It’s human nature to be forgetful, however as we age we tend to become more forgetful and it can become a severe problem later in life.
The folks over at Prevention have recently sat down with neurologist Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., and Stephanie Faubion, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic to ask, what are the top causes for memory loss?
Here are the top reasons for memory loss according to Dr. Petersen and Dr. Faubion:
Too much stress and anxiety
“When your anxiety level is high, you can’t focus on anything and your attention is going to be impaired—it’s going to feel like you have a memory disorder because you can’t concentrate on anything,” said Dr. Faubion.
Depression
Research has found there to be a link between depression and memory loss as well as other mental health problems.
Women suffering from menopause
Women who are close to or are currently suffering from menopause tend to also suffer from memory loss. Currently medical experts do not have a good understanding as to why women tend to suffer from memory loss during menopause however, things tend to go back to normal after they are finished with menopause.
Lack of sleep
It does not really matter why you don’t get enough sleep, but the science is clear. Those who get little to no sleep tend of have memory loss.
Drinking too much
Abusing alcohol and other drugs will slow your central nervous system and will lead to memory loss. Dr. Petersen stated, “I don’t want to overstate this, but clearly if someone is aging and vulnerable, two or three cocktails a night probably will catch up with you.”
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