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Suggest Remedies For Short Term Memory Loss Caused By Stress
Question: Hi doctor, I am a 43 year old female. I work in a very stressful healthcare environment and deal with this by doing a lot of exercise. What concerns me is that my short -term memory is unable to recall many things that my work colleagues tell me even though they tell me they have. My long-term memory is fine. This has been this for the past 12 months or so. I am in good health otherwise and there is no family history of dementia, MS etc. I feel daft even asking about this but could this forgetfulness be purely down to stress? Kind regards, xxxxx
Brief Answer:
How to get this sorted out:
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
It may be due to stress, but it can be from other causes too. Lack of sleep or lack of quality sleep has been found to interfere with short term memory. Excessive use of alcohol can too. In some people it doesn't take much alcohol to cause this.
And I think it would be a good idea to have a couple of blood test done:
1. TSH and thyroxine level. Because an underactive thyroid can cause this.
2. Fasting glucose level and/or glucose tolerance test. Too see if your blood sugar goes too low which can cause difficulty concentrating,etc.
If all of this is ok, then the next thing to consider is a neuropsych test. These are done by specially trained psychologists. Not all psychologists can do these so find one that has experience and who can also test for anxiety and depression at the same time. A neuropsych test involves testing many different types of memory and thinking - short term recall, sequencing, and other tests. They can be lengthy, 1 1/2 - 3 hours. This is not a "mini mental status" which would not be helpful in your situation. A neuropsych test will help sort out where the deficits may be. And then the neuropsychologist will refer you for further help accordingly.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
How to get this sorted out:
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
It may be due to stress, but it can be from other causes too. Lack of sleep or lack of quality sleep has been found to interfere with short term memory. Excessive use of alcohol can too. In some people it doesn't take much alcohol to cause this.
And I think it would be a good idea to have a couple of blood test done:
1. TSH and thyroxine level. Because an underactive thyroid can cause this.
2. Fasting glucose level and/or glucose tolerance test. Too see if your blood sugar goes too low which can cause difficulty concentrating,etc.
If all of this is ok, then the next thing to consider is a neuropsych test. These are done by specially trained psychologists. Not all psychologists can do these so find one that has experience and who can also test for anxiety and depression at the same time. A neuropsych test involves testing many different types of memory and thinking - short term recall, sequencing, and other tests. They can be lengthy, 1 1/2 - 3 hours. This is not a "mini mental status" which would not be helpful in your situation. A neuropsych test will help sort out where the deficits may be. And then the neuropsychologist will refer you for further help accordingly.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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