“Well, it’s… what was it called…? When I remember it, I’ll say it” – many people are familiar with the situation when you need to pronounce a simple, well-known word, but it seems to “get stuck” in your head and cannot be recalled. We can “twist” it on our tongues for a long time, remember synonyms, but the word we need eludes us.
Sometimes it happens at the most inopportune moments, such as during an important conversation or presentation. Forgetting simple words like this can cause frustration, embarrassment, or even panic. However, sometimes such forgetfulness can be a symptom of serious illnesses.
Let’s figure out why this happens and find out how to deal with it.
Why do words suddenly disappear from memory?
Sometimes this is a symptom of a degenerative process or vascular disorders, which can further lead to vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The “red flags” here are disorientation in space, forgetting the address of the house, the names of relatives and friends, and the patient’s age (60+).
If a person begins to notice a decrease in memory, forgetfulness, absent-mindedness, it is necessary to make an appointment with a neurologist. The doctor will conduct in-depth testing to identify cognitive impairment, as well as testing to identify hidden anxiety and depressive disorders.
During a more in-depth survey, examination, and laboratory diagnostics, a diagnosis is made and therapy is selected that helps compensate for the patient’s complaints and symptoms.
Now let’s look at the causes of forgetfulness in more detail. Let’s start with the “safe” ones, which require a person to have quality rest, but not medical intervention.
- The displacement effect . Our brains are constantly processing huge amounts of information. New knowledge and impressions can displace less popular words from memory.
- Concentration and attention: When we focus on something else, the brain can temporarily “switch off” access to some words.
- Emotional state. Stress, fatigue, anxiety, or other emotional factors can impair the ability to recall words.
- Age: In old age and advanced age (60+), some people may experience minor memory problems, including forgetting words.
To reduce the number of forgetfulness episodes, set a sleep and rest schedule, and do not let your brain get bored – regularly learn new words, read books, solve puzzles. For relaxation, it is also recommended to practice yoga and light physical exercise (gymnastics, running, brisk walking).
Serious reasons for forgetting words
As our expert Elizaveta Zubkova noted above, forgetfulness can be a symptom of serious illnesses. If you ignore this condition, there is a risk of starting the problem.
What can frequent forgetting of words indicate from a medical point of view?
- Progressive dementia. Forgetfulness, especially in the early stages of dementia, often begins with forgetting simple words. This occurs because the brain cells responsible for memory and speech are damaged.
- Having mild cognitive impairment. Conditions where a person has problems with memory or thinking, but they are not severe enough to interfere with daily life.
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA): This is a short-term interruption of blood flow to the brain that can cause symptoms similar to a stroke, including forgetfulness and speech problems.
- Tumor or vascular disease: Tumors or blood clots in the vessels, as well as thrombi, can press on the areas of the brain responsible for speech, causing forgetfulness and other speech problems.
Frequent forgetting of words can also be a consequence of a traumatic brain injury, epileptic seizures. In most cases, everything is not so serious, so there is no need to panic. Forgetting words in itself is not a symptom. However, if you observe a deterioration in memory in general, this is a reason to see a doctor.
Additionally, forgetting words can be a consequence of nervous exhaustion. Often words, numbers, objects “fly out” of the head if the patient has depression or anxiety disorder. Less often, this condition indicates a deficiency of vitamin B12 or problems with the thyroid gland .
Should you see a doctor if you forget words?
It is difficult for the average person to figure out what caused the forgetfulness. At the same time, brain imaging can be expensive, which leads to even more delay in visiting a doctor.
What should alert you?
- Cumulative nature. An increase in the frequency of forgetting episodes, especially over a short period of time.
- Magnitude of amnesia. Forgetting not only individual words, but also entire events or significant information is a prognostically unfavorable sign.
- Professional maladjustment. Reduced ability to perform work or household duties due to forgetfulness.
- Communication difficulties. Forgetting names, details of conversations or promises leads to problems in interpersonal communication and is a serious “alarm bell”.
- Psychoemotional changes. The appearance of irritability, apathy or anxiety may be associated with cognitive impairment.
- Speech dysfunctions: Difficulty finding words or paraphasia (word substitution) require neurological evaluation.
The age of the person experiencing the problem is also important. While forgetfulness in older people may be due to natural aging processes, its sudden onset in younger people may indicate organic brain damage.
First of all, you need to independently assess your own level of forgetfulness. If episodes occur rarely, do not interfere with life and work, and are not accompanied by secondary symptoms, there is no reason to worry.
Ensure that you get adequate rest, organize your diet and exercise schedule. If the problem starts to cause concern, it is better to consult a neurologist and take the tests that the specialist will prescribe.
