Brief overview
- Does forgetfulness equal dementia? No, a certain degree of forgetfulness is normal. Only a noticeable and continuous decline in memory performance can be a warning signal for a serious memory disorder such as dementia.
- How much forgetfulness is normal? There is no generally valid guideline here. Those who forget something from time to time usually have nothing to worry about. However, if the memory gaps accumulate and/or other symptoms occur (misplacing things, loss of orientation, etc.), you should see a doctor.
- Causes of forgetfulness: including stress, exhaustion, certain medications, alcohol abuse, dementia (such as Alzheimer’s), meningitis, epilepsy, sleep apnea, kidney or liver failure, heart failure, thyroid disease, anemia, mental disorders.
- Forgetfulness – what to do? For existing forgetfulness and for prevention, memory training, stimulating hobbies, healthy diet, regular exercise and relaxation are recommended.
- This is what the doctor does in case of forgetfulness: perform tests to clarify the exact cause, then initiate appropriate therapy (e.g. with medication).
How much forgetfulness is normal?
It is also normal to be more forgetful with age or to be unable to remember some things (precisely). This is because the processes by which the brain stores and retrieves memory information also slow down over the years. The cells then transfer the information more slowly, and the ability to remember diminishes. This means that even in older people, forgetfulness does not necessarily indicate dementia (such as Alzheimer’s). For example, a lack of fluids is often the trigger for forgetfulness, especially in seniors. Stress and exhaustion can also cause memory loss.
However, such memory lapses or even confusion should not become noticeably more frequent. If this does happen, it may indicate a reduced memory capacity that goes beyond “harmless” forgetfulness. Possible reasons for this are insufficient blood flow to the brain due to “calcified” arteries, depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol abuse – or even dementia.
At what point is forgetfulness pathological?
It is difficult to say when forgetfulness goes beyond the normal scale. Some people consider themselves forgetful if they forget their EC card pin. Others are not worried even if they misplace something every other day. “Normal” is therefore difficult to define precisely.
- You often forget appointments, names, passwords etc.
- You often can’t remember everyday words and terms.
- You occasionally have the feeling that you do not know your way around familiar places.
- You often misplace things (keys, glasses, slippers, remote control, etc.).
- You find it difficult(er) to perform actions you are used to, such as ironing or changing a light bulb.
Alarm bells should ring in the following cases, because they can be signs of an advanced memory disorder:
- repeated asking of the same question, although the person has already received the answer (several times).
- repeated telling of the same story within a short time (e.g. one hour) and to the same person
- problems with everyday activities and movements (e.g. cooking food but forgetting to bring it to the table)
- difficulty remembering events that took place only a few minutes ago
- forgetting not only details or certain facts, but whole events
- orientation problems, even in familiar surroundings
- little drive, social withdrawal
Forgetfulness: Causes and possible diseases
Lack of concentration and forgetfulness can have many causes. The most important are:
Dementia
Important forms or causes of dementia:
- Alzheimer’s disease: The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. In those affected, brain cells gradually perish – it is not known exactly why. What is certain is this: The brains of those affected lack acetylcholine (a nerve messenger). In addition, protein deposits form in the brain, which could be responsible for the cell death.
- Vascular dementia: Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia. It is based on circulatory problems in the brain. Small strokes are responsible for this. Memory can be preserved much longer in vascular dementia than in Alzheimer’s disease – forgetfulness therefore occurs later in the course of the disease.
- Lewy body dementia: In Lewy body dementia, protein deposits form in the brain – as in Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, both forms of dementia show similar symptoms. Typical for Lewy body dementia, however, are visual hallucinations and strong fluctuations in mental performance and alertness during the course of the day.
- Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease: Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease manifests itself in rapidly progressive dementia – with disturbances of attention, retentiveness, concentration and memory. Motor disorders (such as muscle twitching) are then added to the dementia. The cause is the deposition of atypical protein fragments (prions) in the brain.
- St. Vitus’ dance: This is the old name for the hereditary nerve disease Huntington’s disease. Affected individuals develop – among other symptoms – progressive dementia.
- Parkinson’s disease: About one third of all people with Parkinson’s disease (shaking palsy) also develop dementia in the later course of the disease. Doctors refer to this as Parkinson’s dementia.
- HIV/AIDS: In advanced HIV disease, the brain can also be affected. This results in a so-called HIV encephalopathy, which is accompanied by dementia symptoms (HIV dementia or AIDS dementia).
Other diseases
Forgetfulness may also be related to other diseases. Examples include:
- Meningitis: In this case, forgetfulness, poor concentration, confusion and drowsiness and even coma (rare) may occur. Bacteria or viruses are the most common culprits.
- Sleep apnea: People with sleep apnea experience repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. This significantly impairs a person’s ability to sleep at night. Common consequences are fatigue, forgetfulness and poor concentration during the day.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Also called chronic fatigue syndrome. It is typically characterized by severe mental (and physical) fatigue with poor concentration, forgetfulness or irritability.
- Thyroid disorders: Both hyperthyroidism (hypertyhreosis) and hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism) can be associated with forgetfulness, disorientation and memory problems.
- Acute kidney failure: it can be manifested by memory problems, poor concentration and forgetfulness, among other symptoms. The same applies to chronic kidney failure (chronic renal insufficiency).
- Liver failure: Liver failure (for example, as a result of liver cirrhosis or hepatitis) can damage the brain. Symptoms include forgetfulness, poor concentration, and even unconsciousness (hepatic coma).
- severe heart failure: Many patients with severe heart failure suffer from forgetfulness, memory difficulties and thinking problems.
