Do you often forget to put your keys or wallet? If so, that's a sign you have a forgetful nature. Forgetting is a common condition experienced by everyone. However, if you have experienced forgetfulness for a long time or it happens often, this still needs to be watched out for.
Easy to forget or forgetfulness is usually caused by the factor of age and quite often experienced by those who are elderly. However, forgetfulness can sometimes be experienced by people who are still young.
Forgetfulness, whether in young adults or the elderly, should still be checked by a doctor. That's because forgetfulness can be a symptom of certain conditions you may be suffering from, such as stress, depression, or thyroid disorders.
Various Causes Someone Has Forgetfulness
Apart from aging, forgetfulness may be caused by the following factors and conditions:
1. Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep is one of the factors that quite often causes a person to have a forgetful nature. The reason is, not only the length of sleep that needs to be fulfilled, but also the quality of sleep.
Several studies show that people who often lack sleep or experience sleep disorders tend to forget more often and have difficulty focusing or concentrating when doing something.
In addition to being forgetful, lack of sleep is also known to cause brain disorders in processing information, affecting changes in behavior mood, and trigger anxiety attacks.
2. Malnutrition
Malnutrition can also trigger memory loss. In order for brain function and memory to work optimally, the body requires a number of nutrients, such as protein, omega-3, as well as vitamins and minerals. These various nutrients function to maintain the health of nerve cells and red blood cells.
3. Thyroid disorders
Disorders of thyroid gland function, such as hypothyroidism, can cause the process of nutrient metabolism and energy processing to support the function of body cells, including brain nerve cells, to be slower.
This can cause people with thyroid disorders to become forgetful. To determine whether you suffer from thyroid disorders or not, you should consult a doctor.
4. Drug side effects
The use of certain drugs can be at risk of impairing memory. There are several medications that are known to cause forgetfulness, including:
- Sleeping pills
- Opioid pain relievers are usually used after surgery
- Antidepressant drugs
- Antihistamines (allergy relievers)
- Sedatives to treat anxiety disorders
5. Smoking habits and consumption of alcoholic beverages
Smoking can interfere with memory because it reduces the oxygen that enters the brain. Several studies have shown that active smokers tend to have more difficulty remembering things than non-smokers.
Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can also reduce memory. Limit drinking alcohol from now on, which is no more than 2 glasses (700 ml) a day for men, and 1 drink (350 ml) a day for women. If you can, you should not drink alcohol at all.
6. Mental disorders
Forgetfulness can also arise due to mental disorders, such as severe stress, anxiety disorders, or depression. Several kinds of mental disorders can make it difficult for a person to concentrate as well as interfere with memory. This of course can have an impact on daily work activities and performance.
7. Head injury
Head injuries can also cause a person to become forgetful. The injury can be caused by a blow or blow to the head, for example from a motor vehicle accident, fall, or fight.
Memory impairment due to a minor head injury will usually only cause temporary memory loss and this condition may improve with recovery.
However, severe head injuries or those that have caused the sufferer to pass out or go into a coma can cause severe memory impairment or persistent forgetfulness.
Apart from some of the causes above, forgetfulness can also occur in people who have a history of brain disorders, such as stroke and dementia.
Various Ways to Fight Forgetfulness
Handling forgetfulness is certainly not the same for everyone because it must be adjusted to the cause. Therefore, if you have long-standing forgetfulness and are often bothered by it, you should see a doctor about this.
To find out the cause of your forgetfulness, the doctor can run a series of examinations, starting from a physical examination, mental status examination, to supporting examinations in the form of blood tests, urine tests, and radiological examinations, such as CT scans or brain MRI.
After determining the cause of your forgetfulness, your doctor can provide appropriate treatment.
If you forget easily because of the influence of drugs, such as antidepressants, your doctor may change the dose or type of antidepressant you are taking. It's different if the cause is hypothyroidism. In this case, treatment can be in the form of giving thyroid hormone replacement drugs, such as: levothyroxine.
Given the many possible causes of forgetfulness, you should not delay seeing a doctor if you experience persistent forgetfulness. With prompt and appropriate treatment, your forgetfulness may be overcome and you can return to your normal activities.
