Why the loss of memory?

How many times has it happened to us that someone tells us his name and we forget it the second time? This situation, sometimes unpleasant, is very frequent. It is also not being able to remember where we left the keys or the wallet or have a word on the tip of the tongue and not finish finding it. These bad passes that our memory plays, In addition to the common of mortals, it also affects celebrities. In the latest edition of 'MasterChef Celebrity' (TVE), won by Tamara Falcó, her mother Isabel Preysler was not able to remember which of her husbands she had married in Illescas, to the surprise of Mario Vargas Llosa. Singer Shakira forgot part of the anthem of Colombia while singing it at the Summit of the Americas in 2012 and Sara Carbonero He attributed, in an article, the quote of "walker there is no way …" to Joan Manuel Serrat instead of Antonio Machado.

Memory is a very complex neurological phenomenon. Today we only know part of its mechanisms and unfortunately diseases that affect it, such as Alzheimer's or other types of dementia that currently have no cure.

Types of memory

Basically we can say that there are two types: short-term memory, with which we are able to remember small amounts of information for a short period of time, such as a telephone or a name; Y Long term memory, in which the saved information is larger and available for longer. Most people remember faces better than names. This is logical because during the thousands of years of our evolutionary development of hominids we have not had a name and individuals were recognized by their features, appearance, etc. As in wolf packs, for example. So our brain has much more developed visual memory than others.

In addition, memory requires attention. Processes we perform automatically such as closing a door or leaving keys or wallet somewhere, they are done without paying attention and therefore, many times we don't remember them.

Memory diseases

There are situations or diseases in which memory can be affected. Hypothyroidism, folic acid deficiency or alcoholism are some of them. Stress, lack of sleep or poor diet can also influence. As everyone knows, there are diseases like Alzheimer's or other dementias less known in which memory is affected, especially the recent one. Many times patients remember in detail aspects of their youth but do not recognize their relatives and do not remember what they have said or done. Nor do they recognize their home or the day they are. Unfortunately, making an early diagnosis of these diseases is difficult. The first symptoms are usually memory losses of which family or friends realize. Even if large amounts of resources are being devoted to research and today they have no cure, hopefully in the near future there will be more effective treatments.

In the meantime can use small tricks to avoid blushing by not remembering the name of a person who has just been introduced. Try to associate it with some characteristic of it or repeat it aloud. Relating it to a famous or historical character can make it easier to remember. The numbers can try to associate them, for example, in the form of dates that remind you of your own or someone else's event. Try to leave your precious items always in the same places. This can avoid more than one dislike.