To explain it curtly, menopause is a time in a woman’s life when her body stops producing adequate levels of estrogen. This drop-off in estrogen production causes many kinds of symptoms including bone density loss, joint pain, unstable emotions, and memory loss.
Memory issues related to menopause include what’s known as brain fog which is generally described as a lack of focus and short-term memory retention. You may also find that it’s harder for you to recall information and that your memory recall takes longer in general.
So why is menopause memory loss so common? What can be done about it? We will answer these and other important questions in the following article.
What Causes Memory Problems During Menopause?
Again, the short answer to this question is hormonal changes. You see, estrogen is a sexual hormone that affects many aspects of a woman’s life - even cognitive performance.
The National Institutes of Health goes into detail on how estrogen affects cognitive performance in the following study quote:
Estrogen facilitates higher cognitive functions by exerting effects on brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Estrogen induces spinogenesis and synaptogenesis in these two brain regions and also initiates a complex set of signal transduction pathways via estrogen receptors.
To put it in simpler terms, estrogen plays a part in the way your brain functions and sends signals. When estrogen is in short supply, it can slow down these processes and, in some cases, inhibit them. That’s why cognition may become compromised during menopause.
Of course, there are more practical ways in which estrogen affects memory. Many women report poor sleep quality during menopause due to hot flashes and other symptoms.
Poor sleep quality has also been linked to compromised cognitive performance. Menopause may also bring on added stress for a woman which can further impair her mental abilities.
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Menopausal memory issues indeed produce some of the same symptoms as age-related cognitive decline, but they are very different. That’s because menopause memory loss is attributed to hormone shifts while age-related cognitive decline is caused primarily by natural aging.
Also, they are distinct from one another in that age-related issues can progress to serious cognitive impairments like Alzheimer’s and dementia while menopause memory loss usually reaches a plateau that does not include serious cognitive impairment.
Symptoms of Menopausal Memory Loss
Symptoms of Menopausal Memory Los
So how do you know if what you are experiencing is the result of menopause and memory loss? Here are some common symptoms to look out for:
- Slow Memory Recall - If it takes you longer than normal to remember basic things like names, dates, and vocabulary, you may be experiencing memory loss due to hormonal changes.
- Brain Fog - Brain fog can include forgetting why you walked into a room or simply having trouble focusing on any given task for an extended period.
- General Forgetfulness - Have you been forgetting where you put your keys, whether you locked the door, or doctor’s appointments? If so these little mental slips can be indicative of hormone-induced memory loss.
Tips for Managing Memory Issues During Menopause
Menopause and memory loss treatment doesn’t always have to be serious and invasive. There are some lifestyle changes that you can make to negate the effects of menopause memory loss. Here are just a few:
- Improve Your Sleep Quality - There have been some studies that suggest that sleep quality has a direct impact on memory in older adults. These studies point out that test subjects appear to have sharper memory when their sleep quality is adequately maintained. Getting better sleep may also improve your executive decision-making capabilities. So reducing your caffeine intake, maintaining a consistent bedtime, and making sure the temperature in your bedroom is comfortable may all be ways to improve your memory during menopause.*
- A Healthy Diet - A diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other brain-friendly nutrients may also help you maintain your memory as you go through menopause.
- Exercise - Keeping your brain and body adequately stimulated may help stave off the effects of menopause-induced memory loss. Try playing crossword puzzles every week or doing aerobic exercises like swimming, jogging, or walking.
- Stress Management - Some studies seem to confirm that elevated stress levels have a negative impact on how quickly you can recall information and memories. So limiting your stress levels may help maintain good memory recall. Try breathing exercises, tai chi, yoga, or meditation to help reduce your stress levels.
Natural and Supplement-Based Remedies
You may have heard that some herbal extracts and supplements may be able to improve general memory. You may also be wondering if they would work for menopausal women as well. The short answer is: that they can in some cases.
Don’t expect these nutrients to be miracle workers but study data suggests that herbal extracts like ashwagandha and ginkgo biloba may be able to help maintain sharp cognitive functions. In fact, one National Institutes of Health study stated that:
Eight weeks of 600 mg ashwagandha-root extract has been shown to improve memory, executive function, sustained attention, and processing speed.
There are also vitamins and supplementary products that may be able to enhance and maintain your cognitive function throughout menopause. For instance, some studies have found a link between low vitamin B levels and memory loss.*
Supplements that contain omega-3 fish oils may also be helpful in reducing the inflammation that can cause damage to brain cells.*
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Its Role in Memory
Menopause and Memory Loss Treatment
Remember that the root cause of memory loss during menopause has to do with depleted sexual hormone levels. That’s why some women turn to hormone replacement therapy to resolve their memory issues.
Hormone replacement therapy may help reduce the frequency and severity of your menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, bone density loss, night sweats, and memory loss.*
However, hormone replacement therapy can be expensive and invasive and there is no guarantee that it will work to preserve your memory. It’s always best to discuss hormone replacement therapy with your doctor if it’s something you’re considering.
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Keep in mind that menopause-induced memory issues are not a death sentence. In most cases, they don’t leave lasting effects on the patient and they typically improve with time.*
Once you are done with menopause, you may find that your cognitive functions return to normal so it's best not to overreact when you start noticing a few memory lapses here and there. These are natural and normal.*
Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do about them. Be mindful of your symptoms, track the progression of your memory loss, make good lifestyle changes, and always stay in close communication with your doctor.
If you do, you may find that navigating menopause symptoms like memory loss is a lot easier than you may have initially thought.