Causes of Long-Term Memory Loss

Most people suffer from occasional forgetfulness such as forgetting to put out the trash, but for millions of Americans, forgetting is a much more serious problem. Long-term memory loss takes away the ability to remember events and people. Sometimes people who suffer long-term memory loss even forget who their family members are. While short-term memory loss often goes away, long-term memory loss is permanent.

Nerve and Brain Disorders

• Alzheimer's is a degenerative brain disorder with no known treatment or cause that causes long-term memory loss. As the disease progresses, the patient starts to suffer long-term memory problems. For example, patients might forget family members and names. Neurodegenerative disorders that cause damage to nerve cells also cause long-term memory loss. These disorders include: Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis. Dementia, a condition caused by these diseases and by other diseases, is another cause of long-term memory loss.

Trauma

• Traumatic events to the head are memory loss triggers. For example, any time the brain is deprived of oxygen, such as if a person's heart stops beating, memory loss can occur. This also sometimes happens because of complications from anesthesia. Seizures are another cause of traumatic memory loss. Head trauma and injuries from falling can lead to long-term memory loss, even if the patient didn't suffer a concussion.

Mental Health and Addictions

• Mental health disorders also lead to memory loss. When mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are not controlled, memory loss can occur. Dissociative disorder occurs after a traumatic event happens when the patient forgets long-term and short-term memories after that event.

  Addictions and lifestyle choice can also affect long-term memory loss. Long-term and repeated use of drugs and alcohol are linked to long-term memory loss.

Other Causes

• Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy sometimes lead to long-term memory loss. Certain brain infections such as Lyme disease and syphilis are another memory loss trigger. Brain tumors or growths cause long-term problems. Some medications list long-term memory loss as a possible side effect, including barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Brain surgery, such as surgery to treat seizures, also sometimes leads to long-term memory loss. If epilepsy is not controlled by treatment, long-term memory loss can occur. Nutritional deficiencies, like lack of vitamin B12 are another cause. If the deficiency is fixed, the condition can be short term.