At What Age Can You Lose Your Memory and Why?

Much sooner than you think and for several reasons.

Christina Sponias
ILLUMINATION

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An old woman losing her memory.
Geralt on Pixabay

We generally believe that normal memory decline begins after age 60, but memory decline begins much earlier.

In fact, memory loss can begin as early as 40 years of age. If you have certain health problems, you may even begin to experience memory loss well before age 40. This is a situation that can vary widely based on individual circumstances and even family history.

However, memory loss does not always mean a sign of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Normal forgetfulness occurs from time to time and does not significantly affect daily life. Normal memory loss due to aging can cause you to forget something at the moment but remember it soon after.

Memory lapses can be frustrating, but most of the time they are nothing to worry about. Age-related memory changes are not the same thing as dementia.

As you age, you experience physiological changes that can cause brain functions that you have always considered normal to fail. It takes you longer to learn and recall information and you are not as fast as you used to be. You may mistake this slowing down of your mental processes for true memory loss.

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