List of Causes of Short Term Memory Loss

About Short Term Memory Loss

Memory loss is the inability of a person to remember certain events, people, things, dates and other information about his life. It could either be a long term memory loss, where information from the distant past are forgotten, or short term memory loss, where recent information cannot be retained. Examples of short term memory loss is not remembering where he placed his key just a moment ago, and difficulty recalling the name of the person he just talked to. Here are several causes of short term memory loss.

Trauma to the Head

Brain trauma can cause sudden memory loss. Depending on the degree of the trauma, it can cause both long term memory loss or short term memory loss.This is the most common cause of losing memory and the inability to retain information for some time. If the trauma is not serious enough, short term memory loss can be a temporary condition and will eventually resolve. However, some types of serious head trauma can cause permanent damage to the brain resulting in perpetual short term memory loss.

Depression and Anxiety

When a person is too depressed or anxious, he may experience short term memory loss. He will have a difficult time retaining information and even acquiring it. His concentration and attention will be greatly affected, functioning improperly and failing to remember short term information. This is usually a temporary situation, but if the depression is a serious condition, short term memory loss may become constant.

Diseases and Conditions

There are conditions and diseases that specifically affect the ability of the brain to retain short term memory. One of the most common of these diseases is Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s is an illness that starts out with short term memory loss, but it eventually gets more serious and causes total memory loss in an individual. Tumors and infections in the head can also cause short term memory loss. Deficiency in Vitamin B12 may also lead to memory loss, as this nutrient is important in maintaining the health of the nervous system.

Aging

The normal process of aging may also contribute to the causes of short term memory loss. As people grow old, some brain cells naturally die from time to time, and the body also slows down in producing substances needed by the brain for proper functioning. The effect of aging may present as forgetfulness of the names of people met just a few hours ago. This is usually due to the effects of aging on how the brain stores and recalls information.

Alcohol and Drugs

Interactions between drugs when taken together can cause forgetfulness in a patient, especially an older patient taking multiple medications for treatment of many ailments. Examples of these are medications like sedatives, and those used for pain and control of blood pressure. Alcohol when taken with some medications, can have serious effects on the mental abilities of patients due to its interaction with these drugs. Aside from this, alcohol also have damaging effects on the brain especially if consumed in excessive amounts regularly.

References

Mayo Clinic: Memory Loss: When to Seek Help

FamilyDoctor.org: Memory Loss with Aging: What’s Normals, What’s Not

Mayo Clinic: Traumatic Brain Injury