Why Is My Memory so Bad

It is very necessary to understand the reasons behind the decline in memory, because it is related to our grasp of our own health status. Only by knowing which factors are affecting memory can we take targeted measures to prevent, improve or deal with this situation, so as to better maintain a good life, study and work status.

What is Memory

The basic process of memory consists of three links: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding is the beginning of the memory process, which is the process of identifying and remembering things and forming a certain impression. Storage is a process of strengthening the content of recognition so that it can better become a person's experience. Retrieval is a form of reproduction of experience.

Memory loss is caused by many reasons. Physical function decline caused by aging, lack of sleep or poor quality sleep, long-term excessive stress, unreasonable diet structure, poor living environment, certain diseases and side effects of specific drugs can all lead to memory loss. In addition, factors that are easily overlooked, such as over-reliance on electronic products, which reduces the brain's active memory training opportunities, and bad habits such as smoking and excessive drinking that damage brain function, are also affecting our memory. Understanding these different reasons can help us understand the phenomenon of memory loss more comprehensively so that we can pay more attention to our own health.

Why Do Young People Forget Things

You may have had this experience, staying up late and not going to bed before midnight; working overtime all night and playing with your phone before going to bed. You feel that you are wasting your rest time if you don't play with your phone. Little do you know that these behaviors are actually damaging our memory.

Because our sympathetic nerves rest at night and stay excited during the day, only in this way can we stay energetic throughout the day. When you have an irregular schedule, it is difficult for the sympathetic nerves to stay excited during the day, but they may be excited at night. At this time, inevitably, you can't concentrate and your memory will decline.

10 Surprising Causes of Memory Lapses

1. Growing age

As we age, our body functions gradually decline, including memory. This is a common manifestation of normal physiological processes. The paper "Brain charts for the human lifespan" by a research team led by the University of Cambridge in the UK and the University of Pennsylvania in the US shows that our brain expands rapidly in the early stages of life and slowly shrinks as we age. Just like the parts of a machine will wear out after being used for a long time, the activity of nerve cells and the function of the cerebral cortex will slowly change after a long period of time, causing memory to gradually decline. Elderly people often forget what they just did and can't remember the names of acquaintances, which are mostly normal phenomena caused by age factors.

2. Lack of Sleep

Sleep plays a vital role in the normal functioning of the brain. When there is insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality, the brain cannot get enough rest, just like an engine that has been running at high speed without timely maintenance. When the brain lacks sufficient rest, the information transmission between nerve cells, the synthesis and release of memory-related neurotransmitters in the brain, etc. will be disturbed, which in turn affects memory. People who stay up late for a long time or suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia often feel that their memory has declined significantly.

The New York University Center for Neuroscience found through observation of the neural activity of Aplysia that the drowsiness of organisms after eating may be a self-repair mechanism after our biological evolution, and there is a certain connection with the promotion of long-term memory formation. After humans ingest food, while secreting insulin, they also secrete a group of insulin-like polypeptide molecules-growth factor II (IGF2). One of these two insulin-like molecules is mainly insulin, which is responsible for metabolic control, regulating eating and energy balance. The other is centered on IGF2, which is responsible for promoting the growth of neuronal processes and helping to enhance the neural connections required for memory formation.

The study found that both sea slugs and humans allocate more of this insulin-like energy to nutrition and memory storage through sleep after eating.

3. Lack of Exercise

If the body is inactive for a long time, blood circulation will slow down and the brain will not get enough oxygen and nutrients. Exercise can promote blood circulation and enable the brain to work better. Imagine that if a precision machine is not adequately powered, its operating efficiency will definitely decrease, and the same is true for the brain.

4. Excessive Drinking and Smoking

Bad habits such as smoking and excessive drinking are also factors that are easily overlooked but actually affect memory. Take drinking as an example. Drinking in moderation may make people relax temporarily, but once it is excessive, alcohol will paralyze brain cells, interfere with the normal transmission of neurotransmitters in the brain, and then affect the formation and storage process of memory, which may cause temporary memory loss. Long-term excessive drinking can also lead to chronic alcohol poisoning, causing more serious damage to the central nervous system, making problems such as memory loss and cognitive decline more obvious.

And smoking should not be underestimated. The harmful substances such as tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide contained in cigarettes will reach all parts of the body through blood circulation, infringe on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular vessels, affect the oxygen-carrying function of brain cells, cause ischemia and hypoxia of brain tissue, interfere with the normal function of the brain, and cause memory decline. In addition, smoking is also the cause of many diseases, such as respiratory diseases, which, once they occur, will also indirectly have a negative impact on memory. Therefore, in order to maintain good memory and physical health, we should try to abandon these bad habits.

5. Too Much Stress

Being under stress for a long time, whether it is psychological stress, such as competitive pressure at work, academic pressure, or economic pressure in life, will have a negative impact on memory. Appropriate stress can stimulate the brain and make us more focused when facing challenges, which helps memory to a certain extent. However, if the stress is excessive, the body will be in a state of stress for a long time, and a large amount of hormones such as cortisol will be secreted in the body. Excessive levels of these hormones will damage the hippocampus and other areas of the brain that are closely related to memory, leading to memory loss.

6. Unhealthy Diet

Whether the diet structure is reasonable has an important impact on memory. If the diet lacks certain key nutrients, such as vitamin B12, vitamin E, zinc, iron, etc., memory may be affected. For example, vitamin B12 plays a key role in maintaining the normal function of the nervous system. Lack of it may cause abnormal metabolism of brain cells; iron is involved in the transportation of oxygen in the body. If the brain does not get enough oxygen supply, its function will also be limited, which will affect memory ability. Therefore, it is very important to ensure a reasonable diet and take in a variety of rich nutrients to maintain good memory.

The Human Nutrition Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture believes that eating too much high-calorie food will have a certain effect on brain aging and neurodegeneration. In daily life, eat more fruits, dried fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken, so as to effectively prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, people who like to eat high-calorie foods should pay attention to moderation in daily life.

7. Environmental Factors

There are many factors in the environment we live in that may interfere with brain function, such as noise, pollution, and toxins, which may lead to memory loss. If you are in a noisy environment for a long time, such as in a factory workshop or near a construction site, the brain will be continuously stimulated by noise, which will easily cause fatigue and affect its processing of information and memory storage. Once heavy metal pollution and chemical pollution in the environment enter the human body, they may accumulate in the body and have a toxic effect on the nervous system, thereby interfering with the normal function of the brain and causing memory loss.

8. Disease Factors

There are many diseases that affect the normal structure or function of the brain, thus causing memory loss. For example, Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that gradually destroys neurons in the brain, causing atrophy of the cerebral cortex, and memory and cognitive abilities will continue to decline; Parkinson's disease, in addition to movement disorders, is often accompanied by cognitive impairment such as memory loss; patients with depression have a disorder of neurotransmitters in the brain and are in a state of depression for a long time, which will also have a significant impact on memory; there are also cerebrovascular diseases. Once the cerebral blood vessels are blocked or ruptured and bleeding, the blood supply to the brain is affected, the brain tissue function in the corresponding area is damaged, and memory will naturally be affected. Thyroid hormones play an important regulatory role in the body's metabolism, including the metabolism of the brain. When the thyroid function is hypothyroid, the secretion of thyroid hormones is insufficient, the body's metabolism slows down, the brain's operation will also become sluggish, and memory may decline.

9. Drug Factors

Some drugs may have side effects that affect memory after taking them. For example, sedatives are mainly used to help people relax and fall asleep, but they may also inhibit some of the brain's neural activities, causing blurred memory and amnesia in the patients who take them. Antidepressants may also interfere with memory-related neural conduction in the process of regulating brain neurotransmitters and improving mood, affecting memory. Therefore, when using these drugs, you must follow the doctor's advice and pay attention to whether such memory-affecting situations occur. If necessary, communicate with the doctor to adjust the medication plan.

10. Genetics

Genetic factors may contribute to memory problems. Studies have found that visual and verbal declarative memory are heritable. Genetic variants increase the likelihood of cognitive problems, including Alzheimer's disease. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene variants, particularly APOE4, are recognized risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Although this variant increases the risk of the disease, it does not cause dementia. It is important to note that most dementias are not hereditary. If your family has a history of dementia, genetic counseling may be necessary. Assessing your risk and recommending genetic testing should be done by a genetic physician.

How to Prevent Memory Loss

1. Get Enough Sleep

Try to get 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep every day, develop a regular schedule, avoid staying up late at night, and soak your feet in hot water or listen to soothing music before going to bed to help you fall asleep.

2. Moderate Exercise

You can choose a suitable exercise method, such as walking, jogging, etc., and do it several times a week for more than 30 minutes each time to promote blood circulation in the body and make the brain more active.

3. Do Some Mental Exercises Every Day

Doing some activities that require concentration and thinking can stimulate thinking. Jigsaw puzzles, playing cards or learning a new language are some mental exercises that can improve memory.

4. Eat Healthy

Eat more nutritious foods, such as meat and eggs rich in vitamin B12, green leafy vegetables rich in folic acid, etc., to ensure the supply of nutrients needed by the brain.

5. Reduce Stress and Regulate Emotions

You can relieve stress in life and keep your mood happy by cultivating hobbies such as painting and calligraphy.

Final Thoughts

If you find that your memory is abnormally reduced, do not ignore it. You must go to a regular hospital for medical treatment in time. Through professional examinations and doctor's diagnosis, you can find out the specific reasons and take targeted measures to improve and treat it. At the same time, in daily life, we must also maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as ensuring adequate and high-quality sleep, a reasonable diet, a balanced intake of nutrition, learning to regulate stress, relax, avoid overwork, reduce dependence on electronic products, and abandon bad habits such as smoking and excessive drinking. Through these ways, we can maintain the good function of the brain and keep our memory in a good state.