10 REASONS YOU’RE SO FORGETFUL

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IT’S THE BOOZE Drinking too much can lead to memory loss in later life, scientists say. An Exeter University study, looking at the past alcohol history and mental abilities of 6,500 middle-aged people over an eight-year period, found those adults with a history of problem drinking were more than twice as likely to suffer severe memory impairment in later life. Heavy drinking can have extensive effects on the brain, ranging from simple lapses in memory to permanent neurological disorders.

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SMOKING HARMS People who smoke could risk losing about a third of their everyday memory. In memory-recall tests carried out at Northumbria University, smokers remembered just 59 per cent of tasks. Ex-smokers remembered 74 per cent, and those who had never touched cigarettes recalled 81 per cent of tasks. It is thought smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain.

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A LACK OF BRAIN FOOD A deficiency of Vitamin B1, which is found in beans and fortified cereals, can cause memory loss. The vitamin aids the proper functioning of enzymes needed to produce neurotransmitters for thought, movement and memory.

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ARE YOU DEPRESSED? Memory loss and an inability to focus may not seem like obvious symptoms of depression – but they are more connected than most people realise. Many areas of the brain are involved with the creation and retrieval of memories. Irregularities in any of these areas, including those that create depression symptoms, can affect how you process memories.

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IT’S ‘BRAIN FOG’’ The ‘brain fog’ pregnant women and new mothers complain of really does exist. Scientists at the University of Bradford and Bradford Institute for Health Research tested the spatial memory, which is concerned with recalling recent events such as where you parked the car. Pregnant women performed significantly worse than non-pregnant women in the tests.

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...OR THE MENOPAUSE A study of 12,450 women in the United States found participants were 40 per cent more likely to report being more forgetful after the menopause. It’s thought that falls in oestrogen levels affect parts of the brain responsible for concentration.

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IT’S THYROID-RELATED An underactive thyroid can affect weight as the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones to regulate the metabolism, but the condition can also cause mental slowing and memory problems as well as depression. An underactive thyroid can be treated with hormone tablets.

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A RECENT TRAUMA Sometimes a stressful or traumatic event causes someone to block out a memory. With this disorder, the degree of memory loss goes beyond normal forgetfulness and includes gaps in memory for longer periods.

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IT’S YOUR MEDICATION Some prescription and overthe-counter drugs can cause memory loss as a side effect, including antidepressants, antihistamines and sleeping pills. 10 IT’S NOT ALWAYS DEMENTIA

People who have memory problems that are noticeable but do not significantly affect their life enough to be called dementia may have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Symptoms include being easily distracted and taking longer to find the right word. Between five and 20 per cent of over-65s have MCI, and about ten per cent will go on to develop dementia.