Why Do I Forget Things? -- Causes and
Top 10 Natural Remedies
Related Links
Alzheimer's Disease -An Ideal Prevention Diet
How to Improve Your Memory
How to Raise Your IQ Naturally
Curry Fights Alzheimer's-New Report
Vascular Dementia -Causes and Remedies
Top 10 Foods that Fight Depression
My Heart Attack At Age 30
My Heart Attack Was Silent
How to Unclog Your Arteries -Top 10 Natural Remedies
Ideal Weight for Women-Chart
Normal Waist Size
Foods That Shrink Your Waist
10 Easy Ways to Become More Active
Exercises You Can Do At Home to Lose Weight
Are Diet Sodas Bad for Your Health
Size 6 Weight Chart-How Much Do You Have to Lose?
Does Coffee Help You Lose Weight?
Waist Size Matters
Sugar-The Disease Connection
Why Europeans Are Thinner
How Much Sugar Is In Your Food?
How Much Is Too Much Salt?
October 3, 2011
By Alison Turner, Contributing Columnist
5. Herpes Can Damage Your Memory. Did you know that
most people who have herpes don't know it? And, herpes
simplex encephalitis can make you forgetful. . Encephalitis is
the medical term for swelling in the brain that is due to
infections. This swelling usually decreases with age, though it
is the very young and the very old that are most likely to be
seriously affected.
Many types of viral infections can lead to encephalitis, spread
by exposure to skin, food and drink, or respiratory droplets
from the breath of an infected person. One of the most
common viruses leading to severe cases of encephalitis is the
herpes simplex virus, which may appear as sores around the
mouth or genitals (though some infected people do not
experience this symptom).
Recently, more psychological symptoms have been added to
the list for herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). A 2010 study led
by Dr.Hakon Grydeland with The Center for the Study of
Human Cognition at the University of Oslo , responded to the
high correlation between patients with HSE and “memory
deficits.” They concluded that “patients with HSE have
reduced microstructural integrity” in the white matter of the
brain in addition to “grossly visible lesions.” Even “subtle
lesions,” the experts report, “probably contribute to the
memory impairment manifested by these patients.”
There are medicines to help your body fight the virus, and to
alleviate and decrease the number of outbreaks of sores.
6. Long term, Excessive Alcohol Consumption Causes Brain
Atrophy. Want to make your brain shrink? Just keep drinking
too much booze. In 2008, a team of researchers including Drs.
Rhoda Au, Sudha Seshadri and Philip Wolf with the Boston
University School of Public Health, followed up on “evidence
that drinking large amounts of alcohol is related to brain
atrophy.” Their report concludes that “the more alcohol
consumed, the smaller the total brain volume” of their
subjects. Break down of the brain would have several serious
consequences, only one of which is impaired memory.
So then, how much is too much alcohol?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in
the United States a “standard drink” of alcohol is recognized as
13.7 grams or 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. In most cases, this
amount is found in a 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, and
a 1.5 ounce shot of liquor (vodka, whiskey, rum, etc). In the
United States, “moderate” drinking is considered to be two
drinks a day for men and one for women. (Read more about
the connection between drinking beer and high blood
pressure.)
7. Huntington’s Disease. Odds are that if your memory
suffers because of Huntington’s Disease, you already know that
you have it – but memory loss may not have been on your
original list of symptoms.
Huntington’s disease is a genetic condition passed on through a
defect on chromosome 4, in which certain areas of the brain
waste away. If one parent is affected, the offspring has a 50%
chance of contracting the disease, and as the defect is passed
on through generations the chances increase of developing
symptoms earlier . Nevertheless, the most common form is
adult-onset Huntington’s, in which symptoms develop in the
mid 30s and 40s.
Earliest symptoms include hallucinations, irritability, paranoia
and unusual body movements (such as grimaces or jerking
from the arms or legs). As the disease progresses it affects the
head more seriously, including disorientation, changes in
personality and speech and, notably, loss of memory.
Indeed, a 2006 report conducted by Dr. Alonso Montoya with
McGill University and other researchers from Quebec
institutions confirms that “memory dysfunction is an important
feature in the clinical presentation of Huntington’s disease (HD)
and may precede the onset of motor symptoms.”
Unfortunately, as of yet there is no cure for Huntington’s
disease, nor is there a way to stop the disease from getting
worse. Medications are, however, often prescribed in order to
alleviate symptoms of abnormal behavior, unexpected body
movements, and tendencies towards depression.
8. HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
explains that while there have been “great strides” in the
prevention of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) since
its recognition in 1981, an estimated 56,000 people in the
United States alone became affected in 2006. HIV destroys
blood cells that are vital to the body’s defense against
diseases. Accordingly, a few weeks after infection, many
people experience flu-like symptoms – while others may not
feel symptoms for years.
HIV weakens the body in several ways, including its cognition.
Dr. Steven Woods, affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry
at the University of California, San Diego, and other experts,
published a study in 2008 stating that “HIV infection is often
associated with frontal systems pathology and related deficits
in the strategic encoding and retrieval aspects of episodic
memory.” Their study analyzed HIV’s affect on “source
memory,” what we use to recall information, and is “heavily
reliant on frontal systems and strategic cognitive processes.”
The results from this study led its researchers to conclude that
HIV negatively affects both episodic memory and source
memory.
While there have been advances in drugs that alleviate
symptoms, the best strategy of course is prevention.
Strategies of prevention against HIV include using protection
during sexual activity, not sharing needles or syringes for the
injection of drugs, and avoiding direct blood-to-blood exposure
by any method with an infected person. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone
over the age of 13 be tested for HIV, and that those with
“increased risk” be tested every year.
9. Depression. As anyone who has been, or knows
someone who has been, depressed knows, depression is not
simply a long stretch of bad days. Indeed, Dr. Kenneth Heilman
writes in Neurology Now (Aug/Sept 2011), that long term
depression can have long-term harmful effects. Depression
might damage the immune system, increase blood pressure,
and even raise levels of the steroid glucocorticoid, which can
damage the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is “crucial to
creating long-term memories.” Dr Heilman assures, however,
that often when depressed patients experience memory loss,
these symptoms “lessen” after treatment, usually a
combination of psychotherapy and drug therapy – and that the
earlier the treatment begins, the better.
10. Epilepsy. A seizure is a period of disturbed brain
activity that changes behavior – repeated seizures is a brain
disorder called epilepsy. Epilepsy results from permanent
changes in brain tissue, so that the brain becomes excitable and
sends out abnormal signals. The cause of epilepsy is either
from another medical condition (dementia, for example), an
injury that affects the brain (such as a stroke), or is unknown.
Symptoms vary from long periods of staring to violent shaking,
depending on which part of the brain is affected.
In 2008, Dr. C.R. Butler with the Division of Clinical
Neurosciences at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr. A.Z.
Zeman with the Department of Neurology at the Peninsula
Medical School in the UK, stated that “Complaints of memory
difficulties are common among patients with epilepsy,” but that
“the reason for these complaints is often unclear and patients
frequently perform normally on standard neuropsychological
tests of memory.” Drs Butler and Zeman emphasis that certain
types of memory (such as “long-term forgetting” and “remote
memory”) are common amongst epilepsy patients, but that
“their presence goes undetected by standard memory tests”
despite the “profound impact on patients’ lives.”
Options for treatment include surgery or medication, depending
on the patient’s specific condition.
11. Heart Failure Causes Memory Loss. Heart failure is a
little known cause of memory loss. Memory and other parts of
cognition have been shown to be affected in patients who have
suffered congestive heart failure (CHF). For example, Dr. Luigi
Trojano with the Department of Psychology at the University of
Naples and a team of several other doctors with Italian
universities and research centers, published a study in 2003
that analyzed the relationship between congestive heart failure
and cognitive dysfunction. They found that “cognitive
impairment is common among CHF patients and seems to be
causally related to CHF severity, depression, and
hypertension.”
If you have suffered heart attacks in the past and now struggle
with memory, they may not be separate issues -- contact your
doctor to be screened for heart failure.
Back to page 1
Related Links: Alzheimers' Disease -An Ideal Breakfast for
Prevention
How to Raise Your IQ Naturally
10 Foods to Fight Depression
Foods That Shrink Your Waist / Size 6 Weight Chart / Size 8
Weight Chart / 10 Small Changes to Make You More Active /
Exercise At Home to Lose Weight / Exercises That Speed Up
Your Metabolism/Are Diet Sodas Bad for Your Health?//Ideal
Weight Chart for Children of Different Heights/ Does Drinking
Cold Water Burn Calories?/ Size 6 Weight Chart-How Much Do
You Have to Lose to Get Into a Size 6 / Simple Diet to Lose 10
Pounds/ Does Coffee Help You Lose Weight?
More Related Links:
Ideal Breakfast to Lose Weight
Diet and Exercise-A Simple Plan
Six Pack Abs--Step By Step
Foods That Reduce Blood Pressure
Owning a Cat Reduces Risk of Stroke 40%
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Home > Conditions > Heart Problems > You Are Here |
| COLLECTIVE WIZDOM.COM Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Life |
Advertise With Us Register Privacy Policy About Us Contact Us Disclaimer : All information on www.collectivewizdom.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, please consult your doctor. Privacy Policy. About Us Contact Us (c) copyright collectivewizdom.com 2007 -2011 and all prior years. All rights reserved |
| Forgetfulness is a common sign of heart failure, studies show. |
