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Behind the blur

Photo: K Murali Kumar

Diminishing tendency Fading memory can cause problems at times

Where did I put my keys? Oh I left that shopping list at home again? Why can’t I remember the name of that movie I saw last month? Sounds familiar? Well, then you surely are going through short-term memory loss. Don’t despair, for, you ar e not losing your mind. Short-term memory loss is very common and it has very little to do with loss of memory per se. And it surely isn’t a pathological condition a la Aamir Khan in Gajini.

Our brains are specially tuned to store, retain, and retrieve large amounts of information. . Without memory, we would not be able to go about our daily business. Our brain registers what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and think when we make observations in daily life. If we constantly repeat or remember something that we observe, our brain keeps this information in our short-term memory and it is reserved for information that we need to access quickly. For instance, our short term memory can recall a phone number for just the amount of time we need to dial it. A short while later we tend to erase it from our mind.

Kenny, a designer with a long list of clients, is a busy man. “Since I handle many projects at once, I tend to forget things easily. I rely greatly on my Palmtop which acts as my electronic memory bank and I feel lost without it.”

Memory loss is a natural part of aging. Women, especially in the menopausal stage, forget names, faces, numbers and their ilk during this time. Manjari, an otherwise active homemaker, is flummoxed over the latest development of her memory letting her down. “I was a Kitty queen and won most of the games that we played. But my memory is not cooperating now.” Menopause is a time of extreme stress for many women. Weight gain, hot flushes and mood swings, they all contribute to massive amount of tension. Menopause depression can lead to difficulty in retaining and retrieving information. Lack of sleep combined with poor nutrition can also make it extremely hard for the brain to keep up.

But there are ways to overcome or prevent this kind of a situation. Most of us work out for our bodies but what about our brain? It needs exercise too. Keep it sharp with crossword puzzles, brainteasers, or evening or weekend hobby classes. A good night’s sleep will keep your energy levels at a premium so your brain can think clearly and remember information when you need it. Sleep at least eight hours a day. See that your diet is good. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, a balance of protein and carbohydrates, and avoid alcohol, which only impairs memory. Certain foods have been linked with improved mental acuity including blueberries, fish, legumes, and soy products.

Multi-tasking women like Swathi have been worst hit by the problem. A mother of two little girls, the lady at times finds herself struggling to recall names of close associates. “It can be really embarrassing at times,” she admits.

Stress is the main culprit in Swathi’s case. Stress causes the body to release the hormone cortisone, which blocks memories from being stored. The only way out is to de-stress oneself through breathing exercises, yoga, swimming, or walking.

It is, however, a misconception that only aging leads to loss of memory. Ragini, a mother of two teenagers, wonders why the memory of her otherwise smart kids fails in recollecting where they had placed their books or bike keys. “May be, this is the age when one tends to be careless about things around,” she tries to reason out.

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