You leave work after a hectic day, get in your car and drive home. On the way you think that when you arrive you will (finally!) have that moment of peace that you needed so much: lying in the most comfortable chair, with a cup of coffee and a sandwich in your hands, watching your favorite television series. When you arrive home longing for the materialization of what was planned (with the feeling that it is the only thing that really matters in the world at that moment), you look for the key to open the door, but… where is it?! WHERE IS?!
Forgetfulness is usually not serious, says Dr., founder and medical director of Luterville, and co-author of The Memory Cure. Certain medications, some germs, lack of sleep, and even stress can affect your memory. The good thing is that it is malleable and therefore can change and improve. According to Dr. Fotuhi, memory can be boosted with simple and powerful interventions.
Below we present 12 unexpected things that impact memory:
Lack of sleep
Having attended the party the night before makes you less likely to remember your new coworker’s name the next day. “While part of the brain naps when we sleep, deeper areas involved with memory and emotional response become relatively more active,” says Dr. , medical director of New York Neurology & Sleep Medicine. “People with sleep deprivation and sleep disorders not only suffer from memory impairment, but also from daytime fatigue, decreased attention, and reduced reaction time.” The standard recommendation of eight hours of sleep each night doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. If you wake up tired and unintentionally fall asleep during the day, then you may need more sleep, says Dr. Towfigh.
A dysfunctional thyroid
When your thyroid is out of control, you may feel too hot, too cold,
anxiety or depression, and your memory may also be affected. “Although the thyroid does not have a specific role in the brain, memory loss is something a person notices when it stops functioning normally,” says Dr. Fotuhi. It is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located in front of the trachea, and is responsible for almost all of the body’s metabolic processes. “People with high or low thyroid levels (very common in women) can have difficulty with memory and concentration,” she says. Ask your doctor for a simple thyroid test to determine if it is to blame for your memory problems.
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You look for the key to open the door, but… where is it?!, WHERE IS IT?!
Hot flushes
“The more hot flashes a woman experiences during menopause, the worse her ability to remember stories and names will be,” says Dr. Fotuhi. “Fortunately, hot flashes do not damage the brain in any way, memory improves once the hot flashes go away.” Other menopause-related symptoms that contribute to memory loss include insomnia and sleep apnea, says Dr. Fotuhi.
Prescription drugs
Check your medicine cabinet: Many common prescription medications can make you feel forgetful. Medications for anxiety disorders such as Xanax, Valium, Ativan (benzodiazepines) put a brake on the part of the brain that moves events from short-term memory to long-term memory. Tricyclic antidepressants have a similar effect. Heart medications including statins and beta blockers have also been linked to memory problems, as have narcotic pain relievers, incontinence drugs, sleep aids, and even antihistamines like Benadryl. Bottom line: Don’t stop taking your (potentially necessary for life) medication, but talk to your doctor if you think a drug may be altering your memory.
Anxiety and depression
“We don’t understand the exact relationship, but strong evidence indicates that depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder alter the neural circuits involved in the development and retrieval of memories,” says Dr. Towfigh. “The severity of the memory loss often reflects the severity of the mood disorder – severe depression equally produces severe memory loss.” Prolonged periods of stress every day increase cortisol levels in the brain, which causes our brain cells to lose synapses (bridges that connect to each other), making it more difficult to create and retrieve memories, and this is because . The good news is that when memory loss occurs with a mood disorder (including anxiety and depression), it is usually at least partially reversible. “As the individual’s mood improves, often so does memory loss,” says Dr. Towfigh.
The severity of the memory loss often reflects the severity of the mood disorder
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Smoke
If you still smoke, that may help explain lapses in memory loss. “Smoking damages the brain by disrupting its blood supply,” says Dr. Towfigh. Research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry pooled data from more than 7,000 men and women and found a faster decline in mental functions over time (including memory along with speech and other brain functions) in smokers. compared to those who never smoked. “Moreover, smoking promotes the accumulation of abnormal proteins that impair the brain’s ability to process and transmit information,” says Dr. Towfigh.
A high fat diet
One study revealed that adolescent mice had poorer learning and memory skills after being fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks, while another study in middle-aged rats found that the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for memory) short term) may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of high-fat diets.
Smoking damages the brain by altering its blood supply
More research is needed to determine for sure whether high-fat diets affect human memory, but here’s what we know: Calorically dense diets promote type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, all of which can damage the brain. says Dr. Towfigh. You can read more about the relationship between diabetes and cognitive decline in older adults.
“This is true early in life, too. Studies link childhood obesity with a reduced attention span and decreased concentration and focus.” The relationship that could exist between the .
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Stress
A sudden emergency can make it difficult to remember something as simple as your address. A study in rats, published in the journal Neuron, shows that stress hormones influence an area of the brain that controls working memory. The researchers found that repeated stress reduces receptors in the part of the brain that is connected to thought processes. Although this study was conducted on animals, the human brain works in a similar way, explains Dr. Towfigh. “Repeated or chronic stress can be harmful. “Regular exposure to elevated glucocorticoids (a hormone released by the adrenal gland) also causes receptors to be reduced, making brain cells less able to respond to neurochemical signals (brain chemicals).” Finding ways to relieve stress can help. Practicing meditation serves the dual function of relieving stress and helping to improve memory, according to a study from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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Germs
In a 2013 study, researchers found that people exposed to many germs, such as herpes simplex type 1 (the cold sore virus), over their lifetime were more likely to have memory problems than people exposed to fewer germs. Among the more than 1,600 participants in the study, those with a higher “infectious burden” had a 25% increased risk of a low score on a cognitive test. Although there is no vaccine for the cold sore virus, childhood vaccination against other viruses could help prevent problems later, researchers suggest. Additionally, regular exercise can help as well. Doctors think that repeated infections can damage blood vessels, since a high infectious load is also linked to an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Vegetarians and vegans are at higher risk of being deficient in vitamin B12, which is responsible for keeping nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA. This is because B12 is found naturally only in foods of animal origin: seafood, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. In addition to fatigue, loss of appetite, constipation, and weight loss, a vitamin B12 deficiency can also lead to memory problems. If you think the meat-free diet may be affecting your memory, your doctor can give you a blood test to determine if you should take a vitamin B12 supplement.
People more exposed to germs were more likely to have memory problems
But not only vegetarians are at risk of being deficient in vitamin B12. Pregnant women, older adults, and anyone with pernicious anemia or gastrointestinal disorders, such as celiac disease and Crohn’s disease, may need supplements.
green tea
Among the things that can beneficially impact memory, it was found that the chemicals contained in green tea could help improve it, according to a study by the University of Basel. “Several compounds, EGCG and L-theanine, in green tea increase neurogenesis (growth of new brain cells) in the hippocampus, the part of the brain used for short-term memory and learning new things,” says Dr. Fotuhi. How much green tea is still to be determined, he adds, and recommends combining it with other healthy habits, such as exercise, for greater memory-enhancing benefits.
Exercise
Regular exercise sessions can also help keep your memory sharp. “Physical exercise improves mood and sleep and, in doing so, invariably improves cognition and memory,” says Dr. Towfigh. In a…