As we get older, it takes more effort to remember something. Walk to the kitchen to grab something, but then stand there and don’t know what anymore. When you go back, it pops up again. It could be age, but sometimes there is an underlying physical or psychological cause that can be remedied.
Causes of forgetfulness
Forgetfulness can be caused by several factors. So age plays a role. As we age, our memory slows down and it takes more effort to concentrate. But certain medicines also make you forget information more quickly. Sleeping pills or a combination of different medications can cause this.
Vitamin deficiency and drinking too little
A shortage of certain vitamins, such as vitamin B, also causes the brain to work less well. Drinking too little can also cause forgetfulness. Just like drinking too much alcohol or using drugs.
Big events, stress or too few stimuli
Forgetfulness can occur due to major events such as the death of a loved one or being fired. Due to the stress this causes, there is little room in the head for other things. This means you remember less information. When things calm down at a later time, the memory will also work better again. When there are too few stimuli, because you experience little, the memory is insufficiently stimulated. This can also cause forgetfulness.
Forgetfulness during menopause and lung COVID
In addition to hot flushes, women who are going through menopause often also suffer from forgetfulness. This will pass by itself. Those who have lung COVID, also called post-COVID syndrome (PCS), can also experience forgetfulness. Some of these complaints may diminish over time. But in this case it is good to contact your doctor. He can look into a solution.
Tools to overcome forgetfulness
Some underlying causes can be corrected, but not all. There are tools to remember information anyway. For example, take the time to remember something. There is no shame in asking for help from others. They can talk to you calmly and clearly, repeat something or write it down. Writing something down in a diary or diary also helps.
Only do 1 thing at a time. Putting multiple things together creates confusion. Move enough. This ensures that your memory remains better. Do this together with someone else, then you will also get enough contact with other people. This also helps to remember more. And talk about it, if you suffer from forgetfulness. This can sometimes give your head more peace of mind, so that the memory works better again.
Train your memory with the memory palace
You can also train yourself with the so-called memory palace. According to Alzheimer Nederland, the ancient Greeks came up with this. It goes like this. Think about a familiar location, where you know the route well. An example is your own home. Then link things you want to remember to specific places in your home. Then when you walk the imaginary route, you can see the elements you want to remember with what it is linked to. A more detailed explanation can be found at the Alzheimer’s Netherlands website.
Forgetfulness or Dementia?
Forgetfulness or memory loss is often linked to dementia. However, there is a big difference in the 2 terms. Forgetfulness means that the information will come back at a later time. Memory loss means that the information is gone and won’t come back. When this is going on and it really affects someone’s daily life, there may be dementia. You can read more about this in an earlier article.
(Source: Dementie.nl, Alzheimer Nederland, home doctor. Photo: Shutterstock)
2023-05-24 04:06:39
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