How much memory loss is normal? Learn the difference between common and serious memory symptoms and the steps you can take to improve your memory.

If your memory isn’t what it used to be, you may think that some memory loss is just an inevitable part of getting older.

But memory loss can happen at any age.

It’s happening more frequently in people of all ages, even in young adults.

If it gets bad enough, you may be worried that you’re headed for dementia or Alzheimer’s.

How do you know when memory lapses can be considered “normal” and when should you be concerned?

There are some simple ways to determine how serious your problem might be that you can do right now.

When Memory Loss Is Normal

Your forgetfulness is almost certainly normal if you can successfully carry on with your day-to-day life.

Everyone forgets where they put things, has “tip of the tongue” moments, or walks into a room and wonders why they are there once in a while.

But if you are having more of these moments than you used to, consider this a wake-up call that you should take stock of your lifestyle.

Are you overworked and stressed out?

Are you eating poorly?

Are you on a low-fat diet or skipping meals to lose weight?

Do you struggle with insomnia?

Do you drink too much?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, it’s likely you are losing your memory because your lifestyle is catching up with you.

That’s not unusual.

Most of us push ourselves, never giving our brains a thought … until it stops working as well as we’d like.

Our brains have a property called neuroplasticity — they are constantly changing.

Start making healthy lifestyle adjustments and you can quickly halt and reverse the trend towards increasing memory loss.