Memory loss: When to seek help - Mayo Clinic

A number of conditions — not only Alzheimer's disease — can cause memory loss in older adults. Getting a prompt diagnosis and appropriate care is important. COVID-19:Advice,updatesandvaccineoptions FindoutaboutCOVID-19,COVID-19vaccines,andMayoClinicpatientandvisitorupdates. Skiptositenavigation SkiptoContent ThiscontentdoesnothaveanEnglishversion. ThiscontentdoesnothaveanArabicversion. 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RequestAppointment Memoryloss:Whentoseekhelp Print Sections Productsandservices Memoryloss:WhentoseekhelpAnumberofconditions—notonlyAlzheimer'sdisease—cancausememorylossinolderadults.Gettingapromptdiagnosisandappropriatecareisimportant.ByMayoClinicStaff Everyoneforgetsthingsattimes.Perhapsyoumisplaceyourcarkeysorforgetthenameofapersonyoujustmet. Somedegreeofmemoryproblems,aswellasamodestdeclineinotherthinkingskills,isafairlycommonpartofaging.There'sadifference,however,betweennormalchangesinmemoryandmemorylossassociatedwithAlzheimer'sdiseaseandrelateddisorders.Andsomememoryproblemsaretheresultoftreatableconditions. Ifyou'rehavingmemoryproblems,talktoyourhealthcareprovidertogetadiagnosisandappropriatecare. Memorylossandaging Normalage-relatedmemorylossdoesn'tcauseasignificantdisruptioninyourdailylife.Forexample,youmightoccasionallyforgetaperson'sname,butrecallitlaterintheday.Youmightmisplaceyourglassessometimes.Ormaybeyouneedtomakelistsmoreoftenthaninthepasttorememberappointmentsortasks. Thesechangesinmemoryaregenerallymanageableanddon'taffectyourabilitytowork,liveindependentlyormaintainasociallife. Memorylossanddementia Theword"dementia"isanumbrellatermusedtodescribeasetofsymptoms,includingimpairmentinmemory,reasoning,judgment,languageandotherthinkingskills.Dementiausuallybeginsgradually,worsensovertimeandimpairsaperson'sabilitiesinwork,socialinteractionsandrelationships. Often,memorylossthatdisruptsyourlifeisoneofthefirstormore-recognizablesignsofdementia.Otherearlysignsmightinclude: Askingthesamequestionsrepeatedly Forgettingcommonwordswhenspeaking Mixingwordsup—saying"bed"insteadof"table,"forexample Takinglongertocompletefamiliartasks,suchasfollowingarecipe Misplacingitemsininappropriateplaces,suchasputtingawalletinakitchendrawer Gettinglostwhilewalkingordrivinginafamiliararea Havingchangesinmoodorbehaviorfornoapparentreason Diseasesthatcauseprogressivedamagetothebrain—andconsequentlyresultindementia—include: Alzheimer'sdisease,themostcommoncauseofdementia Vasculardementia Frontotemporaldementia Lewybodydementia limbic-predominantage-relatedTDP-43encephalopathy(LATE) Acombinationofseveralofthesetypesofdementia(mixeddementia) Thediseaseprocess(pathology)ofeachoftheseconditionsisdifferent.Memorylossisn'talwaysthefirstsign,andthetypeofmemoryproblemsvaries. Mildcognitiveimpairment Thisinvolvesanotabledeclineinatleastoneareaofthinkingskills,suchasmemory,that'sgreaterthanthechangesofagingandlessthanthoseofdementia.Havingmildcognitiveimpairmentdoesn'tpreventyoufromperformingeverydaytasksandbeingsociallyengaged. Researchersandphysiciansarestilllearningaboutmildcognitiveimpairment.Formanypeople,theconditioneventuallyprogressestodementiaduetoAlzheimer'sdiseaseoranotherdisordercausingdementia. Forpeoplewithnormalage-relatedmemoryloss,symptomsusuallydon’tprogressmuch,andtheydon'tdevelopthespectrumofsymptomsassociatedwithdementia. Reversiblecausesofmemoryloss Manymedicalproblemscancausememorylossorotherdementia-likesymptoms.Mostoftheseconditionscanbetreated.Yourdoctorcanscreenyouforconditionsthatcausereversiblememoryimpairment. Possiblecausesofreversiblememorylossinclude: Medications.Certainmedicationsoracombinationofmedicationscancauseforgetfulnessorconfusion. Minorheadtraumaorinjury.Aheadinjuryfromafalloraccident—evenifyoudon'tloseconsciousness—cancausememoryproblems. Emotionaldisorders.Stress,anxietyordepressioncancauseforgetfulness,confusion,difficultyconcentratingandotherproblemsthatdisruptdailyactivities. Alcoholism.Chronicalcoholismcanseriouslyimpairmentalabilities.Alcoholcanalsocausememorylossbyinteractingwithmedications. VitaminB-12deficiency.VitaminB-12helpsmaintainhealthynervecellsandredbloodcells.AvitaminB-12deficiency—commoninolderadults—cancausememoryproblems. Hypothyroidism.Anunderactivethyroidgland(hypothyroidism)canresultinforgetfulnessandotherthinkingproblems. Braindiseases.Atumororinfectioninthebraincancausememoryproblemsorotherdementia-likesymptoms. SleepApnea.Untreatedsleepapneacancausememoryproblemsthatimprovewithappropriatetreatment. Whentoseeyourdoctor Ifyou'reconcernedaboutmemoryloss,seeyourdoctor.Thereareteststodeterminethedegreeofmemoryimpairmentanddiagnosethecause. Yourdoctorislikelytoaskyouquestions.It'sgoodtohaveafamilymemberorfriendalongtoanswersomequestionsbasedonobservations.Questionsmightinclude: Whendidyourmemoryproblemsbegin? Whatmedications,includingprescriptiondrugs,over-the-counterdrugsanddietarysupplements,doyoutakeandinwhatdoses? Haveyourecentlystartedanewdrug? Whattasksdoyoufinddifficult? Whathaveyoudonetocopewithmemoryproblems? Howmuchalcoholdoyoudrink? Haveyourecentlybeeninanaccident,fallenorinjuredyourhead? Haveyourecentlybeensick? Doyoufeelsad,depressedoranxious? Haveyourecentlyhadamajorloss,amajorchangeorstressfuleventinyourlife? Inadditiontoageneralphysicalexam,yourdoctorwilllikelyconductquestion-and-answerteststojudgeyourmemoryandotherthinkingskills.Heorshemayalsoorderbloodtests,brain-imagingscansandotherteststhatcanhelpidentifyreversiblecausesofmemoryproblemsanddementia-likesymptoms. Youmightbereferredtoaspecialistindiagnosingdementiaormemorydisorders,suchasaneurologist,psychiatrist,psychologistorgeriatrician. Theimportanceofadiagnosis Comingtotermswithmemorylossandthepossibleonsetofdementiacanbedifficult.Somepeopletrytohidememoryproblems,andsomefamilymembersorfriendscompensateforaperson'slossofmemory,sometimeswithoutbeingawareofhowmuchthey'veadaptedtotheimpairment. Gettingapromptdiagnosisisimportant,evenifit'schallenging.Identifyingareversiblecauseofmemoryimpairmentenablesyoutogetappropriatetreatment.Also,anearlydiagnosisofmildcognitiveimpairment,Alzheimer'sdiseaseorarelateddisorderisbeneficialbecauseyoucan: Begintreatmentstomanagesymptoms Educateyourselfandlovedonesaboutthedisease Determinefuturecarepreferences Identifycarefacilitiesorat-homecareoptions Settlefinancialorlegalmatters Yourdoctorcanhelpyouidentifycommunityresourcesandorganizations,suchastheAlzheimer'sAssociation,tohelpyoucopewithmemorylossandotherdementiasymptoms.   Thereisaproblemwith informationsubmittedforthisrequest.Review/updatethe informationhighlightedbelowandresubmittheform. 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Sorrysomethingwentwrongwithyoursubscription Please,tryagaininacoupleofminutes Retry ShareTweet May07,2022 Showreferences DomemoryproblemsalwaysmeanAlzheimer'sdisease?NationalInstituteonAging.https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/do-memory-problems-always-mean-alzheimers-disease.AccessedMarch28,2022. 10earlysignsandsymptomsofAlzheimer's.Alzheimer'sAssociation.http://www.alz.org/10-signs-symptoms-alzheimers-dementia.asp.AccessedMarch28,2022. PetersenRC,etal.Mildcognitiveimpairment:Epidemiology,pathologyandclinicalassessment.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedMarch28,2022. Alzheimer'sdiseasefactsheet.NationalInstituteonAging.https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet.AccessedMarch28,2022. Memorylossandconfusion.Alzheimer'sAssociation.https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/memory-loss-confusion.AccessedMarch28,2022. Memory,forgetfulness,andaging:What'snormalandwhat'snot?NationalInstituteonAging.https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-forgetfulness-and-aging-whats-normal-and-whats-not.AccessedMarch28,2022. HowisAlzheimer'sdiseasediagnosed?NationalInstituteonAging.https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-alzheimers-disease-diagnosed.AccessedMarch28,2022. Graff-RadfordJ(expertopinion).MayoClinic.March29,2022. 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