If memory loss alone were a sign of dementia, most adults would already be diagnosed. Everyone forgets things — forgetting names, appointments, or even why you walked into a room is common. Forcing yourself to recall any information can be frustrating and might make you worry about your brain health.
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However, just because you occasionally forget something does not mean you have a serious problem. In many cases, it can just be your body’s normal reaction to stress, lack of sleep, or distractions, which are all temporary. Even during the natural process of aging, you may notice that you are becoming more forgetful, but this alone does not mean you have dementia.
Dementia causes profound changes beyond just memory lapses: it can cause significant changes in thinking, judgment, and even affect your ability to carry out daily activities.
Dementia is not a single disease but an umbrella term that describes a group of conditions affecting memory, thinking, and other cognitive abilities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common and probably most well-known type of dementia, but other forms include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.
Research shows that after the age of 55, the lifetime risk of developing dementia is approximately 42% for Americans. This means that if a person lives long enough after age 55, their risk of developing dementia is roughly 4 in every 10 individuals. Read on to learn the difference between standard forgetfulness and dementia.
What Are Memory Lapses?
Memory lapses are the day-to-day slips that we all experience. It can include things such as forgetting someone’s name, forgetting where you put your phone or keys, or walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there. These slips are brief and typically don’t impact daily functioning.
Memory lapses may occur more frequently when you’re busy, stressed, or tired, and your brain is attempting to do too many things at once. Memory can also become slower with age, although you still have that information with you and can recall it later.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is the progressive decline in the brain’s cognitive functions, which include things such as memory recall, thinking, reasoning, and communication. Often, dementia is associated with brain impairment that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia warning signs are not limited to memory problems and include difficulty with judgment, problem-solving, and language, as well as changes in reasoning, communication, and behavior.
You may also have trouble keeping up with conversations, managing regular tasks, or making simple decisions. These changes are usually progressive and worsen over time, rather than being occasional or sporadic memory loss. Dementia can also slowly take away your ability to be independent and care for yourself.
What are the differences between memory lapses and dementia?
Memory Lapses vs. Dementia: Key Differences
Memory lapses and dementia may look similar, but they’re not the same. Here are the key differences between the two:
| Difference | Memory Lapses | Dementia |
| Frequency of Memory Issues | Memory lapses happen occasionally and are often related to stress and exhaustion. This situation can usually be improved over time by practicing healthy behaviors, such as getting more sleep. | Dementia, on the other hand, occurs more regularly with frequency increasing over time, such that it becomes a common occurrence and can negatively impact the quality of life. |
| Type of Information Forgotten | People dealing with memory lapses usually remember essential events (like going to work) but forget minor details (like a name, a booked appointment, or where they placed something). | People with dementia forget entire events and conversations, and can even have trouble retaining newly learned information. General recall of information is very challenging. |
| Ability to Recall Information Later | Memory lapses are often followed by recall. A name may come to you hours later, or you might suddenly remember what you meant to do. Sometimes the memory returns on its own, and other times a small clue might bring it back. | With dementia, recall becomes much more difficult and often does not improve with time. In many cases, prompts or hints also do not help the information return, especially as the condition progresses. |
| Handling of Misplaced Items | People often misplace objects, but in reasonable or familiar places (for example, a wallet under a pile of papers). They also usually remember where they put the object eventually if they try to retrace their steps. | People with dementia may put objects in odd places (such as keys in the refrigerator) and often cannot recall where they put them. |
| Level of Confusion | Confusion is momentary and emerges occasionally, usually when the person is stressed or busy. If they are less stressed or busy, the confusion usually goes away. | Confusion occurs frequently and lingers even when relaxed. This makes it more challenging to follow what others say, and you may not recall how to complete tasks. |
| Awareness of Memory Changes | The person eventually notices mistakes and acknowledges memory slips. | Family members notice changes more than the person does. Additionally, with dementia, an individual may unintentionally deny or be unaware that anything has changed. |
| Impact on Daily Activities | Daily routine is usually unchanged or minorly inconvenienced, even if the person occasionally forgets things. | Completing daily tasks becomes more difficult. There is often more confusion and errors. |
Pre-sorted Prescriptions | Home Delivery
What To Do if You’re Worried About Your Memory
Noticing memory changes? Here’s what to do next:
1. Take notes about changes you observe: Keep track of patterns, rather than one-off occurrences. Your notes will help you and your doctor see the bigger picture.
2. Check sleep, stress, and daily habits: Lack of sleep, increased stress, and missing meals can cause temporary memory problems. Getting better sleep and rest may help you improve your memory and recall.
3. Review medications and supplements: Prescription and over-the-counter medications can have side effects that affect memory and make you more forgetful. Review your medications and their side effects with your doctor, and if you notice any changes while taking medications, make sure to speak to your doctor immediately.
4. Talk with a healthcare professional: Share any notes of episodes or events and be specific with details and examples you’ve compiled. This will help your healthcare professional understand the issues and determine if there are any underlying causes that need to be addressed.
5. Ask for cognitive screening if needed: This can help get a better idea of the level of your cognitive function and how well your memory and recall are functioning to help identify potential areas of concern.
6. Involve a trusted family member: A close family member may be able to identify changes you haven’t.
7. Avoid self-diagnosing: Looking up your symptoms online often leads to more alarm and concern. Instead, talk to a professional and let them guide you to determine whether there is a problem.
Conclusion
Misplacing your keys is common. Forgetting where you placed them can be frustrating. But dementia is often a much more serious change to cognitive function, which goes beyond simple forgetfulness. It can significantly affect your daily life. Understanding the difference between occasional forgetfulness and dementia can help you respond with knowledge rather than fear. Taking action early matters. It can help you and your loved ones live more comfortably and independently for longer.
About the Author
Reviewed by Dr. Ryo Sanabria
Dr. Ryo Sanabria, PhD, was born and raised in New York. They received a B.A. and M.A. in biotechnology from CUNY Hunter College, and an M.A., M.Phil., and PhD in Nutrition and Metabolic Sciences from Columbia University. Dr. Sanabria is a professor who currently teaches at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Their areas of expertise include gerontology, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, and nutrition. They are the recipient of many awards and grants and have authored numerous research papers. The most rewarding part of their work is training and mentoring new scientists. Dr. Sanabria is an avid fitness enthusiast, and in their free time, they enjoy marathon running and weight-lifting. Dr. Sanabria's pronouns are they/them/their.
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