If you've been experiencing memory lapses lately, don't jump to the conclusion that you've got Alzheimer's disease. According to Web MD, some memory loss is normal as we get older.
It's a natural part of aging. It's impossible to remember everything that we've logged into our brain. So over time, some of what has gone in gets lost. And stress, anxiety and depression can also lead to memory loss.
Here's how to distinguish between when your forgetfulness is normal, and when it's something to be concerned about:

• Normal forgetfulness includes: forgetting parts of an experience, forgetting where you parked the car, forgetting events from the distant past, and forgetting a person's name but remembering it later.
• Signs that more serious memory conditions, such as Alzheimer's, may be happening, are: forgetting an experience, forgetting how to drive a car or read a clock, forgetting recent events, forgetting ever having known a particular person, and increasing confusion. And the symptoms become more frequent and severe!

Here's the simple rule of thumb from Web MD: If you're worried about your memory, it's probably not that serious. If your friends and relatives are worried about it, then you should get things checked out.