Aging comes with many challenges, sometimes including ones that can affect our ability to function in daily life—such as those relating to memory. With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease, some may worry they are on that path. What are the factors that reduce our capacity to remember? How do Alzheimer’s and forgetfulness differ? How do we know when to seek help?
What Is Forgetfulness?
Forgetfulness can be a normal sign of aging. Signs of forgetfulness include an inability to recall important dates or names, occasional inability to recall everyday words, not remembering where you set down your car keys, and reduced ability to multitask. Of course, these situations can happen to anyone, but if it happens with more frequently and affects our daily life and work, then we need to explore the cause.Fortunately, in most cases, forgetfulness in and of itself is not an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease but it does provide us with some warning signs of other health issues. First, it tells us that the brain is aging. People over the age of 40 are more prone to forgetfulness. In general, human memory is at its prime around the age of 20, and may begin to decline more noticeably from our 50s or 60s. As we age our memory can worsen.
