Am I normal?!

[MaryE]

Hello - I am a 72 year old woman and lead a relatively healthy lifestyle. I have always been useless about remembering people’s names etc, and can never find my keys etc etc. However I seem to have become more and more aware of my own forgetfulness and now wondering how much forgetfulness is normal? Can I put it down to old age, something more sinister or am I just being paranoid now?! It all seems rather a vicious circle at the moment. Many thanks

[Dr Dan Nightingale]

Hello Mary, thank you for this question. Many people become concerned about memory loss at some point, but it does not necessaqrily mean there is a problem. It is normal to forget things as the amount of information the brain has to take in is vast - the brain's filtering system will remove some of it. If you have accompanying challenges, such as difficulty planning ahead, writing and following a shopping list, getting lost in familiar surroundings or finding it difficult to carry out everyday tasks, then I would suggest you go and have a chat with your GP. However, if this is not the case, you shouldn't really have anything to worry about.

Dr Dan Nightingale

[Dr Andrew McCaddon]

Hello Mary, I agree entirely with Dr Dan Nightingale; there is very likely nothing at all to be worried about here. That said, as a General Practitioner with an interest in memory problems, I am always very keen to see people as early as possible if they have any concerns at all about their memory. It is very easy indeed for your GP to do a quick, simple and validated test of your memory with some quite straightforward questions. This gives us a good indication as to whether or not there is anything we should be concerned about, and whether or not we should then consider referring on to experts like Dr Nightingale.

[OT Lindsey Skelt]

Hello Mary, I agree with both the above replies and hope you find them reassuring and helpful. I agree with Dr McCadden seeing your GP early can not only put your mind at rest ( stress and worry can seem to make us more forgetful) but there are simple strategies that some people find helpful in maintaining skills and independence. For example you mentioned misplacing car keys; one strategy we use is suggesting having 3 favourite places where you always place an item, with the keys it may be in your handbag, on a hook or in a dish. You make yourself aware that you always place the keys in one of those places and it gives you a starting point when you next have to look for them.