Forgetting with age does not always mean dementia: B12, thyroid, sleep and medicines can also be causes

Forgetting to take a wallet to the market, searching for spectacles only to find them on one's own head, or suddenly failing to recall an acquaintance's name — such episodes happen in many people's lives as they grow older. But a tendency to forget repeatedly should not automatically be taken as dementia, this report says.

A deficiency of some nutrients in the body, sleep problems, mental stress or the effects of certain medicines can also weaken memory. So when symptoms appear, the important thing is to look for the cause rather than panic.

Understanding the difference between normal age-related forgetting and dementia is important. A name may take a while to recall and then come back a little later — that is one kind of experience. But repeatedly asking the same question, having difficulty recognising a familiar road, or struggling to manage everyday tasks should be taken seriously.

If memory problems keep increasing, a doctor's advice is also needed, the report notes.

Apart from dementia, several physical problems can reduce memory. They include a deficiency of vitamin B12, an imbalance of thyroid hormone and a lack of adequate sleep.

Depression or mental stress can also disrupt attention and the ability to remember. Side effects of some sleeping medicines, allergy medicines or pain-relieving medicines can likewise produce such problems. Excessive drinking of alcohol can also affect memory, the report says.

So if signs of memory loss appear in an older person, a doctor should be consulted instead of reaching a conclusion on one's own. If needed, the levels of vitamin B12 and thyroid hormone in the blood may be tested.

Alongside that, what medicines the person is taking, how they are sleeping and whether there has been any change in their mental state are also examined. A doctor may also carry out some simple tests to check memory.

If the cause of the problem is a treatable physical condition, treating it may improve memory or attention. But not every kind of memory loss will be completely cured. So it is better to get tested without delay when symptoms appear.

In particular, sudden memory loss or confusion together with slurred speech, one side of the face drooping or weakness on one side of the body can be signs of a stroke. In such a situation, one must go to hospital immediately. Rather than neglecting the problem by thinking it is just ageing, and rather than panicking, seeking a doctor's help at the right time is the most important thing, the report says.