Short term memory
My dear friend has stage 4 COPD. He has been having a lot of short term memory loss. Is this common ?
found this link from this site for you to refer to, also a couple other items I located. On a personal note my father had issues from time to time and I notice I do at times also (now stage 4). Mine seems to be more notice of loss when I am stressed over something and just really tired. Family observations of course, they let me know.
https://copd.net/living/memory-loss
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-study-chronic-lung-disease-linked-to-cognitive-impairment-memory-loss/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5473380/
https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/35/4/913
There was more, but thought this would get you started. Wish you and your friend much luck
All I have is anecdotal experience, but my grandmother who had COPD did experience some cognitive decline in the last years of her life. She was always alert and knew who everyone was, but she often repeated herself and started to need help with managing paperwork, etc. This increased as her COPD worsened. However, I also want to note that she was in her 80s at the time of her passing, so it could have been partially related to normal aging as well. You are such a good friend for caring enough to ask these questions! May we all be so fortunate. -Melissa, team member
A frequent low oxygen saturation level will have adverse effects on the brain cells. So. yes, COPD can adversly affect cognitive issues. On the other hand, several of my friends who do not have COPD are in much worse shape from a memory standpoint than I am.
The fact that others without COPD are even more severly impacted is important to rememer,
. Thanks for the reminder. If there are any advantages to having a chronic health condition, one would be the frequency of doctor visits. Emerging health issues are more likely to be caught and treated. Many people rarely see doctors and don't know they are sick until it's either too late or difficult to treat. I am seeing the impact of that more often among my own friends as I age. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member)
