Fact: Multiple factors can contribute to memory problems…and “getting older” is often not the main one

When Mem­o­ry Changes Are More Than ‘Just Get­ting Old­er’ (US News):

“You’ve prob­a­bly heard this phrase before: “I’m just get­ting older”…The expla­na­tion should be used with cau­tion, though. Often, I tell my patients not to blame some­thing they are expe­ri­enc­ing on “just get­ting old­er,” because they might miss some­thing that could be treat­able…Some­times depres­sion can trig­ger mem­o­ry com­plaints, although they’re often accom­pa­nied by oth­er symp­toms, such as loss of inter­ests in hob­bies or activ­i­ties a per­son pre­vi­ous­ly enjoyed, a feel­ing of worth­less­ness, sleep prob­lems or loss of appetite. A recent ill­ness or hos­pi­tal­iza­tion could cause a tem­po­rary peri­od of con­fu­sion called delir­i­um, which typ­i­cal­ly resolves over time. Med­ica­tions – pre­scribed, over-the-counter or herbal – that affect the brain, and med­ical con­di­tions such as stroke, thy­roid prob­lems or vit­a­min defi­cien­cies, could also pro­duce mem­o­ry and/or cog­ni­tive problems.”

To learn more:

• Should Hos­pi­tals Mon­i­tor, and Work to Main­tain, Patients’ Cog­ni­tive Function?
• Smart pills as cog­ni­tive enhance­ment? Let’s first mon­i­tor neg­a­tive cog­ni­tive side-effects of com­mon medications
• Solv­ing the Brain Fit­ness Puz­zle Is the Key to Self-Empow­ered Aging