It could be simple hyperawareness. This can happen in people who believe they may have a certain medical condition and then will pay excessive attention to anything which they believe is a symptom. For example if someone reads about stomach cancer they may go on to take much more notice than usual about normal digestive twinges or noises which everyone gets - and which they themselves have always had but paid no conscious attention to. And of course, worry will in itself produce more of the same symptoms, and thus it goes on.

It is quite possible that your memory lapses are completely normal but that you are simply paying more attention to them because of your concerns.

Also, if you are stressed and worried over this, possibly lacking proper sleep as well, then you will become distracted.

The mind is a very powerful thing and it is quite capable of manufacturing symptoms to fit a belief. This is not to say the symptoms are not real, they are, but the underlying cause is not what the person fears.

It sometimes accompanies hypochondriasis - a medical term meaning excessive preoccupation or worry over one's health.

I am not dismissing your concerns - quite the opposite. I speak from experience as I have had "health fixations" as my GP calls them, associated with depression.

It is actually quite unusual for someone with memory problems to recognise it themselves - the problems are almost always first noticed and reported by those who know them well. In fact, it is common for the person suffering from them to deny they have any problems at all.

All you can do is to seek reassurance from your GP.