8 reasons to distract you

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to memory impairment. About 40% of women become more forgetful during menopause. Memory may be affected after a flight lasting more than four hours.

Here are the causes of "forgetfulness", according to Body and Soul.

1. High blood pressure

Studies in the United States conducted on more than 30,000 people in four years show that people with high blood pressure are less likely to perform faster memory tests and memory loss over time.

Dr Gavin Lambert from Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute said: 'Hypertension may mean changes in blood vessel structure that make the walls of the blood vessels thicker and the blood circulation in the body becomes difficult. towel. As a result, organs in the body will also be damaged. The brain is also one of them. This affects people's awareness and memory ability. Therefore, maintain a balanced diet, reasonable weight, regular exercise, no smoking. If you are taking blood pressure medication, take it regularly to stabilize your blood pressure. "

2. Spend long flights

Long flights can affect short-term memory.(Photo: flightcatchers)

Memory may begin to be affected after a flight lasting more than four hours. This causes headaches and can affect short-term memory. Normally, people will recover but may not recall exactly what happened at the time.

3. Lack of vitamin B12

According to Denise Griffiths, a spokesperson for the Australian Dietetic Association, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to changes in cognition, forgetfulness or memory loss. Scientists believe that vitamin B12 can protect the myelin sheath - the crust surrounding the axon of nerve cells. If this shell is damaged it can affect the transmission of messages to the brain and from the brain to other places.

4. Menopause

Research conducted by the University of Illinois in 2008 found a link between 'hot flashes' and poor memory in women during menopause. This study follows another study showing that as many as 40% of women report becoming more forgetful at menopause.

According to Professor Pauline Maki, the more "hot flashes" women have, the less memory they have. Maki also found that women with these flushes interrupted sleep and even got a worse memory.

Hot flashes are associated with poor memory in menopausal women.(Photo: health)

Elizabeth Farrel, gynecologist consultant from Women's Health, said that although there is no clear evidence that menopause causes dementia, many women in this period continue to feel the feeling. messed up with everything. She said: 'People often have to' struggle 'with finding words and forgetting others' names. You should talk to your doctor about these symptoms if it affects your life. '

5. Chemotherapy

Research at Stanford University (USA) shows that patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy suffer some influence on the parts of the brain responsible for memory.

According to Dr. Helen Zorbas, Executive Director of the Australian Cancer Institute, one of the unwanted side effects of chemotherapy is 'chemo brain' (chemotherapy that causes brain function impairment). This effect may be mild or significant depending on the situation. It is a bit vague, or confused and mild amnesia usually takes place in a short period of time when the treatment is taken and most of the time it returns to normal afterwards.

6. Thyroid problems

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which hypothyroidism results in a decrease in thyroid hormone production. Thereby slowing metabolism, causing fatigue and can reduce memory. Hypothyroidism is common after age 40 and affects about 6 to 10% of women and a smaller number of men.

Dr. Ronald McCoy, spokesperson for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said that when you are experiencing a health problem that causes fatigue, you will easily become more forgetful. But when impaired thyroid function is treated, people will recover well and memory will be restored. Hypothyroidism can be treated with medication.

7. Alcohol

Alcohol affects the information storage area in the brain.(Photo: salon)

Drinking too much alcohol can have a negative effect on hippocampus memory - the part of the brain that stores information and forms memories; preventing transfer of memories from short-term memory to long-term memory. Therefore, people who drink often cannot remember what happened during the time they drink.

8. Pregnancy

Pregnancy can affect a woman's memory. According to the researcher - Dr. Julie Henry, a member of a University of New South Wales study: 'Jobs that require frequent memorization such as remembering phone numbers of friends and relatives are often difficult to be affected. . However, that's another thing when you have to remember to add new phone numbers or keep in mind a lot of other information . ' She said the sudden changes in the body during pregnancy may be the reason.