If it’s been a few days to weeks since you took a tumble and you’re experiencing memory slips, having a hard time focusing, or feeling confused or disoriented, see a doctor. The cognitive effects of a mild traumatic brain injury can be subtle but persistent, and it’s often hard to connect the dots if you didn’t lose consciousness after falling and/or injuring yourself. “People can underappreciate the impact of a hit to the head,” Dr. Blum says. (Headaches, fatigue, problems with your speech, and dizziness after a fall are also physical signs to watch out for, whether you’re having memory problems or not.)
Any “mild” injury to the brain still deserves medical attention and close monitoring. It may affect your neurological functions temporarily, and your doctor will want to make sure there aren’t serious bruises, tissue tears, bleeding, or other physical damage near or in your brain that could lead to more concerning side effects or health complications down the road. However, most people should gradually feel better with rest, OTC pain relievers, and time.
Your memory problems are severely impacting your ability to function in day-to-day life.
Many other health issues can influence your memory, attention, and thinking, according to the experts SELF spoke with. Metabolic conditions like a thyroid disorder, nutrient deficiencies (particularly B12), substance use disorders, post-viral illnesses like long COVID, chronic pain, and medications you’re taking can all be culprits—and each can trigger unique symptoms.
Any of these health problems can lead you to miss a bill payment or fail to grasp that word on the tip of your tongue. Slight forgetfulness also becomes more apparent as you age, usually around your 50s. However, simply getting older doesn’t equate to consistently missing bills or appointments, having a hard time speaking with people, or feeling lost or confused in places that are familiar to you.
Once these things are common enough to impact your daily functioning, close relationships, and mental well-being, a neurologist is more likely to suspect a progressive brain disease like Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia, or frontotemporal dementia. Age is the biggest factor in these diagnoses: The majority of dementia cases occur in people 70 and older. It’s “extraordinarily rare,” though not impossible, for folks in their 30s or 40s to be affected, Dr. Dawson says.
Neurologists will also look for the following memory-specific symptoms if they’re exploring a dementia diagnosis:
- You recall moments that happened a long time ago but can’t remember recent events.
- You fail to remember something (like the general plot of your favorite movie) even when you’re given a cue (like the lead actors’ names) to help jog your memory.
- You’re asking the same questions over and over.
- You can’t follow a conversation or remember a conversation you recently had.
- You’re consistently losing track of the date or time of year.
- You lose things all the time and are unable to find them.
- Your loved ones are pointing out changes in your memory and mood, even when the symptoms aren’t obvious to you.
