In one way or another, the problem of forgetfulness, memory loss, distraction is probably familiar to everyone. And if you sometimes forget your keys or look around the house for glasses because you can’t remember where you left them, this is not necessarily a reason for serious concern about your health. But you should not ignore such symptoms, especially if they accompany you constantly.
Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, distraction are caused by a variety of reasons and can be signs of serious ailments. So, if the memory has often failed — it’s time to think: it seems that the body signals that it needs help. But first you should understand what is related to alarm signals, and what is the norm.
It’s impossible to remember everything
Memory, as we know, can be short-term and long-term. In the short term, facts and events are postponed, which we do not focus on, which we do not try to comprehend and remember. So, during the day in our memory settle numerous meetings, seen faces, heard phrases, read texts, some events, circumstances, facts. And at the end of the day, we can remember a lot of this in detail, but after a couple of days, much of this information will be erased from our memories. But the poems that were carefully learned for a lesson in school, many can tell even after decades — they are preserved in long-term memory.
However, it is not so simple. A fleeting event, a scene seen out of the corner of your eye can be remembered for years, if, for example, bright emotions are associated with them. And memorized exam material, which seemed to be imprinted in the memory forever, is often forgotten (and sometimes quite quickly), if it is not at least from time to time to extract and use.
In other words, our memory — a very complex phenomenon, and something to forget over time-it is quite natural and often does not indicate the presence of problems.
Age matters
Many believe that memory loss is a sign of aging. This is not the case, but age, nevertheless, plays a role. Problems with memory can occur in children, and in Mature people, and in the elderly — but they cause different reasons, which means that the approaches to solving should be different.
Cause memory impairment at any age can:
- stress, high emotional load;
- overwork, lack of sleep;
- traumatic brain injury;
- poor nutrition and associated deficiency of vitamins and other necessary substances for the body;
- brain tumor;
- mental disorder.
In adults, in addition, negative factors are:
- the use of alcohol, drugs (unfortunately, this problem is now noticeable);
- hormonal imbalance (menopause, thyroid diseases, other conditions);
- disorders of cerebral circulation (both acute and chronic);
- some chronic diseases (hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, osteochondrosis, atherosclerosis, etc.).
In older people, progressive memory problems require special attention and mandatory medical advice, because they can indicate the development of serious ailments-Alzheimer’s disease, dementia (senile dementia) and some others.
I forget everything — it’s time to see a doctor?
If your forgetfulness turns from an isolated curiosity into a daily problem, you should not ignore it in any case. However, before you run to the clinic, analyze your own habits and lifestyle. Sometimes, to stop the memory fail, it is enough to take a vacation and have a good rest. Or maybe you need to stop working at night, or drink alcohol with stress, or sit on a strict diet?
There’s nothing wrong with your diet or lifestyle; you haven’t had any traumatic brain injuries; you’re not pregnant or going through menopause; you’re not taking medications that affect your ability to concentrate-and your memory is still a problem? Be sure to visit a doctor and get tested to identify (or exclude) the disease.
Remember that it is necessary to treat the cause, because forgetfulness is a symptom of the disease or its consequence. And to determine the true cause of memory impairment should be a specialist. This is important! Treating the problem lightly, you can overlook the occurrence of a serious illness, miss the time and chance to change the situation.
How to improve memory and get rid of forgetfulness
Many of us are used to not trusting our memory too much. We keep diaries and hang up stickers on the computer monitor so that we don’t forget about scheduled business and appointments; losing the phone can be a disaster — because often we are not able to remember any of the numbers recorded in his memory.
Meanwhile, the resources of the human brain allow you to remember huge amounts of information and confidently operate with them. Even if you are used to thinking that you have a bad memory, it is not so! She’s not bad — she’s just untrained.
To improve memory, it is useful:
- solve crosswords, logic problems, puzzles, etc.;
- learn foreign languages;
- learn something new-get new knowledge, skills, etc.;
- read books (not important, classics or detective stories-it is important that it was interesting to you);
- to move: to walk, to perform feasible physical exercises, etc.
Help you remember information:
- special techniques and techniques (there are an incredible number of them, and some may seem absurd to you-choose the right ones for yourself);
- aromatherapy (for example, the scent of rosemary helps focus and stimulates thinking);
- knowing and using your strengths: someone remembers better by ear, someone needs to see, read the information, and someone-to say it.
And it is also useful from time to time to “shake things up” – to remember what you once learned, sort out valuable memories. Unclaimed information is gradually erased, so if you want to keep something in your memory for a long time-use it or at least just remember sometimes.
Diet for good memory
Food for the mind is not only intellectual. Many processes in the body depend on what we eat and in what quantities. In particular, it depends on whether the brain gets everything necessary for full, productive work. If not, we have difficulties, and not only with memory.
What do you need to eat to keep a good memory? Here is a short list of useful products. Include them in your diet before you forget!
- oily sea fish;
- egg;
- liver;
- cheese;
- nuts (especially walnuts);
- vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, potatoes);
- legumes (peas, beans, lentils);
- citrus fruits (lemons, oranges);
- sea kale;
- rosemary;
- honey;
- olive oil;
- dark (bitter) chocolate;
- pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds;
- blueberry.
Please note: the food must be balanced, because the miracle substance that can instantly improve memory does not exist — the body needs a whole complex of useful substances: unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins (especially b vitamins), and antioxidants, and trace elements (especially zinc, iron, iodine, manganese), and fiber. Therefore, you should not look for a panacea and diligently lean on a particular product: due to only one seaweed and broccoli from forgetfulness and distraction will not get rid of, and an excess of chocolate or citrus can also provoke an Allergy.
What is the conclusion?
Memory loss always signals that we have problems that should not be ignored, even if it is “just” fatigue. Absent-mindedness and forgetfulness can make life pretty bad, and you do not need to put up with them. Moreover, often in order to improve memory, simple measures are enough: to establish a work and rest regime; to provide a full diet; to learn how to deal with stress and its consequences; not to neglect physical activity; to train the brain regularly.
A good memory is a great help in work, study, and in everyday worries. Let’s try to keep it strong and healthy until old age. It’s in our power!
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