It is a well known fact that aging will affect memory for many different reasons. Family members, friends, spouses, and careers all suffer because of aging and memory loss. Loss of memory seems to be a part of life that may sneak up on a person, gradually growing worse until it is finally acknowledged as being serious to warrant attention.
One of the least-heard-of ways people are affected by loss of memory is called male menopause. It seems to be more of an issue to keep the health problems affecting men a secret than it is for women. The male pride can be extremely sensitive in the areas of failing health.
The first memory that seems to be affected by aging is short-term memory. It is easy to assume that one may be in the first stages of Alzheimer's when memory loss begins to occur. Indeed, some may laugh at the idea of male menopause. After all, everyone knows menopause is something women endure, right? Unfortunately, this is not at all true. Most men just never seek help for this condition because of not being aware of their feelings on a conscious level. Men are taught to put their emotions aside because to openly acknowledge them is perceived as a sign of weakness.
Forgetfulness is at the beginning of the list of changes occurring later in life. The mental processes are slowing down. We begin to run low on hormones after the age of 40.
There is a steroid hormone that the body will normally produce, using cholesterol as its main raw material. It converts into other steroids the body uses. The level of this hormone declines with age. Low doses such as 10-30 mg a day has been shown to be a memory enhancer with a punch! Possibly the most powerful memory enhancer of all, it is also an anti-inflammatory aid which helps arthritic conditions when given at high doses of 400-500 mg per day. Other benefits of this hormone are increased energy levels, balanced hormone levels, and repair to the sheath that covers neurons in the central nervous system.
Many women are able to laugh and joke with others about the effects of menopause, especially the memory loss. It may be harder to notice memory loss caused by menopause simply because women and men are both caught up in working and rearing their children. This causes preoccupation of the mind, due to the busy lifestyles.
Aging and memory loss are no joke, certainly, and even those who are able to find the humor in it may secretly be covering for the frustration it actually causes in their day-to-day lives. Forgetting can be a scary, intimidating part of the aging process. Once it becomes such a problem that the elderly are faced with their loss of independence, it is certainly no longer a joke to one of them. It can cause life-threatening confusion, sometimes causing them to wander away from home and get lost, cause a vehicle accident by wandering into the street, or subject them to the fierce elements of nature.
There has been more than one study on how to improve memory and reasons for memory loss. Let's review some causes for impaired memory.
Suppose you decide you need help enduring a nerve-racking airplane ride, so you swallow one of the calming, hypnotic prescription drugs designed for insomniacs and sufferers of panic attacks or anxiety. These are drugs like alprazolam, triazolam, or zolpidem. (One well-known drug that has become more popular just in the past few years is Ambien.) Unfortunately, a side effect of such a drug is a condition also known as 'traveler amnesia'.
Normally, once a person stops the use of the prescription drug that caused the amnesia, memory begins to improve. Even though you should always be aware of the side effects of any drug, it is possible that something new will develop that wasn't discovered in the study of the drug. Also, because each person is unique, a drug may cause a reaction only one person may experience.
Another study done on memory loss involves head trauma. This can lead to transient post concussive syndrome. Symptoms are mental dullness, poor memory, depressed mood, and headaches. These symptoms can last a few days or a few weeks. Often after a tragedy such as a vehicle accident that causes extensive head injury, the resulting concussion brings immediate mental confusion.
Other ways to obtain head trauma include hitting a head during a hard fall, something heavy falling on the head, or someone hitting your head with a hard object (accidentally, or during a fight).
There have been a large number of studies done regarding memory impairment caused by diseases or psychological problems. With a disease there is hope of improvement, depending on how far the disease has progressed before proper help was obtained. Also, science and technology constantly allow more information to be discovered. As for psychological problems, there is treatment for the underlying problems through psychiatric care, counseling, and medication. Often the memory can be used as a healing tool against itself, such as through reliving an event to better understand why memories were blocked.
An important thing to understand in many cases of memory impairment is that repetition may be crucial to positive progress. We must teach ourselves to do something over and over until we can unconsciously remember because of habit. Some people are creatures of habit and can only get through their days with the most success if they stick to their routines. Anything that deviates from their routine can cause anxiety and throw their mental balance off course significantly. Their routine becomes their mental and emotional security blanket.
Several types of animals have been used in laboratories as a basis to study memory improvement. Hence the old mouse in a maze routine! Dogs can be taught to win contests by their abilities to remember and follow set courses with obstacles. Orangutans have been taught to learn sign language because of their ability to grasp and remember. Lost cats have found their way home after extensive travel. So, the study of memory continues to amaze and confound science and the medical world!
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