Memory Loss Isn't Dementia - What's the Difference?

Dementia is often confused with a symptom called memory loss. Just because you are experiencing poor memory, doesn't mean you have or will get dementia. But it's a problem worth addressing.

UPDATED: July 26th, 2025

Welcome to the Healthy Aging Newsletter, a free publication translating trustworthy medical research into simple habits to age well, free of chronic disease. I’m Dr. Ashori, a family medicine doctor turned health coach.

 

As we age, it’s normal for us to take longer to recall names, locations, or facts. A normal phenomenon that’s worsened when we are stressed, multitasking, or overwhelmed. This isn’t dementia, it’s not mild cognitive impairment (MCI), instead it’s a distracted, overworked brain.

Memory loss, however, isn’t part of normal aging and you can age well without experiencing any memory loss. We know from solid, repeatable research that certain lifestyle factors are protective against dementia, even if you have a family history of it.

This study concludes that memory loss is not an inevitable part of aging and that lifestyle factors are protective against memory deterioration and dementia.

In dementia, memory loss is a gradually worsening phenomenon that’s also associated with anxiety, poor sleep, thought processing, and change in energy levels.

Normal Wear & Tear of the Brain

With age, the brain will undergo volume loss, as seen CTs and MRIs. That finding can be scary there is little reason to worry if you don’t have other neurological problems.

While volume loss is also seen with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, it’s a normal process for us as we age. Let’s discuss a few ways we can avoid common memory problems with age.

1. Stress Management

Managing excess stress or learning to cope with it keeps the brain young and functional. Stress isn’t avoidable but learning healthy coping strategies such as meditation can create a little headspace for proper memory recall.

Just because your memory recall is weak doesn’t mean you are developing or will get dementia. But it does mean that your brain is working overtime and if left untreated, it could lead to other problems down the road.

A 2023 study found that higher psychological resilience (better stress coping) was associated with better cognitive performance and a lower burden of modifiable dementia risk factors.

2. Rest & Recovery

Adequate, restful sleep is not only necessary for a healthy brain but for the rest of the body to recover and age well. I always stress with my patients that it’s less about the number of hours in bed, it’s more about the restfulness and quality of sleep.

Some of my patients will get up several times per night, but they feel rested the next morning. Others will sleep through the night but may wake up not feeling rested. Troubleshooting sleep takes a bit of trial and error but is quite worthwhile.

Need to troubleshoot your memory and sleep? I’m here to help. Book a call with me today to find out more.

3. Movement & Activity

I always mention exercise because it helps clear inflammatory cells and improves circulation. Without movement it’s tough to get good circulation, without good circulation you can’t get proper cell repair.

While some experts say that you need a certain amount of cardio or resistance exercise, daily activity and movement may be all you need. Some of the healthiest patients I coach in my practice, whether in their 30s or 80s, have never done anything more impressive than long walks, often in nature and sometimes in their asphalted neighborhoods.

4. Improving Memory Recall

If you want to have a sharp mind it’s best to have a balance of giving your brain downtime while also pushing it, stimulating it. Just like exercise, you need plenty of downtime after intense information processing or emotionally charged moments.

Sports, puzzles, leadership roles, coding, or woodworking are all great ways for you to flex the processing muscles of the brain which help improve recall speed and processing power. For me, it’s rock climbing, new body puzzles to solve every time.

Of course, as with any aging process, a time will come when the processing speed will slow down quite a bit. In your head it will feel no different: information comes in and you know exactly what to do with it but by the time it comes out of your lips, the other person may have moved on. This happens much later in our later decades and there are ways to welcome this, too.