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Why Can’t I Remember Anything


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Why Can’t I Remember Anything


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Why Can’t I Remember Anything? 


By Barbara Brody

Medically Reviewed by Christopher Melinosky, MD on July 31, 2020

In this Article

    What’s Normal?
    Quick Tricks
    Lifestyle and Memory
    Memory and Aging


Faulty memory happens to us all. You can't find your car keys -- again. You

meet someone at a party, and 5 minutes later you forget their name. You

leave the grocery store and have no idea where your car is parked.


Relax. No one has a perfect memory, and it's OK to have some lapses, even if

you're still young.

What’s Normal?


Things you learned only recently -- like a name at a party -- are the

hardest to remember, because they haven’t yet taken root in your mind.


It’s also common to forget where you put something or an appointment that

was on your schedule. Most of the time that happens because you weren’t

paying close attention in the first place. Maybe you were focused on not

spilling your glass of wine instead of learning that new person’s name, or

you might have been thinking about your grocery list instead of where you

left your car. You also tend to forget things when you're tired, sick, or

stressed out.

Quick Tricks


There are things you can do to improve your recall day to day. You may have

to organize (or reorganize) your life a little:


    Get organized. Stash the items you misplace often in the same spot, and

they'll be less likely to go missing in the future. Install a key hook and

cell phone charging station so they have dedicated places.

    Write it down. When it comes to keeping track of your schedule, phone

numbers, and birthdays, put pen to paper. Even if you don't look at your

notes, the act of writing them down can help you recall things.

    Consult your calendar. Get a date book or wall calendar and write

meetings, appointments, family outings -- and everything else -- in it. Look

at your next day’s schedule before you go to bed to help keep events fresh

in your mind.

    Play word games. Create an online password you’ll never forget by using

an acronym. Come up with an easy-to-recall sentence or phrase. For example,

you could use the year your favorite sports team won big: SSSBC14 could

stand for Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Champions in 2014. It means something

to you, so you’ll remember it, but isn’t easy for a hacker to figure out. If

the password was assigned, make up a sentence that fits it.

    Repeat, repeat, repeat. From a name of someone you just met to an

address you need to get to, saying something again can help it stick with

you.

    Work at it. Do something to challenge your brain -- learn a new

language, discuss books with your friends, or curl up with a crossword

puzzle.
    Get social. People who volunteer, or just keep up with friends and

family, are more likely to stay alert.


Lifestyle and Memory


Lifestyle affects memory. For example, your diet plays a role. If your

cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar are too high, the blood vessels

in and around your brain can get clogged or damaged. A Harvard study showed

that people who eat more saturated fat (found in meat and dairy products) do

worse on memory tests than those who eat less. If you're trying to make

better food choices, consider the Mediterranean diet. This way of eating --

which features omega-3-rich fish, heart-healthy olive oil, and plenty of

fresh produce -- has been linked with protecting thinking and memory.


Guess what else is just as good for your memory as for the rest of your

body? Regular exercise. It promotes blood flow to the brain. You should be

getting 30 minutes each day. And you need regular sleep, which helps your

brain file memories so you can access them later on.


If you smoke, stop. It damages blood vessels. If you’re a heavy drinker,

lighten your intake. Research shows heavy drinking will mess with your

memory. Moderate drinking (no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 for

men), though, might actually protect it.
Memory and Aging


Memory slips do seem to get worse through the years. You slowly start losing

brain cells beginning in your 20s, and certain chemicals that these cells

need also decline. It makes sense that your memory is sharper at 25 than at

55 or 75.


Major memory changes don't always signal Alzheimer's disease. They can be

caused by strokes, head injuries, lack of vitamins in your diet, or sleep

trouble. They might even be a side effect of one of the drugs you’re taking.

When in doubt, see a doctor to sort it out.


There are red flags that might reveal a more serious problem. If your slip

ups happen often (you forget where you parked every day) or get in the way

of daily life (you can’t balance a checkbook or you don't remember where you

live), see a doctor. Get checked out if your family or friends tell you that

you weren’t sure who someone was -- and it was a person you know well, such

as a close friend or relative.


And if you live with someone whose personality has changed or seems confused

-- they're not sure where they are or what year it is -- get them to a doctor.

 


https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/why-cant-i-remember?ecd=wnl_men_042022&ctr=wnl-men-

042022_supportTop_title_1&mb=krJWFXIH9EDoIJ0p9u%40crOHnVev1imbC8oivjCCMpJ8%3D

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