Recently, there were reports that a good night sleep will enhances memory power. The rational behind that is a state of unconscious mind will increase brain power, in turn increasing memory power. That was one of the method suggested for increasing memory power. However let us discuss what are the risks of losing memory?
The next time you sneeze or cough then don’t take it easily as these mild infections can lead you to memory loss. Researchers have found that an exposure to common infections like cold sores, stomach discomforts or mild pneumonia can increase risk of memory decline. According to the study, these infections can be worrisome even if they have never made you ill.
These common infections expose you to viruses like Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex. These viruses worsen your brain’s cognitive performance besides affecting the speed of mental processing, your ability of abstract thinking, planning and reasoning, which finally leads you to memory loss.
Notably, previous studies have already associated certain infections to Alzheimer’s disease and stroke risk.
To understand the effect of past infections on your brain performance, the researchers carried study on 588 people. They conducted brain function tests and took blood samples from all the participants. After five years, the cognitive tests were again conducted on half of the participants.
Clinton Wright, scientific director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Miami in the US, said that the clinical damage to the brain could be caused by an immune system response to the infections or the infection itself could result in memory loss that we’re not aware of.
The study researchers say, people usually don’t take these infections seriously and therefore don’t plan any major action to combat them.
During the presentation at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2014, the researcher said there is no evidence yet that treating these infections is beneficial. They believe initial exposure to the viruses may have happened decades earlier and the damage may have occurred gradually.
