It is very easy to put short term memory loss down to old age. And say that it is but natural to start forgetting things as you age. However, while this may be true, there are several other causes of short term memory loss that should not be ignored as they could be signaling to more complex problems. For example:
Alzheimer's disease
As our population ages the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease and dementia become more and more prevalent.Anyone who has lost a loved one to Alzheimer's understands that this cause of short term memory loss is something not to be taken lightly. Coupled with dementia, this disease is the subject of a lot of research and although no real cure has been found for it, nipping it in the bud or at least diagnosing it correctly in the preliminary stages is crucial.
Blood Sugar
Another problem associated with modern living is the tendency to skip meals during the day and making up with a large heavy meal at night. People that starve themselves then have a big meal often have very instable blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar can lead the brain to get sleepy and groggy and hence become one of the causes of short term memory loss. This is why doctors often recommend that patients who want to improve their memory have six small meals in a day as opposed to three large ones so as to keep blood sugar levels steady.
Hormonal Havoc
Again as a part of the aging process, hormonal imbalance is often a cause of short term memory loss as menopause sets in and estrogen levels start to dwindle. Although hormone replacement therapies and other such treatments and preventions have become common today, this is certainly a factor worth looking into when figuring out causes of memory loss.
Depression and Drinking
The pressures of living today is a major cause of depression and short term memory loss. People who are depressed and especially those who are taking medication often cannot remember things clearly because of the side effects of the drugs. Apart from medical drugs, recreational drug abuse and excessive alcohol consumption can also be amongst the causes of short term memory loss.
Natural Treatments
It is important to have your doctor diagnose yur condition and isolate the causes of your short term memory loss for your specific case, he may recommend drugs, mental exercises, a more healthy lifestyle or some natural, herbal supplements,.
Although the results have not been very conclusive, some studies have shown that ginkgo biloba and anti-oxidants to help prevent brain cell damage and to restore mental memory function has been successful. Some like to try out the herbal supplements, some prefer a more pharmaceutical approach whereas some just like the old fashioned route of healthy eating and exercise. Ask your doctor which is best for your case.
As they say ?If you don't use it you will lose it?, it is therefore very important to keep your mind and body active ensuring good blood circulation. Don't sucome to the trappings of the modern sedentary lifestyle be active in both body and mind.
Doing the math, you could have more than 4.5 million Americans by the year 2050 that would be affected by the disease. A grimmer outlook indicates that by 2025, there will be 34 million people worldwide Alzheimer's disease.
Let's tackle the issue step by step. Alzheimer's disease is a known brain disorder that is progressive and irreversible. It is still not known where and how the disorder develops in the human brain neither is there any sure-fire cure for the disease. What is known by medical scientists is that the disease attacks slowly.
It takes its time, gnawing slowly at the victims' minds stealing memories and causing deterioration of brain functions. Alzheimer's is a disease that causes irreversible dementia and is always fatal.
It was German psychiatrist Dr. Alois Alzheimer who first identified the disease. At first he noted the disease's symptoms as "amnesic writing disorder," however when later studies were conducted Dr. Alzheimer found out that the symptoms were more than ordinary memory loss. It was far worse.
Dr. Alzheimer found the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain. The good doctor presented his findings, which were accepted by the medical community. And soon enough, by 1910 the name of the disease was accepted and became known as Alzheimer's disease.
The most common early symptoms of the disease are confusion, being inattentive and have problems with orientation, personality changes, experiencing short-term memory loss, language difficulties and mood swings. Probably the most obvious and striking early symptom of Alzheimer's is loss of short-term memory.
At first the victim will exhibit minor forgetfulness, but as the disease slowly progress he/she will start to forget a lot of things. However, older memories are often left untouched. Because of this, patients with Alzheimer's will start to be less energetic and spontaneous. As the disease progress, they will have trouble learning new things and reacting on outside stimuli which gets them all confused and causes them to exercise poor judgment. This is considered Stage 1 of the disease.
At Stage 2 the patient will now need assistance in performing complicated tasks. Speech and understanding is evidently slower. At this stage, Alzheimer's victims are already aware that they have the disease that causes a whole lot of problems like depression and restlessness.
At this point, only the distant past can be recalled and recent events are immediately forgotten. Patients will have difficulty telling time, date and where they are.
The final stage is of course the hardest, both for the patient and their family. At Stage 3 the patient will start to lose control of a lot of bodily functions like simple chewing and swallowing. He/she will start getting the needed nutrients through a tube. At Stage 3, the patient will no longer remember basically anyone.
They will lose bowel and bladder control and they will become vulnerable to third party infections and diseases like pneumonia. Once the patient become bedridden, things will only get worse. Respiratory problems will become more terrible.
It is apparent that the patient will need constant care. At this point, the most one can do is to make sure that the patient stays as comfortable as possible. At the terminal stage, death is inevitable.
Both Paul Courtney & Allan Wilson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Paul Courtney has sinced written about articles on various topics from Alcohol Treatment, Alternative Medicine and Hair Care. Paul Courtney contributes articles to various publications pertaining to Alternative Medicine, Herbal Medicine and is the main contributor to