According to the Mayo Clinic, WebMD, and MedlinePlus.gov there are a number of possible causes of loss of memory.
Head trauma or injury can result in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Brain diseases such as Dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson Disease, Huntington Disease, Brain Tumor, Hydrocephalus, Multiple Sclerosis, and more
Stroke
Medications
Illegal Drugs
Alcoholism
Hypothyroidism
Stress
Lack of sleep
Emotions
Anxiety
Depression
Lack of proper nutrition
Infections such as Lyme Disease
Epilepsy-not controlled properly
Lack of oxygen
Radiation
Chemotherapy
Gastrointestinal Issues that affect nutritional absorption
Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer's or other dementia. Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills.
10 EARLY SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER'S
10 Early Signs of Alzheimer's
1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
4. Confusion with time or place
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
8. Decreased or poor judgment
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities 10.Changes in mood and personality
Memory Checklist
May have difficulty with working memory-like remembering a telephone number
Difficulty-may raise hand to answer a question, but then forget what they were
going to say
Trouble sounding out words so reliance on working memory is heavy
Difficulty with remembering facts, poems, lists, speeches
Avoids using nouns, uses references like “that thing” or “you know’
Often does not remember what was seen, heard or shown
May have difficulty with retrieving previously processed long term memory