more and more over time, you should be evaluated by a health professional. The reasons could range from a blow to the head, to stress, depression or intake of anxiety drugs. But the most serious form of memory loss is dementia and the most common is Alzheimer’s disease, in which there is a progressive loss of brain cells accompanied by other abnormalities of the brain.

Source: USFDA

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