Many people relate memory loss to the aging process and feel that it is just a natural part of growing older. This may be true to a small degree, but research as of 2010 is showing that many factors in external and internal environments may be responsible for memory loss in all age groups. The foods that you eat, the medications you take and even the air you breathe can have a profound effect on your brain and its ability to remember.
Overall Health
According to an article on the Social Worker website written by Brian Garavaglia, Ph.D., a gerontologist in Michigan, your health is critical for your memory. Chronic diseases such as Parkinson's, high blood pressure, diabetes and congestive heart failure can result in significant memory loss, not only because of how they may ravage the body, but also the stresses that they induce on the mind. Sadness, anxiety and pain also accompany many chronic conditions, and these are known as memory robbers.
Psychological Factors
Psychological factors may be more important than physical ones when evaluating impaired memory. Depression and the pain of lost relationships, homes and hopes have an intense and immediate effect on the elderly in nursing homes, notes Dr. Garavaglia. Young people also report that depression and anxiety, fear of the unknown and dramatic life changes such as divorce, can cause short-term memory loss.
Style of Learning
Author Catherine Meyers, in her 2006 book, "Memory Loss and the Brain," emphasizes that everyone learns differently. If you are taught in an opposing style to your natural style, you may be unable to retain as much. Learning styles can be categorized as visual, verbal, auditory or tactile -- meaning "hands on." The environment of the place you occupy, the temperature, the time of day and fatigue levels can all impact your ability to remember. Also, people who are sad remember more unhappy memories, and people who are happy tend to remember more pleasant memories. Your focus and attitude can greatly affect your ability to remember certain information.
Medications
Medication intakes are increased in the elderly, especially in nursing homes. The average elderly adult consume four to five medications daily, with this amount being doubled in a long-term facility, notes Dr. Garavaglia, adding that blood pressure and pain medications are known for their negative effects on memory: blood pressure drugs can cause lethargy and slight alteration in consciousness, while pain medications can directly affect the memory center of your brain. Many patients complain of lost memory after receiving pain medications following surgery. High alcohol consumption or illicit drugs can also cause impairment.
Nutrition and Diet
The Social Worker website estimates that 10 to 25 percent of older adults are malnourished, which affects the brain's ability to retain memories. In addition, physiologist Andrew Murray of Cambridge University, writing on the Psychology Today website, reports that preliminary results of studies on healthy young men show decreased performance levels on high-fat diets.
Vitamins C and E, among other nutrients, are also needed to protect the cells in the area of the brain where memories are stored, notes Psychology Today. When taken together, there seems to be a decrease in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, though the site notes that taking one without the other does not show notable results.
Exercise
Regular moderate exercise can boost memory and other brain functions. According to the Social Worker website, aerobic exercise -- rhythmic activity that engages large muscle groups and increases heart rate -- can improve memory and decrease the risk of dementia.
References
- Social Worker: The Confounding Influence of Age as an Explaination for Memory Loss Among Older Adult Long-Term Care
- "Memory Loss and the Brain"; Catherine Myers; 2006
- Psychology Today: Vitamins: Boost for the Brain
