Cannot remember what house looks like . . .

I often have problems remembering things that should come easily.  Such as what my house looks like or my best friend's middle name.  I can remember eventually is I sit and think about it for a while and break it down piece by piece (is there carpet? are the stairs in the front room?).  

I also have trouble learning new things or remembering what happened yesterday.  I'm also very apathetic (if that should play into anything, this could be a personality thing however).  What I am most concerned about is the first problem.  This has been developing over the last few years.

Would you be able to point me in the direction of what this might be?

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi,
Amnesia or forgetfulness has several root causes. Most common are brain injury related to physical trauma, disease, infection, drug and alcohol abuse, or reduced blood flow to the brain (vascular insufficiency). For example, in  Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, damage to the memory centers of the brain results from the use of alcohol or malnutrition. Infections that damage brain tissue include encephalitis and herpes and may cause amnesia. Amnesia may also be psychogenic.

Degeneration of brain cells in dementia also leads to Amnesia. Memory loss can sometimes result from stroke, if it affects the area of the brain concerned with memory functions. Please go for MRI of the brain and consult a neurologist for diagnosis and management of the symptoms. Hope this helps you. Take care and regards!