memories

Why you forget
Why you forget

Your Health
DR GITA MATHAI

No matter which stage of life you are in, memory lapses will be a cause of consternation; for the young it will affect their marks, for professionals it will mean missed appointments and for the elderly the fear that it may signal Alzheimer’s or dementia. A rule of thumb is that if you are more concerned about it than the people around you, it probably isn’t serious.

Memory starts in the brain with the encoding of data. The brain scans inputs much like a computer and files it away for retrieval at a later date. This process requires chemical reactions in the brain with enzymes, vitamins and essential minerals.

Schools in India emphasise rote learning so our brains become efficient at retention and immediate recall. But often parents complain that whatever is learnt the previous day is forgotten the next morning.

These children have to be tested for anaemia, lead poisoning, thyroid functions and learning disabilities. Their eyesight and hearing need to be checked. If all is normal, the social environment should be investigated. Most often the problem is in the parenting.

Part of the problem may be that children’s lives are very full. The competitive environment makes parents enrol them in tutorial schools. At home television viewing (especially while eating) may further cut into their time. Even if they do not watch TV and only the adults do, the set is often left on permanently, creating a “white noise”. The rapidly flashing images and noise depletes chemicals in the brain. The same thing happens with electronic games on phones, computers or hand-held devices. Much of the information gathered in school and in the tutorials is not encoded properly and is lost for later recall. The areas of the brain responsible for original thought are not stimulated and do not develop to their potential.

Children need adequate sleep to function at their peak scholastically. This is because chemicals in the brain regenerate during “rest time”. Although the number of hours that a child sleeps is very individual, preteen children need around 10 hours and teenagers about eight. While sleep deprived adults become grouchy and bad tempered, children may become hyperactive and unreasonable, with delayed response time. Attentiveness, particularly in school and to homework, may be unsatisfactory. Short-term memory may decrease. Memory improves with physical exercise — an hour of activity replenishes brain chemicals.

Instead of correcting these factors, parents purchase expensive herbal products and health supplements to improve performance. But unless the home environment is corrected, there will be no improvement.

In adults, some memory loss as you age is inevitable. People are afraid they have Alzheimer’s or dementia when they forget things like names or where they left their keys. In these serious disorders you are more likely to forget how to use the key rather than where you left it.

Normal forgetfulness is aggravated by anxiety, stress and depression. Addiction to alcohol, tobacco products or recreational drugs also produces detrimental changes in brain function. Memory becomes poor if there is uncontrolled diabetes, lung, kidney or liver diseases, vitamin B12 or thiamine deficiency. It, therefore, becomes important to maintain your health and prevent and control diseases, as you grow older.

People who eat too much are at risk of lifestyle diseases, which increases their risk for strokes. These destroy small areas in the brain, causing brain ageing and memory loss. Small changes in lifestyle can slow down brain ageing — enough mental activity, physical fitness, stress reduction and a healthy diet. Also, many people miss out on the necessary amount of antioxidants as they do not eat the required 4-6 helpings a day of fruits and vegetables.

Children and adults need a healthy diet, regular and adequate exercise, social interaction and intellectual stimulation to develop a good memory and maintain it. If all else fails, you can always make notes and lists to remind yourself.

Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in