Four facts you should know about forgetfulness

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Fact 1: It's not just an elderly problem. Everyone forgets from time to time.

While we tend to become more forgetful with age, doctors say that it's unfair to think that elderly people will be struck with forgetfulness.

It's a quite a normal thing for anyone regardless of age to be forgetful every once in a while. Short term forgetfulness is quite common and it is what many people think of when they think of the word 'forgetful'. For example we may forget where we placed our reading glasses.

Fact 2: Multi tasking is one the common risk factors for short term memory loss

We live in a fast paced world where we execute different tasks simultaneously at home and at work. For example when we work from home we may be cooking something on the stove and answering our emails. So, it's quite common for a few things to slip past our memory now and then. Other common reasons are:

1. Stress: Under pressure we may forget what we studied the night before while sitting for an important exam.
2. Side effects of medication. Certain medications and treatment may cause short term memory loss. When I nursed patients who had to undergo ECT or electro convulsive therapy, there is usually a short term memory loss after the procedure. I usually warned them of this.
3. Underlying health condition. An underactive thyroid could disrupt sleep and cause hormonal imbalances that could affect memory
4. Excessive consumption of alcohol can also affect impair memory and judgement even after we have sobered up.

Fact 3: The brain may be programmed to erase certain memories

In the early 2000s experiments with fruit flies and rats found that the brain can perform what we called active forgetting - it purposely expunges certain details that are unimportant.

It may be that the brain does this to make it more efficient as storing too many "useless" memories may make it inefficient. This may explain why we forget someone's name whom we met once about a year ago.

In psycho therapy patients may " choose " to forget stressful or painful life events to protect themselves. This acts as a defence mechanism to help move past the trauma and maintain their emotional wellbeing.

For example, we may remember being in an emergency landing of a plane but we can't remember the details of it. Our brain has filtered that out.

Fact 4 : See a doctor when your memory loss is affecting your daily activities

This is because forgetfulness is more than likely a symptom of a more serious health issue like dementia. See a doctor if you or loved one is experiencing:

1. Frequent memory loss
2. Difficulties in performing familiar tasks
3. Problems with language
4. Disoriented regarding time and place
5. Poor or decreased judgement
6. Frequently misplacing things
7. Changes in mood and behaviour
8. Problems keeping track with thins
9. Social or work withdrawal
10. Lack of spatial awareness

The doctor is able to run specific tests, make a diagnosis and discuss with you the best course of action.

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