By Staff Writer
The impairment or alteration of knowledge previously retained in short-term or long-term memory is forgetfulness. According to studies, we forget nearly 56% of details after an hour, 66 % after a day, and 75 % after six days. Although the brain is capable of incredible feats, its ability to process and remember information is minimal. We miss things in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. It can happen all at once or over some time when old memories fade away. Though forgetfulness is ordinary among all age ranges, it becomes an alarming sign that could indicate a more serious health concern about brain health if it affects your daily activities.
Researchers have learned a lot about memory in the last few years. The human brain, just like the rest of the body, changes as we age. As a result, you might find that learning new things takes more time. You may not recall specific details, facts, and figures as quickly as you once did. Conversely, you may misplace items more frequently, forget driving routes, directions or momentarily get disoriented and fail to recognize your surroundings. These failures in memory may be indicators of natural aging but may also require an assessment of the degree of memory impairment. At this point, consult with your doctor, even if it is only for reassurance. If you have a medical condition, early diagnosis will lead to intervention, care and support as soon as possible.
Causes for Forgetfulness
Some causal factors that make you forget things include –
Interference
Interference is a process in which many people forget everyday things. Some memories interfere and compete with other memories. Interference will more likely occur when new information is similar to details previously stored in your memory.
The following are the two basic types of interference:
- Proactive interference: If an old memory is problematic or it becomes impossible to recall a new memory, this is known as proactive interference.
- Retroactive interference: When new information interferes with recollecting previously acquired knowledge, this is known as retroactive interference.
Failure to Store
Losing memories often has little to do with forgetting and more to do with whether the information was in your long-term memory. Encoding errors can prevent information from being stored in long-term memory. Memories tend to be simplified as well. Although you can recall the gist of something, much of the nuances are likely to be forgotten. It is an adaptive feature that helps you retain valuable information that you will need to recall in the future.
Other Causes of Forgetfulness
Additionally and perhaps of more significant concern are medical conditions that cause memory loss or impairment. Following are some of the medical conditions –
- Lack of sufficient sleep and fatigue
- Deficiencies of some essential nutrients
- Depression and stress conditions exerting pressure on your brain and memory
- Medical problems that affect brain function including stroke
- Memory loss or forgetfulness due to the side effect of certain medicines; for example, a medication for type 2 diabetes, metformin causes memory loss, and some drugs that lower cholesterol levels
Solutions to the problem of forgetfulness?
Various solutions to the problem of forgetfulness are available on an individual basis. People can help themselves by limiting alcohol intake, using nutritional supplements, and staying hydrated. Some other things that people can do to improve their memory and boost brain health include the following –
- Proper sleep: Sleep according to your circadian rhythm, which is the process that regulates your sleep-wake cycle and repeats every 24 hours. This practice helps to refresh your memory and support regenerative repair work. Take steps to eliminate interruptions to your sleep.
- Smoking cessation: Improve your oxygen intake by limiting or, better still, quitting your cigarette smoking habit.
- Diet: Improve your diet by eating nutrient-rich foods. Adding foods containing high amounts of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet helps to improve your memory.
- Physical activities: Involving yourself in physical activities or sports regularly to support your health is highly beneficial to brain health. You can also add strength training and cardio to refresh your body and memory. Moreover, sports activities like swimming, badminton, boxing, tennis, and dance also help overcome forgetfulness.
