I%E2%80%99m A 59 Year Old Woman, Taking 50 Mg Angisar
I%E2%80%99m noticing that once in a while, when I%E2%80%99m thinking of something and a thought pop into my head, I seem to have difficulty remembering it the next minute. Sometimes, as I try to recall, it comes back, but there are times when it%E2%80%99s completely gone.
I generally have no difficulty remembering other matters in daily life. I read a lot, and can recall information.
Could it be due to age? If so, should I take any meds? What foods/drinks should I take?
As long as these episodes do not affect your ability to handle activities of daily living, there is nothing to worry about them
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
I carefully read your query and understand your concern.
Forgetting or not being able to recall certain information for a while is very common and may happen with anyone, anytime. This is more common when we are tired or too busy. It does not necessarily mean there is a disease that is causing it or that treatment is needed.
Forgetfulness or not being able to recall certain information would be a problem if it affects your daily life. For instance, if you do not remember if you took your pills or not, or if you are not able to find your way at home, etc. So, it would be more of a concern if it is affecting your ability to handle daily activities.
Also, most of the time, patients that have serious problems with memory are generally not aware of this deficit. So, the fact that you are noticing this and are aware of these episodes of not recalling information is another indication that very likely there is no serious cause in your case.
On the other hand, you may share this concern with your doctor and your doctor can ask you tasks that evaluate your short and long term memory and will be able to identify if something worrisome is present (this is called MMSE, mini-mental state examination).
To conclude:
- being unable to recall certain information can happen with healthy individuals and does not necessary mean there is something worrisome
- this is more common when patients are tired or overloaded
- patients that have real problems with memory are generally not aware of this deficit
- So, very likely there is nothing to worry in your case, especially if you are handling well daily activities
- to confirm this, your doctor may do an MMSE to evaluate your memory and other cognitive functions and know for sure that all is well.
- the diet will not affect this, so you just need to make sure you eat healthy food in general with plenty of fruit and vegetables and keep active.
I hope this answers your query.
I remain at your disposal for further medical assistance.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician