People join physical exercise in Hà Nội. Health experts recommend good physical exercise as a way to keep your brain healthy. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hiếu

HCM CITY — Memory loss is usually something that’s only associated with old age, but certain activities can also cause younger people to suffer from forgetfulness.

H.T.T, lives in Thủ Đức City in HCM City, has two children and is under 30 years old.

At times, she has noticed she has become absent-minded, forgetting basic things like turning off the oven or not remembering where her car keys are.

At first, she just put this down to postpartum symptoms, having just given birth to her second child, hoping that in time, her memory would return to normal.

But this wasn’t the case, and her memory loss, albeit small, continued to the point she sought medical attention.

And she is far from alone.

N.T.P, 28, lives in Phú Nhuận District, is in the same situation.

P. said that pressures of work and complicated relationships around her made her often feel confused.

It had gotten to the point where she forgets what is required of her while at work.

"Even I myself doubted what I had just completed, which bothered me," said P.

Doctor Nguyễn Thị Phương Nga, head of Neurology Ward under the Thống Nhất Hospital in HCM City, told the Lao Động (Labour) newspaper that on average, about 50-100 people came to the hospital every month to check for memory-related problems.

According to Nga the rate of people under 30 years old with memory declining was up to 14 per cent, middle aged (40-50 years old) accounted for 22 per cent of the total number of people who came to the hospital.

The elderly accounted for about 26 per cent.

Causes of memory decline are often related to stress, work pressure, having to do many things at the same time, sleep disorders, alcohol abuse and using stimulants or drugs.

Memory decline is also manifestation of some psycho-psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders.

Some other diseases also cause memory loss such as hypothyroidism, anaemia, brain tumour and chronic hematoma in the brain.

Manifestations of memory decline are poor concentration, absent-mindedness at work, psychological and emotional instability.

The more alarming was that those people always did not admit that they had dementia, said Nga.

Health experts say that the adult brain has about 100 billion nerve cells, also known as neurons.

These cells are responsible for remembering and processing information quickly.

Nerve cells in the brain will gradually decline when people are 20 years old and from the age of 25 onwards, every day about 3,000 cells disappear.

When the brain loses too many neurons, it will lead to memory declining in young people and potentially cause memory loss in the elderly.

Some other factors also cause memory decline such as abuse of tobacco, alcohol, fast food, lack of sleep and lack of physical exercise.

Health experts say that not all causes of memory loss are preventable. But, brain cells can be protected and maintained optimally if people soon implement good measures for the brain, thereby limiting the risk of cognitive loss in old age. — VNS